OU Assistant Director of Talent Acquisition Tzuri Merzel shares how to build a strong profile, stand out to recruiters, and use your network to uncover opportunities
In today’s highly competitive job market, LinkedIn has become an important tool for building your professional presence. But knowing how to optimize your profile, showcase your accomplishments, and use the platform to create real opportunities is a skill in itself.
We spoke with Tzuri Merzel, our Assistant Director of Talent Acquisition, about using LinkedIn strategically, from what belongs on your profile and what to avoid to how to turn connections into meaningful opportunities.
How important is LinkedIn in today’s job market, and what role does it play in how recruiters evaluate potential candidates?
It definitely depends on the type of position you’re applying for. A job seeker who’s in the market for a blue-collar job, or in chinuch or certain other Jewish fields, might not need a LinkedIn account, or at least not an active one.
That said, for many corporate positions, maintaining an up-to-date LinkedIn profile may be especially helpful. Many recruiters will view your profile, so you want to make sure your positions, responsibilities, and accomplishments accurately reflect the work you’ve done.
More than looking at how active you are on LinkedIn, recruiters often use it to validate what you’ve put on your application or résumé. So you want to make sure your profile is professional and presents you in a positive light. That doesn’t mean you have to constantly post articles or comment on other people’s content. Those things are surely a plus, but the most important thing is to ensure you’re reflecting your work professionally, with the most up to date information and without grammar or spelling mistakes.
What are the most important elements of a strong LinkedIn profile, and what common mistakes can make a candidate less appealing to employers?
The most important elements are your name (not a nickname), the short description beneath it, which can either be your position or a summary of the type of work you do, and your current and previous positions, including the duties and responsibilities you performed in those roles.
Some people use their exact job title in that short description, while others use it to say something about the kind of professional they are. So instead of writing “Data Specialist,” for example, you might write a short line like “Telling stories through data.”
A professional picture is also really important, and that’s an area where I often see mistakes. Very recently, one of my recruiters told me they saw someone using a family picture. That’s very nice for Facebook, but it’s not appropriate for LinkedIn.
Your photo should be a professional headshot or full-body shot of you alone. It shouldn’t be a cropped picture from a wedding. You should be appropriately dressed, smiling, and presenting yourself the way you would want an employer to see you.
How can job seekers make their profiles stand out, particularly when many candidates have similar backgrounds, skills, and experience?
I think this is a great use case for LinkedIn. When candidates have similar backgrounds and experience, how well you present your accomplishments can help set you apart.
That means not just listing tasks you performed, but celebrating wins and talking about major accomplishments: how you improved a process, increased participation, saved money, or came up with a creative or innovative solution. Those are appropriate “humble brags.” That’s what LinkedIn is for.
Many applicants don’t take full advantage of the platform, so highlighting your accomplishments effectively can give you an edge.
Beyond maintaining a strong profile, how should job seekers use LinkedIn to build their network and uncover potential opportunities?
I think it’s important to join groups in your industry and expand your network beyond the people you already know, particularly by connecting with others in your field who you can learn from or who may have opportunities for you in the future.
When you send a connection request, I’d recommend including a short note explaining why you’d like to connect. Don’t wait until you need something from someone to start networking with them. I always find it best to build relationships when you’re simply looking to learn, grow, or upskill. Then, when you are looking for a job months or years later, you already have genuine connections with people who may be more eager to help.
If you are actively looking, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask someone for a 15-minute phone call or a cup of coffee. You may not hear back from everyone, and some people may decline, but that’s fine. It only takes a handful of those conversations to potentially help you land your next job.
LinkedIn can also help you connect directly with recruiters or hiring managers who post positions. Apply through the regular channels, but then consider sending the person who posted the job a brief private message: “I just applied for this role. I’m really interested, and I think I’d be a great fit because of X, Y, and Z.” Even requesting to speak to learn more about the role wouldn’t be inappropriate.
A brief note expressing your interest may be more effective than asking them to make time to speak with you. Either way, reaching out after you’ve applied can help you get your foot in the door and make your application harder to overlook.
LinkedIn is only one part of a successful job search. A strong profile cannot replace relevant experience, qualifications, or the effort required to build genuine professional relationships. But when used thoughtfully, it can help job seekers communicate their strengths, expand their networks, and discover opportunities they may not otherwise encounter.
Tzuri Merzel is the Assistant Director of Talent Acquisition at the Orthodox Union, where he helps departments and managers fill vacancies across the organization. He has over a decade of experience in human resources and talent acquisition and holds a master’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology.