1. Article

How to create an effective LinkedIn profile

​LinkedIn is an extremely powerful tool for networking, showcasing your experience and building your reputation. There are almost a billion members on the platform, and 58 million registered companies. Let’s face it, it’s a go-to place for recruiters around the world.LinkedIn has gone from a formal, corporate digital space to a platform used by many to share their life’s work and more. It’s all about crafting a personal brand– something that shows off your skills, experience and achievements in the most compelling, professional way.With scope for so much more than a dry CV, LinkedIn provides the space to sell your skills and talents, allowing peers and potential employers a 3D view. It might even be their first impression of you – drawing their interest in what you have to offer – so it’s vital to consider the presentation of your ‘shopfront’ before overhauling your profile.If your CV is awash with professional qualifications and abbreviations, from CA to ACCA, LinkedIn is the perfect place to illustrate how you’ve put them to use.LinkedIn profile tips for successStart with a professional profile photo: Profile pictures on any social media account are a personal choice – not everyone wants a photographic presence, and it is unlikely to make any difference to the role of an accountancy professional. If you do choose a photo, opt for a clear and professional headshot, preferably in business attire, with a neutral background. Remember to smile!Add a headline: Your headline should be concise and convey your profession and areas of expertise. Use keywords to boost visibility of your profile in searches – which, if in the accountancy industry, might be:Chief Financial Officer: Scale-up tech sector specialistFinance Director | Web based servicesFinancial Controller: Helping deliver outstanding financial managementCertified Public Accountant | Serving the financial services industryCertified Public Accountant specialising in taxation and financial reportingWrite a summary that highlights your strengths: You have a maximum of 2,000 characters (around 300-500 words) to create your LinkedIn summary. Try to aim for roughly three sentences to outline your accountancy skills, experience, strengths and career achievements. It should be written from an objective point of view and focus on how you can bring value to a potential employer. Include relevant keywords. It might say: ‘Creative and passionate, results-driven individual that helps companies control and manage their finances.’LinkedIn uses an algorithm that means your profile may rank higher in searches than others with the same job – it’s all about the language you use to stand out from the crowd, so try to avoid overused phrases. Using a free keyword search tool can help you discover what people are searching for the most.Customise your URL: LinkedIn allows you to personalise your URL, so you can remove the numbers that may currently be within it, to make it easier to share. When you join LinkedIn, you’ll usually be assigned a URL that contains parts of your first and last name along with a bunch of numbers. Where possible, remove the numbers and make your URL your full first and last name. If this is taken, try adding a middle initial or the industry you work in. Remember to update your new LinkedIn URL on your websites, business cards, and other social media networks.Consider including your industry and location: Adding your location to your profile boosts your visibility in searches by up to 23 times and helps potential connections/recruiters find you. When recruiters go looking for new talent, location is a key factor – it helps the hiring manager narrow their search and increases your chances of being found.Showcase your experience: List your past work experience in reverse chronological order, including your job title, company name, and role responsibilities. Highlight your accomplishments and achievements in each role.I would not tend to regurgitate your CV, but make sure you list your key achievements and use keywords that will ensure you are picked up in searches by prospective recruiters. On a CV, your last 15 years is important, but with LinkedIn you can add as much experience as you like.One thing I highly recommend is to remove work experience which is no longer relevant to your current profession as it may create ambiguity among the viewers.Always link your job to the company page on LinkedIn.Add a specific job title.Add a description to each work experience.Use keywords in your description.Include your education and professional certifications: List your educational background, including the degrees and certifications you’ve earned. Highlight any relevant courses or training you’ve completed. While adding an educational institute name in your education section, consider:Entering any