Young people from developing nations generally desire to study abroad, especially at graduate levels (PGD, MA/MSc./MBA/LL.M, and PhD). Year-in and year-out, the numbers keep rising as more students troop into developed countries to further their studies.

Statistics have shown that the USA, Canada, and the UK are arguably the top destinations for students. However, the process of securing admission abroad requires perseverance, attention to detail, and being intentional.

If you desire to secure postgraduate admission for study abroad programmes in Europe (especially the UK and Ireland) or North America (especially the USA and Canada), this article is definitely for you. You will gain valuable knowledge about the steps you need to take to make this dream a reality.

1.  Get your Undergraduate Transcript

The transcript is one of the most important documents for your graduate school application. This document provides a detailed record of the title of courses taken at the undergraduate level,  the course units, the duration of the courses, and the mark/grade awarded by the examiner.

While the official copy of the transcript is required for admission consideration, some graduate schools allow applicants to submit personal copies for admission consideration, and the official copies will be requested upon offer of admission. However, it is recommended that international students explore options of credential evaluation, which converts foreign academic credits or degrees to their equivalencies in the target country. The credential evaluation also verifies the authenticity of the academic documents and institution status, thus offering some form of guarantee to applicants and target institutions.

2.  Prepare an Academic CV

Many graduate school applicants make the mistake of submitting their regular work CVs for admission applications.

As a rule, you must take your time to carefully craft an academic CV that showcases your academic excellence and accomplishments. Your academic CV should help you convince the admissions committee that you are a capable graduate student with the brainpower and zeal to undertake the selected program. Learn more: Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your CV.

3.  Draft a winning Statement of Purpose (SOP), Motivation letter, or Personal Statement

The admissions committee is often interested in the motivation for selecting the program and institution. The committee aims to identify your strength and suitability for the program through your SOP.

A statement of purpose simply answers the “Whys, Whats, and Hows” that the admissions committee may have lingering in their mind. For instance, why did you choose the program and course, and how does the program align with your long-term objectives? It is therefore important to carefully draft this essay to portray the best image of yourself. Learn more: How to Write an Outstanding Statement of Purpose

4.  Reach Out to Potential Recommenders

Finally, you need to contact credible recommenders to attest to your qualifications and skills. Different programs have various stipulations for recommendation letters, but most programs require at least two recommendation letters – generally from lecturers/research supervisors and employers/managers. Your recommendation letter should highlight the knowledge and skills that position you as a suitable candidate for the target program. Therefore, do not request recommendation letters from people who do not know you well to vouch for your academic and work experience. You should also provide relevant information to your recommenders, such as your CV, along with a list of your academic achievements and extracurricular activities. Take Action! Start reaching out to your lecturers, supervisors, and managers today!

5.  Apply Early

It is recommended that you submit your application early to avoid potential last-minute problems. For instance, the Fall academic session usually begins around September, but the application deadline might be around February. Therefore, it would benefit you to submit your application way ahead of that time. Likewise, the application deadline for the winter academic session typically falls around September/October. Be sure to check with your University to confirm application deadlines.

Conclusion

Your study abroad dream is valid if you put your best foot forward. If you desire to study in Canada, the UK, the USA, or Ireland, we can help you achieve your study abroad goal. We have dedicated advisors who are available to guide you through the admission and visa application processes.

Reach out to our study abroad advisors to help you with advisory services at  STUDYABROAD@BTDTHUB.COM

The Tech and IT industries are among the top growing industries today. In fact, Zippia reports that the tech industry makes up 35% of the world market, with the US tech industry employing over 12.2 million workers as of 2020.

This impressive growth of the tech industry, coupled with the large influx of skilled workers in recent years, has made the industry very competitive. One way to stand out among your peers is to have a top-notch technical CV that showcases your skills, portfolio, and accomplishments.

This article covers some essential tips to help you write a job-winning technical CV. It will serve as a guide to help you land your dream job.

Highlight Your Technical Skills and Core Competencies

Tech companies usually specify the job responsibilities and skill requirements. Once you’ve determined that you satisfy these requirements and can perform these responsibilities, you want to include the essential technical skills in your CV.

