Your guide to a killer online profile

Jobs in global development are not always posted — this is often the case when positions are tied to proposal bids or are part of disaster response where there simply isn’t time for the full application process. Instead, recruiters in the sector are often proactive in searching for “passive” candidates and encouraging them to apply. It is therefore important to make sure you have a strong online presence, said Kate Warren, vice executive president at Devex. “When recruiters are looking for people with your skills and background, they are able to find you, and not just hope that they are going to post a job and you’ll find them,” she said. During an exclusive Devex webinar, Warren talked through the main ingredients of a stand out profile and shares tips to help you rank higher in recruiter searches. Here are five key takeaways from this webinar and be sure to watch the full recording below for more advice and insights. Be strategic with your headline It’s the first thing a recruiter will see, so a compelling headline at the top of your profile is critical, said Warren. Your headline should make it easy for a recruiter to understand who you are and what expertise you can offer she explained. “Really think about that headline showing who you are as a professional and being pretty strategic about that,” said Warren. Use your current job title as the headline if it effectively communicates who you are as a professional and what your area of expertise is. However, Warren warned against using a headline that is too vague such an “independent consultant” or “senior adviser.” Include relevant keywords A detailed yet succinct professional summary should follow on from your headline. The inclusion of the right keywords is perhaps even more important here than on a CV, explained Warren, since recruiters find profiles based on keyword searches. “Really think about what keywords you are using in your profile that would match what a recruiter might be using to find somebody with your background,” she added. When talking through the core areas of expertise or sectors that you’ve worked in, include keywords related to software, countries of experience, and funders or donors that you’ve worked with. These are all popular key terms that recruiters use when searching for candidates, added Warren. Your professional summary and headline are where you should communicate your most critical skills, expertise, and qualities as a professional. Devex works with an algorithm that weighs the keyword matches of a profile to pair recruiters with the most relevant professionals. Upload your CV CVs are still highly valued by recruiters in global development and, in some cases, are actually a requirement set by funders, explained Warren. Profiles with a CV attached actually get more views than those that don’t, so in addition to having those all-important keywords in your professional summary, and work experience, uploading your CV will further increase the frequency of matches. Include your work history While your work history should be more extensively covered in your CV, it is important to include some details of this on your profile too. Recruiters will sometimes look for professionals who have held specific job titles, worked for a particular employer, or have certain country experience, and having that information highlighted will once again allow your profile to rank higher. “You don’t have to put everything here that you have on your CV, and [your profile] can be a little more succinct,” said Warren. “Sometimes just having the title and employer can be enough to entice the recruiter to open up your CV,” she added. Focus on search filters Location, years of experience, languages or citizenship are among some of the most common search filters a recruiter will apply when looking for relevant candidates. “So these are the ones to really focus on and prioritize in your profile,” advised Warren. “You really want to make sure you are being comprehensive here,” she added. Even if you noted in your CV that you speak French, if you haven’t included this on your profile you might not show up in a search where a recruiter has set languages as a filter, Warren explained.