extracurricular activities you participated in while attending.Entering any awards or honours you received.Adding rich media such as links or documents to showcase any work undertaken during your time there.Featured section: This is your chance to showcase your knowledge and thought leadership around your role and industry. You can use the featured section on your profile to showcase the best samples of your work, evidencing your skills and experience.Include any articles you have written and posts you have created that will resonate with your network, alongside any links to articles/external publications you have published. If you were an integral part of creating revenue and enhanced cash flow for your employer, this would be a great area to showcase that.Share your skills: One of the most important parts of your LinkedIn profile is your skill list. Did you know that you can add a whole host of key skills to your profile, and even attain endorsements from ex-colleagues and managers?Adding at least five relevant skills in this section makes you 31 times more likely to be messaged by your connections, but you can add as many as you like. Be warned, the number of skills available on LinkedIn makes it easy to go over the top and inundate your profile with talents that are only vaguely related to your current work. Make sure they’re relevant to your career, such as:Project management | Planning and execution | Account management | SEC reporting| Audit management| Profit maximisation | Cost control and reduction | Procedure development | Team leadership | Financial reporting | Budget planning | Private equity | Venture capital | Mergers & acquisitionsRequest recommendations: A powerful tool in building your professional reputation, recommendations can be sought from former colleagues, supervisors, mentors, tutors, employers or clients to endorse your skills and work ethic. Be courteous even if they decline.Engage with your network: Stay active on LinkedIn by sharing relevant articles, commenting on posts, and participating in industry groups. This helps expand your network and increase your visibility.Employers may scan the latest content you have shared, commented on and ‘liked’ on LinkedIn, so be sure to keep it of a professional nature, perhaps highlighting a particular area of interest in the industry. Items from professional magazines or attendance at lectures and seminars, or references to courses you’re taking/considering are ideal and shows a growth mindset. If you can demonstrate a level of knowledge beyond your qualifications, this will be beneficial in interviews and in developing relationships with potential employers.Building connections: Link in with people in your field who could potentially provide you with useful advice and job opportunities. It doesn’t matter how many connections you have on LinkedIn – even if you have only just created a profile it won’t take long to build them if you’re regularly engaged on the platform.Consider uploading your CV: While the platform acts as your CV, it is still possible to upload one to improve your chances of finding a suitable role but remember to keep it in sync with the information on LinkedIn. The two should work hand in hand. If you’re yet to enter the world of work, highlight any experience or hobbies that shows your financial acumen or ability to take responsibility in societies, clubs or casual work. Above all, don’t forget to remove any sensitive information.Make sure you are visible: You need to make sure that LinkedIn is working for you, and this can be changed and amended accordingly in your profile settings. Here you can see what's visible to the public on your profile and turn certain sections on and off. You can also control who can see your connections lists, and, if you want to, can restrict the visibility of your personal network.LinkedIn is a two-way street, allowing you to research potential employers before applying for roles, just as they might research you. As well as viewing job postings, you can connect with employees at a company, and check reviews by current and former employees.Dress for the job you wantIn recent years, many professionals are using LinkedIn to promote themselves and their experiences in a more personal manner – a trend that took off during the pandemic. Some users are finding human stories draw more engagement than corporate posts, and informality is much more common. While this approach may be good for professionals in marketing or other creative industries, accountancy remains steeped in tradition and formality – and if you’ve done your research and know the type of employers you want to attract and engage with, it’s vital to craft your personal brand accordingly.Looking for an accountancy professional for your business or considering your next career move? Contact our specialist consultants today.