For instance, let’s say the company is looking to hire a senior mobile developer. In such a scenario, the required technical skills would include:

• Deep knowledge of programming languages (like C#, Java, Objective-C, Javascript, and Python)
• Proficiency in writing automated tests (in JUnit, Espresso, or XCTest)
• Familiar with the JSON format
• Familiar with RESTful APIs and mobile libraries for networking.

The Experience Section Must Showcase Your Achievements

The experience section of your CV should not only describe your responsibilities. It should also showcase how you performed these responsibilities and what you were able to achieve.

For instance, instead of writing “fixed software bugs and performance problems,” you want to write something along the lines of “Fixed performance problems by identifying bugs and ensuring clean, readable, and testable code, which led to a 23% increase in mobile app performance.”

Keep in mind that we are not saying you should exaggerate or misrepresent your experience. Instead, we want you to explicitly describe your experience and responsibilities and highlight your achievements.

Include Relevant Technical Qualifications and Projects

It’s not enough to list your skills and experience; recruiters also want to see your technical qualifications and relevant projects. So, for instance, you might want to list your education, relevant certifications, and supplementary courses you’ve completed from Coursera and Udemy.

In addition, your previous projects clear the doubts that recruiters might have about your claims. Therefore, it helps to briefly describe your project by including the project goal, the technology stack that you used, and the results you achieved. You also want to include links to your projects and your GitHub profile.

Once you have completed all of this and written a top-notch profile summary, proofread and edit your CV using spell check tools like Grammarly.

Do you want a tailored and achievement-based tech CV that can land you that dream role? Let us help you review your Tech CV.

To get started, send a DM or an email to INFO@BTDTHUB.COM.

Have you recently been shortlisted for an interview? If so, congratulations! Your well-written and tailored CV has worked its magic, and you are one step away from landing that dream job.

However, there is more to attending interviews than just showing up. You need to prepare to increase your chances of a successful interview. Here, we discuss five tips to prepare for a successful interview. If you are looking to ace your interview and land that dream job, then this article is for you!

1.  Read the Job Description

If you are at the interview stage, you probably understood the job description before preparing and submitting your CV for the job opening. However, it does not end here when preparing for a successful interview.

You need to read that job description again to get as much information as possible. For instance, you might find additional information or keywords you missed when preparing your CV. This allows you to determine possible questions that might pop up about your skills or experience during the interview.

2.  Identify Your Strengths in Relation to the Job

The “job responsibilities” section is essential for a job posting. It allows you to evaluate your eligibility for the role since it lists all of the skills and strengths needed to excel at the job. Therefore, to perform successfully in the interview, you want to demonstrate your relevant skills and strengths to the recruiter as much as possible.

For instance, your strength could be professional qualifications, certifications, years of experience, or specific knowledge that makes you stand out and easily carry out the highlighted job responsibilities.

3.  Know the Company

It is vital to conduct research on the target company. Remember that an interview is a two-way thing; recruiters ask questions to know more about you and you ask questions to know more about the company. Therefore, by conducting research on the company’s culture and products, you would figure out essential questions you need to ask the recruiters.

This research also helps you to know whether the company would be a good fit for you as you would be a good fit for them.

4.  Conduct Mock Interviews

This step is important as it helps you to build confidence. However, we are not saying you should memorize answers. Instead, we mean that practicing and learning to respond to common interview questions can help you to respond faster and become more articulate during the interview.

Getting a friend or family to act as the recruiter is good for this process. Do this and watch yourself become fluent in your answers and speak eloquently. Some common questions to practice are:

• Why do you want to work with our company?
• Why are you applying for this role?
• Can you describe your core strengths?
• What is your salary expectation?

Find answers to these questions using tips 1 to 3 above, and you are good to go.

5.  Make Plans for the D-day

Depending on whether the interview is physical or virtual, you need to make adequate plans. If it is a virtual interview, do well to double-check that your internet is in perfect working condition. Also, be sure you have updated the software you need for the meeting (like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, etc.). Your computer must also be in great working condition. To be on the safe side, have a backup computer and internet.

On the other hand, for a physical interview, decide the most effective transportation mode, and leave home as early as possible. Also, you need to be at the interview venue at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time.

