The Basics of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Job Seekers

Jobhunt.org and Monster.com both describe how to strategically place keywords on your resume. But did you know that just as job seekers frequently expect employers to have a website, employers also expect their job applicants to have an online presence.

Being online can be easy. Just make a LinkedIn profile. BOOM. Your resume is now keyword searchable on the internet. Here are some additional ways to leverage your LinkedIn:

1. Add people you know as connections. The more the better.
2. List your jobs with your actual job title, then add a forward slash, and add your job title as a different organization might name it. For example, “Business Librarian / Community Engagement Liaison”. Same position, different name.
3. Tag each of the positions on your LinkedIn profile with skills you used on the job. These can include transferrable skills, such as “Microsoft Office” and “Microsoft Word” and “Communication” or “Customer Service”. Tagging your skills to a job on LinkedIn does the math for future employers on how much experience you have with which skill.
4. Add a professional profile photo and a cover photo. Canva has some easily customizable templates you can use.
5. Finally, make sure that your name is consistent on both your resume, any online portfolio or website you have, and your LinkedIn profile. If you go by “James” at work instead of “Jim”, make sure that anywhere your name might appear to employers online lists “James” and not “Jim”.