Where do you find the right profile keywords?
LinkedIn is a resource hiring managers, recruiters and HR professionals use to locate designers, and keywords are a part of that search process.
Designers in the job hunt should have an active LinkedIn profile.
I'm going to show you how to optimize it, using industry specific keywords to improve your findability.
Sadly, most designers ignore this aspect of their LinkedIn profile.
Ignoring the details
Just having a profile is not enough.
Some designers create an account and never look to optimize it.
The reasons are many:
• It takes too much time and effort
• They where told LinkedIn doesn't produce results
• They feel their portfolio and resume is enough to get a job
• LinkedIn feels very confusing to use
I felt the same way starting out. But now I'm here to show how keywords can help improve your reach.
Let's dive in.
1. Gather Design Job Descriptions
Job descriptions are profiles of what companies look for in an ideal candidate.
They contain a list of skills, requirements and expectations for those applying.
Locate job descriptions ( Indeed, Dribbble, LinkedIn.. ) that align with your experience, field of interest and skill set.
These should be positions you would normally apply to.
It's important to find those you're qualified for, but also ones you aspire to.
Don't worry if you're not a 100% match on all the qualifications, an 80% match is a good standard to go by.
Collect 10 - 15 job descriptions. Copy to your document program of choice.
Job descriptions are removed from the web once the role is filled. Don't rely on them always being available, save to your files.
Resource: List of different job boards for designers I've collected and you can use to look for jobs
2. Find Common Words, and Phrases
Reading through your job descriptions you will begin to notice words and phrases that you see often, and which align to your experience.
They could be skills you've acquired, software you use, a design process, collaboration experiences, research methods, etc..
Copy those words and phrases, and add to a new document.
Make sure they align to your skills and experiences.
One thing I see often is designers avoid words they believe have no value. Like interpersonal or collaboration skills.
Thinking it's not design related they don't need them. If it's in the job description that means the company is looking for those skills.
Review the highlighted job description below.
See how often they mention team work? Those skills are in every job description.
Be sure to add those categories of words to your list:
3. Add Your Keywords and Phrases Throughout Profile
Now comes the fun part.
You collected a long list of words and phrases. Check.
Now, add those keywords throughout your profile.
LinkedIn mentions the importance of keywords. And, a search query is generally based using various industry keywords.
Which you've just collected!
A recruiter, or HR will use different words and phrases from the job description when searching for designers. Your goal is to increase your chances of coming up in their searches.
LinkedIn also mentions the most import set of keywords are those found in your Title, or Headline ( located just below your name ).
You have a 220 character limit to use for a Title.
This is an opportunity to mention skills and interests that show who you are, what makes you unique and why people should connect. Avoid jargon and be clear.
Examples of how designers use their Titles:
The About section, your bio is the second most important section for keywords. Rewrite yours now adding those keywords and phrases you collected.
But, only those that make sense, and reads naturally. Avoid keyword stuffing.
Fill out all your past jobs in the Experience section
Some designers avoid filling out an experience thats not design related. Fill it out anyway.
It's an opportunity to show knowledge you've gained, your achievements and teams you worked on.
Other sections for keywords; Education, Recommendations, and Organizations.
Also, fill out the Skills section. You can add up to 50 skills - use your keyword list as a guide!
Remember: Keywords and phrases are just a part of optimizing your LinkedIn profile. In future posts I'll share others ways to make your profile stand out.
Conclusion
Your LinkedIn profile is where a hiring managers (or anyone) can learn more about you, your skills and strengths.
Along with your portfolio, it's part of your brand.
Use it to your advantage.
• Collect 10 - 15 designer job descriptions
• Extract words and phrases that you see often
• Add those to your LinkedIn profile sections
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
Anthony Faria
the Designer's Roadmap
Helping designers navigate the path to success
When you're ready, here are few ways I can help you:
- 1:1 Portfolio Review Laser focused 1:1 portfolio review where I evaluate all aspects of your work; visuals, storytelling, overall approach recommending key improvements to help your work stand out.
- 1:1 Career Coaching Session My 1:1 coaching sessions are designed to help you overcome challenges, set clear objectives, and develop a personalized roadmap for success.
- Job Hunting Checklist The exact steps I use to help designers successfully improve their job search all in a free checklist! Stay organized, focused, and prepared throughout your job hunt (free).
- Job Posting Sites for Designers Over the years I've collected job boards exclusively for design jobs. 100+ active links (free).
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