Are you a graduate looking to advance your career in academia, or do you want to secure a funding scholarship abroad for your Master’s or Ph.D. program? If so, you might have to contact potential Masters or Ph.D. supervisors before applying to their positions to increase your chances of success. However, while contacting supervisors is quite simple and straightforward, leaving a great impression is not as simple as it appears.  Here, we discuss key things you must know before reaching out to potential supervisors. It will serve as a guide to those looking to increase their chances of securing research assistant (or teaching assistant) positions in universities abroad.

Do Your Research

Before you contact any potential supervisor, you must do thorough research about them. For instance, you want to know about their research interests, laboratory, and projects. And there is no better place to find this information than on the schools’ website. Some supervisors also have a dedicated website for their research laboratory, indicating their projects, available MSc and Ph.D. openings, and contact information.

Once you have gathered information about this supervisor and confirmed that their research area aligns with your research interests, proceed to read about some of their publications. For instance, you can find their recent publications on sites like ResearchGate and ScienceDirect. Take your time to read these papers to get insight into what their project entails.

The Structure of Your Email Matters

Your first email to the potential supervisor matters a lot. Remember that professors are quite busy and receive a ton of emails every day, so you want to ensure your email stands out from the bulk of others. As a rule, start your email with a clear subject line like “Prospective Ph.D. student interested in Additive Manufacturing.” Some professors also specify some requirements for prospective students’ email subject lines to weed out some candidates. So you want to ensure you check their dedicated laboratory website.

Next, craft your mail such that it introduces you, your academic qualifications, intent, interest in the supervisor’s research discipline, and enthusiasm for an MSc or Ph.D. study. You also want to somehow connect your prior research experience (or future research plans) with the knowledge you’ve gained from reading the supervisor’s publications.

Keep your email concise and straightforward: every other relevant information about you should be included in the academic CV you will be attaching to the mail. Finally, thank the supervisor for their time and end your email with “Kind regards” followed by your full name.

Your Academic CV and LinkedIn Profile are Powerful

If a potential supervisor finds your email interesting, the supervisor will likely want to know more about you by going through your CV. Your academic CV is not just like every other CV; it should highlight your educational background, achievements, core competencies, research experiences, and interests that coincide with the supervisor’s research discipline. 

LinkedIn is also a very powerful tool that can increase your chances of success with these supervisors. In fact, we have seen cases of several graduate students who have connected with potential supervisors and landed opportunities via LinkedIn. 

As a rule, you want to gather a list of potential supervisors whose research discipline aligns with your interests, look them up and send them a connection request on LinkedIn. Next, focus on those potential supervisors who viewed your LinkedIn profile and accepted your connection request: these supervisors likely found a liking to your LinkedIn profile. Send them a message thanking them for accepting your invitation before shooting your cold email to them. 

Do you want a tailored academic CV and an optimized LinkedIn profile that can improve your chances of success with graduate school applications? Let us help you review your CV and optimize your LinkedIn profile. To get started, send a DM or an email to INFO@BTDTHUB.COM.

Do you know that universities and polytechnics across Nigeria admit close to  2 million students and produce over 600,000 graduates every year? While this is an impressive record, statistics from the World Bank show that over 15.3% of Nigerians with advanced education are unemployed.

Undoubtedly, the University coursework (or activities) will help you develop some necessary skills you need to navigate the labour market. However, you need more than a degree certificate to thrive and become employable in today’s highly competitive market.

This article presents 4 tips to make young graduates more employable and stand out from the crowd. It also serves as a guide for young professionals looking to land their dream jobs.

#1 : Brush Up Your Skills

It is good to have a degree, but it is even better if you have the skills required in the industry you intend to serve. For example, say you are a Mechanical Engineering graduate looking to work in the Machine Design and Manufacturing Industry. It would make sense to know at least something about computer-aided design (CAD), right?

Likewise, an accounting graduate should have analytical and problem-solving skills, time management and system analysis skills. Adding all these skills to your qualifications will make you more credible in the eyes of a potential employer.

#2: Build Your Network

Networking is among the best ways of becoming more employable. As a young graduate, you want to join forums and groups dedicated to the industry or profession you are interested in. Also, there are social media platforms you can leverage to build your network, but LinkedIn tops them allㅡthe platform has over 740 million users and over 55 million registered companies.

