What to look for in a LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn has established itself as a valuable resource for hiring managers looking to get a more comprehensive overview of the talent pool. The site allows potential employees to present their information in a structured and visually appealing format that can best convey information to interested business professionals.

But how do you know which profiles are stellar and which ones have been stuffed? If you're looking at LinkedIn to get a thorough overview of your applicants, look at how they have developed the following sections to further assess whether they're suited to available positions at your company.

Professional picture is preferred
Unlike Facebook, Twitter or Instagram profiles, LinkedIn pages are more professional by nature, which means any information presented within should be a reflection of a candidate's best attributes. This is especially true of his or her profile picture, as it's the first part of the page potential employers stumble upon.

If a photo is used, professional headshots are not necessary, but applicants should have a clear, front-facing picture of themselves presenting them in a professional manner.

Evaluate relevant experience
The meat of a LinkedIn profile lies within a person's experience - something job applicants should recognize when crafting these sections. When examining a LinkedIn profile, the last thing you want to do as an employer is search through five years of irrelevant positions and wordy descriptions. These sections should be clear and concise, with the most relevant positions toward the top.

Layout is an important component of any LinkedIn profile. Well-organized pages have been tailored to positions within a desired industry, meaning the candidate has placed the most relevant work toward the top to save employers both time and energy.

Keep an eye out for fluff
If you're finding that an applicant has 10 to 15 job postings that are seemingly irrelevant - like year they served as vice president of the Ultimate Frisbee club in college - it's likely the page has been filled with irrelevant positions to make it look more complete. Discerning between which experiences were important and which are seemingly fluff is a time-draining task many hiring managers simply do not have time for.

It's important, however, that you don't neglect the skills listed on a person's page. These include traits the candidate feels he or she excels at, supplemented by endorsements from peers and professional colleagues. These can be helpful to discern which skills a person truly holds.

This content brought to you by the Marketing Team at Beacon Hill Staffing Group.