For finance and accounting professionals, details matter. After all, handling numbers requires careful attention. When improving your LinkedIn profile for recruiters, carrying over that precision will help you get noticed on the platform.
According to Cassie Dryburgh, a senior consultant at Moir Group – getting the basics right communicates professionalism. This helps job seekers stand out. Making sure there are no typographical errors or having a good quality profile photo are some immediate small steps that can be taken to improve your LinkedIn profile for recruiters. “It’s the little things to me that make a big difference. Especially for an accountant where one of the key attributes is your attention to detail and accuracy. You can tell if someone has put together something very quickly versus someone who has taken a bit of time to invest in it.”
For Cassie, there is a clear distinction between a resume or a CV and a LinkedIn profile. For her, “A resume looks back at what you’ve done, it’s a record of your work experience in the past. LinkedIn is more forward looking, it shows where you are in your career and where you want to go.”
As Moir Group’s resident LinkedIn advocate, Cassie has successfully placed candidates she found on the platform. Here, she outlines some tips and examples to help accountants, mid to high level finance managers, and CFOs get noticed by recruiters on LinkedIn.
State qualifications upfront
Use LinkedIn’s headline feature to call attention to your qualifications. If you are a CA or CPA, that information should be seen immediately through your headline. Even if you are still in the process of getting this qualification, you can mention it as something you are working towards.
The LinkedIn headline, for example, can be written like: “Completed a master’s degree in accounting and working towards my CPA qualification.” This helps recruiters understand where you are in your career journey. It allows them to place you in the appropriate job setting that will help you upskill and achieve your goal.
“LinkedIn is more forward looking, it shows where you are in your career and where you want to go.” – Cassie Dryburgh (Senior Consultant, Moir Group)
Quantify your value
It’s important to show how your work experience adds value to a company. Recruiters do not necessarily have the time to piece together how a candidate can benefit companies they are recruiting for. Spell it out in your LinkedIn profile by summarising and quantifying your work experience using numbers or statistics will make this process easier.
This will help recruiters understand the scope and volume of your work, allowing them to make appropriate job offers. A profile that says, “processed the payroll of a Sydney-based fintech company for over 200 employees monthly” would have a lot more impact than simply stating “5 years of payroll experience.”
Recruiters want to see how candidates were able to meaningfully contribute to the success of their previous company. Detailed descriptions that focus on how you were able to help a company with their day-to-day operations or how you managed the budget of key projects allow recruiters to appreciate your work experience better.
Be searchable
This is important because LinkedIn’s search functionality is powerful and is a key selling point of their premium product for recruiters and employers. LinkedIn is not a passive platform, it’s professionals constantly use it as a search tool. The key in optimising for search is being specific. Having the right terminology and language is one sure way to lift your profile. As a recruiter, Cassie suggests using the following to improve searchability on the LinkedIn platform:
- Use specific keywords – industry or role-specific. Example: processing invoices, grant management, financial reporting, implementation, staff supervision, experience in certain industries or sectors – FMCG, NFPs, etc.
- Name systems you’ve worked with. Example: SAP, NetSuite, QuickBooks, Xero
- Locations – where you are based and other cities/states/countries/regions you’ve worked in. Example: Melbourne-based, worked with customers across Europe and Asia, a multinational company with headquarters in the USA
“Recruiters want to see how candidates were able to meaningfully contribute to the success of their previous company”
Do your research
Make sure that the job titles and descriptions in your profile accurately match your skills and the job market you are in. This is especially relevant if you are seeking to apply in a new country. Learn about the local context, industry regulations, and legislation so that you can reflect your knowledge and understanding of the local job market in your profile. This shows recruiters the readiness needed to work in a new context.
Not all companies follow the same conventions when crafting job titles. Sometimes, job titles being advertised do not match the professional capabilities of candidates with the same job title elsewhere. Researching about what the advertised roles entail and how that fits with your experience can help you craft a more compelling profile using the right terminology.
Network on the platform
Other than being a search engine, LinkedIn is also a networking platform. It lets you directly interact with people from companies in which you have an interest in or for whom you would like to work. According to Cassie, “being able to make connections to other individuals or leaders in the accounts space is a key feature for those looking to progress in their career.”
It is a good way to break through networks that are not easily available to many employees because people looking to hire rely heavily on their existing networks. Sharing or commenting on industry blogs or news articles increases your presence on the platform.
Another possibility is attending interesting industry events online or in-person. Moir Group, for instance, regularly organises specialised functions for financial and accounting professionals. These are opportunities to network and can be something you can post about on your Linkedin profile. These little extras shape the algorithm of your feed to help you find more relevant job opportunities and meet like-minded professionals.
The LinkedIn platform is a powerful tool for job seekers to expand their career opportunities. For Cassie, it is a mainstay in her working life. She checks LinkedIn daily to search for candidates, companies, and people to broaden her network and has had many successes using it. It is an active platform where participation and engagement can not only lead to more connections in the industry but also direct you to your next career move.
Are you looking to move into your next finance role? Contact our team today.