And to leverage LinkedIn, you want to optimise your LinkedIn profile, make connections, share ideas, opportunities, resources, and provide help to the best of your ability.

“Networks and networking will get you to the top faster,” says Dr Dipo Awojide in a recent tweet. You would be surprised by how valuable your networks can be in landing you that dream role.

#3: Keep Your CV Up-to-date

You need to craft a winning CV to showcase your skills and experiences to potential employers, as your CV is the document that describes you and what you can do. Hence, it is necessary that your CV gives a positive and memorable impression about you to the recruiter.

As a rule, you are required to update your CV regularly, research job requirements of target roles, and tailor your CV to the job description. You should also avoid spelling and grammatical errors in your CV.

#4 Seek Advice from Professionals

Another key way to become more employable is to seek advice (or mentorship) from professionals in your field. These professionals have been in your situation and have learned from the school of hard knocks. They can help you stay on track with industry trends and provide you with helpful resources to stay ahead of your peers.

At BTDT Hub, we have a team of highly qualified and experienced professionals to help you craft a winning CV, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile. We have reviewed over 20,000 CVs for young graduates and professionals across a broad range of industries.

Visit Personal Branding to learn more about our CV writing service. To get started, send an email to INFO@BTDTHUB.COM

Have you seen a recent job posting that you are interested in, or are you looking to land an open position in a company? If so, you are likely required to submit a CV along with your application.

Given that the hiring managers will receive hundreds of CVs for that same role, the best way to get noticed as a candidate is to tailor your CV to the job description.

This article presents helpful tips to tailor your CV to the job description. But before we delve right into it, you need to understand what tailoring a CV entails.

What is Tailoring a CV?

Tailoring your CV means writing your CV to align with the list of responsibilities, skills and qualifications needed for the job.

Look at it this way. When an employer posts a job opening, they usually specify a list of skills, qualifications, and responsibilities required from the candidates. A tailored CV simply proves that you satisfy all of these requirements and can do the job. It emphasises the employer’s need and demonstrates your alignment with the job.

However, keep in mind that you are not required to lie about your skills and responsibilities. Instead, you want to look at your relevant skill set (and responsibilities) and show the recruiters how you have previously used them to create optimal results at work.

Now let’s talk about some tips to help you tailor your CV to the job.

Tailor your CV to the Job Description with these 3 Tips

Tip #1: Read the Job Description

Nothing beats research when writing a CV for a particular job opening. You must understand what the employer wants and the skills required to perform the job, and the most effective  way to know this is to read the job description thoroughly.

When reviewing the job description, take note of specific requirements like years of experience, skills, education, training and responsibilities.

Once you have all of these requirements on paper, take a moment to compare them with your general CV. As a rule, take note of those requirements that you satisfy and place them at the top half of your CV, so they are instantly visible to the recruiters.

Tip #2: Include Measurable Outcomes of your Responsibilities

To effectively outline measurable outcomes in your CV, highlight your achievements over responsibilities. A good way to do this is by identifying the problem or situation that prompted the action; the duties required to resolve the problem or situation; and the impact achieved – with respect to improving efficiency, increasing sales, reducing costs, or all of the above. For example, instead of writing “responsible for increasing customer retention,” you can write this instead – “increased customer retention by 20% through efficient service delivery” This emphasizes key details and measurable outcomes, which instantly grabs the attention of hiring managers.

 

Tip #3: Write a Killer Summary

Because the summary section is located at the top of your CV, it is almost always the first thing that the hiring manager sees. If written well, it works like a sales pitch and grabs the hiring manager’s attention. As a rule, emphasize your skills and career progress in your summary. You should also include keyword skills and responsibilities in your summary to tailor it to the job description.

Do you want a tailored and achievement-based CV that can land you that dream role? Let us help you review your CV.

To get started, send a DM or an email to INFO@BTDTHUB.COM

3 Scholarships for Graduates Looking to Study Abroad

Are you a  graduate looking to advance your career by studying abroad? If so, you might have been overwhelmed by the huge tuition fees, travel expenses, and numerous requirements that international students must meet. However, the good news is that there are several scholarship opportunities you can look out for to cover the bulk of your expenses.

