How to build a LinkedIn profile that attracts international remote jobs

LinkedIn is today the main channel used by companies that want to find and hire people in the Technology area. It has over 700 million users globally and over 30 million company profiles.

And among so many people like that, you must be wondering: what makes a profile stand out? How to get more recommendations? What LinkedIn resources can help you improve your chances of attracting an international recruiter?

Well, we'll answer these and other questions in this article. Stay with us and learn how to put together a fantastic profile!

The difference between a Resume and a LinkedIn Profile

One of the most significant differences between a Resume and a LinkedIn Profile is the depth with which information is described. While the Resume is a list of your experiences, LinkedIn allows you to write a more detailed narrative.

On LinkedIn, you can show more of your personality through the "Summary" section. You can narrate your trajectory with less formality than a traditional resume would require.

Your LinkedIn profile also lets you list your volunteer experiences, interests, and causes you support... In addition, you can add images, documents, and videos to further showcase your work. And you can also list recommendations from others who have worked with you that reinforce your quality.

Finally, the LinkedIn platform is also a social network. It is a space for interaction between students, recent graduates, professionals, employers, etc. It is a powerful tool for creating connections and a great room for you to seek international opportunities.

At the end of the day, when you only have a resume, you have a list of experiences and achievements. But when you have a LinkedIn profile, you are invited to conversations and new opportunities. That's why you could miss out on many opportunities if you still treat your LinkedIn profile as just a resume. But if you need to know How to optimize your Resume for international opportunities, we can also help you with that.

Grab the attention at the first glance

What are the first things recruiters see when they land on your LinkedIn page? Your profile photo, your headline, and the "Summary" section. Optimizing these three focal points while building your profile is crucial! It's the only way to separate yourself from professionals with similar experiences.

What is a good LinkedIn Profile Photo?

The profile photo helps recruiters and employers put a face to your name. Furthermore, LinkedIn reports that members with profile pictures receive far more views and messages than those without pictures.

When selecting your picture, remember this isn't the time to use a cropped photo from a party. Even if you want to show your personality, it is essential to demonstrate professionalism. Especially considering that you will be applying for international remote work.

• Share a photo with a shoulder-length crop showing your face brightly. Remember that your future co-workers will create an image of you based on this photograph, so you must be careful.

• You don't need a professional camera to take a good photo. Smartphone cameras can take great pictures when you know how to prepare for the shot. Use good lighting and a neutral setting.

• Your profile picture also needs to be recent, in a neutral setting. You can read some Tips for Taking a Professional LinkedIn Profile Photo here to get US remote jobs.

How to optimize your headline to land an international remote job 

LinkedIn headlines are among the first things people will read when visiting your LinkedIn account. It's the phrase that summarizes your current professional moment.

By default, LinkedIn usually displays the name of the position and the company you currently work for. But this can be easily customized to optimize your profile and reflect the message you're trying to convey. The main tip for optimizing your LinkedIn for international roles is to be direct, bold, and honest.

• Describe your profession and use the remaining characters to show your mission. For example, an Olby employee could write "Talent Acquisition Specialist @ Olby, Connecting people, ideas, and opportunities."

• Avoid slang or jargon like "React Ninja" or "Mobile Guru ." Most employers write keywords when looking for professionals and are unlikely to search for gurus or ninjas.

If you need a template to update your headline, here it is:

• Comprehensive title | Specialty | Techs Who Works | Other Related Keywords.

Ex:

• Software Engineer | Front End Developer | ReactJS, TypeScript, NodeJS | Clean Code, Solid, TDD

Turn your summary into your story

At Olby, we browse multiple LinkedIn profiles daily to source potential talents for our network. So it's common to see that many developer profiles lack a summary. 

If your profile lacks a well-crafted summary, you might lose out on valuable opportunities to work remotely abroad.

The profile summary is a chance to create a personal brand and share your mission, goals, and career aspirations. Depending on how you write, you can show more of your personality and why you do what you do.

This section can also be beneficial when you incorporate keywords that increase your visibility in online search results.

