By Jen Narayan
Jen is the Recruitment and Research Manager at Clarity Recruitment. With over seven years of human resources experience and a deep understanding of the importance of human capital, Jen is our go-to HR guru. Connect with Jen on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn can help you take your accounting job search from good to great. Consider these tips for building an effective LinkedIn profile.
If you’re reading this, you likely already know the importance of LinkedIn as it relates to your accounting job search. Among other things, having a LinkedIn profile helps recruiters find you online. It gives you an easy way to build your network, and it keeps you abreast of current trends in your industry. Perhaps most importantly, it shows you take your accounting career seriously.
But as an accountant or finance professional, do you know how to build an effective online profile that aptly captures your hard-earned experience and unique skills? Consider the following list of items to include in your LinkedIn profile when conducting an accounting job search.
The Must Haves
- A professional headshot. Upload a flattering photo in which you are wearing business attire and smiling. If you don’t have one, take one. If a picture is worth a thousand words, you want those words to be “professional” and “friendly” not “casual” or “messy.”
- A catchy up-to-date headline. Craft a personal pitch. Sure, it can be hard to condense all of your accounting experience and attributes into a few short words, but it’s important that you highlight your area of focus. Consider something like “Experienced Financial Leader – Currently Seeking New Opportunities.”
- Your professional designations and initials. You worked hard for your CA, CPA or MBA so don’t forget to include them in your profile.
- Updated experience. Share your full “career story”. This means taking the time to properly update all of your professional experience including company names, job titles, dates of employment and responsibilities.
- Connections. Use LinkedIn is to grow your network. As a starting point, connect with past and present colleagues. Then consider reaching out to recruiters you think may be helpful in your accounting job search.
- Updated your contact info. Have a professional email available on LinkedIn. By doing so, you make it that much easier for prospective employers to get in touch.
- Education, skills and interests. Complete these sections. While they may seem of secondary importance, they reflect who you are. If an employer is looking at hundreds of candidates online, your unique education, skills and interests will help you stand out.
- Recommendations. Let other people share how great you are. Ask your former boss or client to share how good you are at your job. Just remember: if you ask for a recommendation, be prepared to provide one.
Bonus Points
Now that you know the absolute musts for your LinkedIn profile, it’s time to take your profile to superstar status. This means joining relevant groups and following thought-leaders or individuals you find inspiring or work in an industry you want to break into. For example, if you are a CA, CPA join the Toronto Chartered Accountants group. You can also follow companies you have worked with in the past, or are interested in targeting in the future.
Finally, if you’re feeling really inspired, try sharing meaningful blogs to your network. Just be sure to include a one-liner that explains why someone may want to read what you’ve shared.
At the end of the day, your LinkedIn profile can be a great asset to your accounting job search. Remember that employers and recruiters will often review your LinkedIn profile before contacting you directly. Take the time to ensure it’s up-to-date and professional.
Let us know what you think! At Clarity Recruitment, we’re always interested in hearing from accounting and finance professionals like yourselves, who are ready for new, exciting opportunities that can take their careers to the next level. And be sure to follow us on Twitter (@clarityrecruits) and connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook for more great tips and advice.