This article will cover three common scholarships for graduates looking for funding in the UK and Canada. We will also explain the general requirements for these scholarships so you can know which one to apply for.

1.    Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship

The Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). It was established to assist talented and motivated students from developing countries that cannot afford to pursue a Master’s degree in the UK.

The scholarship is awarded to over 800 students every year, which makes this scheme renowned among many graduates (especially from Africa and Asia). Furthermore, the commonwealth master’s scholarship is fully-funded, and it covers your flight expenses, examination fees, personal allowance, and a host of other allowances.

However, certain criteria have to be met to be eligible for this scholarship. For instance, you have to be a citizen of one of the Commonwealth member countries (see list here). In addition, you must have completed your undergraduate degrees and finished with an honours degree of second class upper (or higher). You are also required  to submit a personal statement that covers your study plan, goals, and future ambition.

The Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship is offered under six CSC development themes, and applications are likely to open in November and close by the third week of December.

2.    Chevening Scholarship

Chevening Scholarship, like the Commonwealth Scholarship, is a fully-funded scholarship that allows you to study in any university in the UK. To apply, you must be a citizen of any Chevening-eligible country. Applications are made online and usually commence between early August and early November. Also, applicants  must also be willing to return to their home countries upon completion of schooling.

The Chevening scholarship is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in partnership with other organisations. This scheme offers two types of awards, namely, Chevening Scholarship and Chevening Fellowships. The awardees of this scheme are usually selected by British embassies and high commissions among the various countries.

One key requirement for the Chevening scholarship is work experience. It is recommended that you have at least two years of work experience, have applied to three eligible universities, and received an unconditional offer from one of the schools.

Applications for the Chevening Scholarship typically open in August and close by December.

3.    MasterCard Foundation Scholarship

Partner universities and non-governmental organizations fund MasterCard Foundation Scholarship. Usually, the decision on the selection of scholars is made by individual partners. Some of the universities are across the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States of America. The initiative is majorly for young people from Africa, and it aims to support individuals who can make positive impacts in their communities and home countries at large.

This scholarship has been prepared to support scholars’ financial, social, and academic needs. It encompasses the tuition fees and the accommodation, daily expenses, and even educational materials for students, thus making it a fully-funded scholarship.

To apply for the MasterCard Scholarship, you must apply through the University of your choice (preferably the schools under this initiative). Simply put, you need to meet the deadlines and admission requirements for selected courses and schools. Though the scholarship is fully-funded, you are required to pay stipulated application fees to selected schools at the time of application.

However, if you are eventually selected for the scholarship program, the fees will be reimbursed.

The eligibility of an individual depends on certain factors. For instance, you must be under 35 years old at the time of application. You must also have an outstanding academic record and show  passion for positively impacting the lives of others.

Applications for the MasterCard Foundation Scholarship typically open in May and close by October.

 

BTDT Hub Can Help You Write a Personal Statement

Winning any of these scholarships is not for the faint of heart. Not only do you have to meet the scholarship requirements, but you also have to submit a personal statement that would impress the scholarship committee.

At BTDT Hub, we have a team of highly qualified advisors capable of crafting a personal statement that would impress the scholarship committee. Our advisors will work with you to ensure we get it right the first time.

You can also  read about our Study Abroad/Visa Advisory Service. To get started, send an email to INFO@BTDTHUB.COM today.

The year 2021 was an impactful year for us at BTDT Hub. We kicked off the year by hosting a session of the BTDT Bootcamp – a 4-week virtual learning program designed to empower students and young professionals in Africa. At the end of the year, we had trained 40 Bootcamp Participants and offered paid 1-month internship to 9 Participants. We further provided internship opportunities to recent graduates and engaged 2 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as Associates in the Company.

On our social media platforms, we shared over 1,000 opportunities and vacancies to our followers (largely consisting of students, professionals, and entrepreneurs); and shared several free resources to improve their personal brands, businesses, and careers. In a similar manner, we helped hundreds of MSMEs improve their visibility on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook – via our sister-page, the BTDT Business Hub.