Teamwork leads to hiring success for Reed and Budapest financial firm

​The challengeA financial company in Budapest was searching for talent to meet the needs of its growing business, and as a longstanding client of Reed’s, naturally turned to us for help. Their talent acquisition manager explained: “We have been working with Reed for more than eight years – testament of our satisfaction with their service. We’ve come to rely on them to find us the right people. They understand what we want, ask the right questions, and have good ideas." ​“Generally, Reed sends us CVs within a few weeks, even for senior roles. For our most recent recruitment drive, they sent us a polished shortlist of high-quality candidate profiles within two weeks, along with market insight including their Hungary Salary Guide, enabling us to stay competitive in the market.The solutionDóra Varga, Executive Recruitment Consultant in finance and accountancy at Reed, explained: “Our client was searching for over 100 professionals to fill various positions within their company over the past few years. Firstly, we always discuss our clients’ expectations of their ideal candidates’ professional experiences, including the soft- and technical skills they’re looking for.”Reed works in specialisations, with a researcher and a consultant joining forces to provide a multi-stage screening process for prospective candidates. The researchers are responsible for pre-screening candidates and the consultants interview them. During the search, Reed’s consultants continually update the client, providing feedback about the searches they’re making, relevant information about the market, and paying attention to their needs. Equal consideration is paid to jobseekers, with clear communication key to a positive experience all round. Dóra said: “As part of our candidate preparation, we’ll ask them the necessary HR questions and ensure they know what to expect in terms of typical industry- and skills-based questions at their main job interview with the client. We also cover important details about the company and other professional information.”  The resultsAs is often the case with Reed’s involvement, it was good news all round for the Budapest employer and their new, permanent hires.All candidates have now passed their probation period, with one new financial analyst thrilled to have found a business so in tune with the hopes and aspirations of a modern workforce: “The company provides multiple opportunities to learn, has a mentorship programme, and takes care of its employees with multiple benefits, a cutting-edge office, and a carefully planned work-life balance. It was a nice recommendation from Reed and a good choice for me.” They said of their recruitment journey: “Dóra and her colleague Luca explained every step of the recruitment process in detail. We discussed everything about the role, and they prepared me for possible interview questions and provided every tool to succeed. They kept in regular contact with the company too, checking for updates which sped up the process.” Reed’s successful delivery of the client’s brief was complete: to provide high-quality candidate profiles within two weeks and good market insight. Not content with box-ticking however, Reed strives to give great customer service every time, building relationships based on trust and honesty.Of their overall experience with Reed, the talent acquisition manager said: “As usual, we received a quick service, great candidates who were all well-prepared for the interview process, and a professional attitude from the Reed team. “We’ve worked with other recruiters in the past and notice a few key differences between them. Reed picks up niche and complex positions other agencies reject, is more professional and has a better attitude in comparison. We can count on Reed with every position and highly recommend them as a recruiting partner.” Looking to hire a talented professional or take the next step in your career? Contact your local office and speak to one of our specialist recruiters. 

Reed fills multiple vacancies for Lenovo Manufacturing Hungary Ltd

The challengeLenovo Manufacturing Hungary Ltd had been a client of Reed’s for years before they tasked us with a request for multiple professionals, with a short deadline. Endre Bebinyecz, Senior HR Manager, Lenovo Manufacturing Hungary said: “I’ve worked with Reed for a long time–several years. In the current market, it can be a struggle to hire without support, so when we were looking to fill multiple new vacancies within the company, it was obvious we needed to contact Reed and there was no hesitation.”Reed’s Senior Consultant for engineering, Noémi Kozma, had worked with Endre before, having supported him with hiring at another company before he joined Lenovo. She said: “Endre knows me and understands the quality of service I offer, through previous cooperation. We were confident we could meet his urgent request without compromising on quality.”The solutionNoémi used her extensive talent network to shortlist suitable professionals, pre-interviewing them to assess technical and soft skills, experience, and cultural fit before introducing them to the client. Throughout the process, Noémi kept the Lenovo team up to date, as well as the prospective candidates, with regular communication and support.Endre stated: “Reed’s communication style is prompt, clear and transparent throughout the process, which is always much appreciated by our team. We received timely reports, clear profiles, and great candidates to choose from. Noémi and her team were humble, good listeners, and asked fantastic questions.”​Berta Pápics, who is now an Office Manager/Administrator at Lenovo, received her introduction to the role over the phone. “The entire process was very fast and efficient. The consultant informed me about the company and the role in detail, including the requirements of working for an international company, which was a new challenge for me.”Berta praised Noémi and her team for their communication, from the initial search to the onboarding stage: “The frequency of calls was very satisfying. Noémi understood immediately what I was looking for and was very flexible, kind, fast and helpful.”The resultsBerta received a job offer from the company within two weeks of Noémi’s initial call. After considering the location, salary, responsibilities, and opportunities to improve her skills and knowledge in comparison to other roles, she accepted Lenovo’s offer.She shared: “I am satisfied with my new work. Lenovo is a large multinational company, which provides a new environment for me. I feel this is a great opportunity to improve myself and I can learn a lot from the people I work with now. “I’ve already learnt a lot, day by day, finding myself in different situations where my boss and team help and support me.”Endre agreed Reed’s service was excellent: “I would absolutely use Reed again – it is simply great working with this company. Noémi Kozma is such a great consultant and a true professional. She always delivers above and beyond our expectations. He concluded: “I would recommend Reed to anyone looking to recruit in this sector. The candidates joined in good time and are now all past their probation period. They are all helping elevate the company to its next level. Reed is a great company and I’m so happy to know them.”If you’re looking for a talented professional or new opportunity, contact Reed Hungary today. ​