• Only the first few summary lines are visible when viewing a profile for the first time. So capturing attention in those initial sentences is crucial. Start with what you do now or your core competency to entice readers to click "read more." 

• Use the rest of the section to describe yourself, positive attributes, and future aspirations.

• Clearly describe what value you can bring to a company. Then, use this chance to showcase your past accomplishments! This is the moment to emphasize your outcomes.

• Don't focus on just listing your skills; tell a story.

Listing experiences to grab international remote jobs

When sharing your experiences, adopting a more sales-oriented perspective is essential. For example, ask yourself questions like, "What does an American company need to know about me?". Or "How can I demonstrate that I'm the top choice among developers with similar experiences?"

• Describe your achievements, not your responsibilities! Have you ever seen a description like: "Responsibilities: Developing features, fixing bugs, and writing unit tests"? This could be placed in ANY experience description as it only states the obvious.

• The recruiter wants to know something other than the obvious. They need to know what you did in experience X.

• Even if you haven't formally worked at a technology company, you have a lot of material produced throughout your courses, right? Remember: hackathons and projects can also be considered professional experiences.

• Avoid long paragraphs! When describing each experience, include your primary assignments and results as topics. Use 2-3 sentences to give the reader an overview of your job, including some facts and figures. Also, you can add media to make your profile more dynamic and exciting.

• Write your trajectory in the first person. Be objective and straight to the point.

• Use action words! Do not say, for example, "I was responsible for..." or "My duties included ." Say, "I managed," "I led, "I made it grow," and "I made it reduce."

• Keep it clear and concise.

• Use relevant keywords for you to show up on the results of LinkedIn searches! Use terms from the area and technologies you are familiar with. For you to be found in the web search engine, optimize your profile considering the job descriptions.

• Proofread everything! One thing that is common sense but that many people overlook spelling and grammar. Nothing is more off-putting than a profile full of typos and grammatical errors. And if you have already activated the curriculum option in English, you should be even more careful.

Educational experiences, courses, and certifications

Did you know that profiles with completed academic information can receive up to 36x more visits and 17x more messages?!

As a developer, you will find it extremely important to list your educational experiences on your LinkedIn profile. Even if you still need to finish an undergraduate course, other certifications can give recruiters an idea of who you are.

Therefore, you should include the school or college you attended (or are attending) and any courses or degrees you are taking. You can also add extracurricular activities you've participated in, honors you've received, or things you've accomplished during your studies.

Take advantage of your recommendations 

Recommendations can be critical in hiring, as they showcase your interpersonal skills and certify that others support your abilities.

The recommendations section on LinkedIn is where other members can leave a written testimonial about your work. It serves as social proof of your professional value and is written by someone who has had professional contact with you.

While the recommendations' wording is not up to you, we know you expect your recommendations to be well-written. They should convey a sense of authority and bring you closer to remote international opportunities. Therefore, there are some practices that you can follow to get good recommendations on LinkedIn.

• You can only receive recommendations from first-degree connections who work or have worked with you.

• The best way to receive recommendations is to offer them. When you recommend another profile, the person will probably feel inclined to return the favor. So, start distributing some recommendations to people you know and have had good experiences with. Be honest and specific; if it's worth it, you can ask for retribution afterward. 

• When you ask for recommendations, tell the person you need them written in English. It looks more appealing to international recruiters and potential clients.

• Go to people who can convey authority in their testimonials. Former managers and former leaders are good examples of this. You can also clarify what you want to hear from that person.

• For example, "I thought you would be the right person to recommend me on Django, considering our good results on the X project." A simple message that tells you what you need: recommendations on your Django skills.

Now it's your turn to optimize your LinkedIn profile for international opportunities!

A complete and optimized LinkedIn profile can make a huge difference in your professional career. It is a powerful tool to showcase your skills and experiences, build a network, and even land new job opportunities. So pay attention to the potential of LinkedIn! Make sure to invest time and effort into building a solid and professional presence on the platform!