Per our Study Abroad arm of the business, we reviewed over 200 personal statements, and helped almost 50 young professionals from Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya secure admission for postgraduate study in colleges and universities located in the UK, USA, Ireland, and Canada. Furthermore, we provided adequate support and secured £25,000 scholarship for 2 postgraduate students undertaking accredited MBA programmes in the UK.

The Recruitment arm of the business also experienced growth. We grew this segment of the business by 80%, thus, dealing with more local and international clients in the energy sector, financial services sector, and real estate sector, amongst others; and placed several job applicants in these companies. We remain committed to our values as the leading human capital development company in Nigeria as we are ranked the No. 1 for personal branding (CV, Cover Letter, and LinkedIn Profile review).

We moved into our first office at Yaba, Lagos in August 2021 and rolled out our #BTDTHub CoWork plans in September 2021. We also maintained a growing team of full-time staff and recruited more advisors to join our ever-growing team.

Conclusively, we recorded impressive media insights – as we gained almost 20, 000 additional followers on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. We also have over 5,000 subscribers connected to #BTDTNewsletter, as we focus on sharing content relating to Careers, Recruitment, Employability, Enterprise, and Education.

Have you recently seen a job posting that you feel you’re an ideal candidate for, or do you plan to apply to a particular role in a new organisation? If so, you’re likely preparing to submit your CV, attend the interview, and land the job.

But more often than not, job seekers do not get invited for the job interviews and sadly do not land their dream jobs.

This article will present 4 reasons why recruiters may not invite you for a job interview. If you’ve ever found yourself rattling off the ways you might have ruined your chances at landing your dream job, then this article is for you.

Reason #1: Improper Application Procedure

When hiring managers post jobs, they typically provide detailed information about the job application procedure. For instance, the job post might spell out the documents you need, directions (and instructions) for the application form, and general requirements.

The goal is to test the candidates’ abilities to read and understand instructions.

However, many candidates do not follow the instructions in the job posting and on the application form, and this is a key reason why most applications are not considered.

Reason #2: Your CV is Not Tailored to the Job

Your CV (curriculum vitae) is an essential document that is required by most recruiters and hiring managers today. This document provides a detailed summary of your educational background, qualifications, skill set, and achievements and shows the recruiters why you are the ideal candidate for the job.

However, one of the reasons why recruiters disqualify some job seekers is because their CV doesn’t prove that they meet the job requirements.

A CV is not a one-size-fits-all document; it shouldn’t contain everything you’ve done. Instead, you want to craft your CV such that it contains relevant skills, responsibilities and experiences needed for the job. You also want to avoid spelling and grammatical errors.

Learn more about four mistakes to avoid when writing your CV.

Reason #3 Your LinkedIn Profile is Not Optimised

Many businesses are now leveraging the world’s largest professional network (LinkedIn) by making job postings and hiring employees through the platform. After you apply for a job role on LinkedIn, the recruiter (or hiring manager) typically visits your LinkedIn profile to get an insight into your qualifications, achievements, and activities, to name a few.

One reason why a recruiter might not invite you for a job interview is because of your unoptimised LinkedIn profile. Many recruiters will opt for a candidate whose LinkedIn profile has an appropriate headshot, excellent profile summary, detailed job roles and responsibilities, relevant keywords and recommendations.

Learn about LinkedIn optimisation here.

Reason #4 Disorganised Recruitment Process

Don’t beat yourself. You might not receive an invite for a job interview because of the company’s disorganisation. For instance, your application email (or form) might have slipped through the cracks after your submission. It’s also possible that the organisation (or company) do not have the right measures in place for record-keeping and successful recruitment.

As devastating as this might be to you, it’s actually a good thing because it might be a nightmare working for companies like this. A company with a disorganized recruitment process will likely have a disorganized working environment.

Personal Branding Services: BTDT Hub Can Help

While this article presents four reasons why you might not be getting invited for a job interview, we’ve noticed that the first three reasons are usually the culprit more often than not. Your CV and LinkedIn profile give the recruiters a first impression of you. Therefore, you want to write your CV and update your LinkedIn profile to stand out from other applicants.

At BTDT Hub, we have a team of highly qualified CV advisors and human resource professionals capable of writing high-quality CVs and optimising your LinkedIn profile. We’ve been in the recruitment industry for several years, and we know what a good CV and LinkedIn profile looks like.

Learn more about our personal branding services.

Have you been trying to land a job, or do you need to change your career? If so, you must have been sending out several applications, but chances are you are not getting the desired response. A lot of things have changed in the last decade per job hunting. Recruiters now use professional networking platforms like LinkedIn to scout for talents and find new employees.

With nearly 800 million members across the globe, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. If leveraged and explored correctly, you can be sure to network with top managers and recruiters and land the job of your dream. One way to leverage LinkedIn is by optimising your LinkedIn Profile.

In this article, we provide helpful tips to help you optimise your LinkedIn profile. We  also present helpful strategies to help you gain more engagement on your LinkedIn profile.

Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile with these 6 Tips

Since we’ve established the power and importance of LinkedIn, it is safe to say you must put certain things in order to look professional and get attention from the kind of people you want and need. Lets get to it!

1. Use an Appropriate Headshot

Your headshot is the first thing people see when they visit your LinkedIn profile: it gives recruiters the first impression about you. As a rule, you want to use a picture that is professional and recent. However, “professional” doesn’t mean too serious; make sure you put on a smile and wear what you would normally wear to work.

2. Include Keywords in your Headline

A keyword is a term used to describe a word or phrase that a recruiter will likely search when looking to hire someone or purchase a service on LinkedIn. For example, a recruiter looking to hire a writer for his company’s sales page will likely search LinkedIn for “Sales page Copywriter” rather than “writer.”

So, let’s say you offer “sales page copywriting” services, you want to infuse this phrase in your LinkedIn headline. For example, you could write a headline along the lines of “Expert Sales Page Copywriter | Content Manager”. Not only will this give you an edge over other writers in the eyes of recruiters, but it will also make your LinkedIn profile rank high on the LinkedIn search index.

3. Make your Summary your Story

It’s surprising to see a ton of LinkedIn profiles without a summary. Considering that many recruiters have a ton of profiles and applications to go through, the LinkedIn summary is usually the first thing a recruiter skims through after visiting any LinkedIn profile. As such, you must make it worth a read.

Your summary should be about three to five paragraphs long, walking the reader through your story, explaining what you do, your skills, expertise, interests, passion, and industries you have been exposed to. You want to show your enthusiasm here and keep the reader engaged.

A LinkedIn summary is quite different from the summary on a curriculum vitae (CV) since it can be much longer. Learn more about mistakes to avoid when writing your CV.

4. Get Recommendations and Endorsements

Recommendations make you more credible to recruiters, so it is something you want to have in your profile. One good thing is that you don’t have to wait for your network to give you endorsements or recommendations: LinkedIn has made it easy for you to make requests for them.

All you have to do is reach out to connections you have worked with in the past (or presently working with) through LinkedIn Messaging. Request that they write a recommendation on your relevant skill set, personality, and work relationship with them.

5. Follow Influencers and Companies

At BTDT Hub, we always recommend that you follow top influencers in your industry. You also want to follow certain corporate leaders, not necessarily in your industry. Doing this increases your network, making you visible to other markets. Simply go to the LinkedIn search window and input the influencer’s name to add an influencer.

Following companies is also great. Not only will this allow you to keep track of job postings, but it also allows company recruiters to keep your profile under their scope. To add a company, go to the LinkedIn search window and input the company’s name.

6. Constantly Engage your Connections

If you do not mind being out there, then creating posts and articles is one way to keep your network engaged.

You can share stories and achievements; it makes them see you’re making efforts and would spur them into wanting to be in your LinkedIn space. The more you post useful and deliberate content, the more you get noticed. The benefits to gain from an optimised LinkedIn profile are almost endless.

BTDT Hub Can Help You Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile

While this article provides helpful tips and information about optimising your LinkedIn profile, we understand that you may not have the time or competence to do it yourself. Besides, there are several other tips for LinkedIn optimisation that we did not cover in this piece.

At BTDT Hub, we have a team of highly trained human resource professionals and advisors capable of optimising your LinkedIn profile, which in turn, will improve your personal brand and attract the best recruiters. Learn more about our LinkedIn optimisation services.