What is a Contract Worker?
A contract worker is someone who is hired for a specific job or project for a predetermined amount of time and money. These workers can be paid on an hourly, daily, weekly, or per-project basis. These workers generally submit an invoice to their employer for services rendered. These workers are also considered self-employed.
Now that we know exactly what a contract worker is, now we need to understand why LinkedIn is becoming increasingly important.
Why is LinkedIn Crucial for Job Seekers?
Since LinkedIn has become commonplace for employers to search for potential candidates, there is a need to have an updated, optimized, and accurate representation of yourself. Just by glancing at a candidate’s LinkedIn profile, a recruiter can identify if they are an ideal candidate.
Every job seeker should include the most important and relevant information on their one-page resume, but more importantly, they should include the URL to their LinkedIn profile with their contact information. This provides an extended version of their resume. Job seekers can only make an educated guess based on the job description what a recruiter will be looking for. Recruiters will only take 5-7 seconds on a one-page resume but may be willing to take extra time to look over a job seeker’s LinkedIn profile to find relevant information.
Read More: Learn how to list contract work on your resume.
But don’t worry, with a few tweaks to your profile, you will have recruiters swarming your profile in no time. If you have held a contract position in the past and need to add it to your LinkedIn profile, here are 14 steps on how to list contract work on LinkedIn.
14 Steps on How to List Contract Work on LinkedIn
- Visit LinkedIn.com and log in to your profile.
- Click on your profile in the top right-hand corner and hit, “View Profile.”
- Scroll down and select the “+” sign in the top right-hand corner of the “Experience” section.
- Add your Job Title.
- Select “Contract” in the drop-down menu under “Employment Type.”
- Add the Company Name.
- Add the Company Location.
- Select if you are “currently working in this role,” or deselect if it was a previous role.
- Select the “Month” and “Year” in the drop-down menu of when you started in this role (If you deselected “currently working in this role,” you will be prompted to also include the “Month” and “Year” in the second set of drop-down menus of when you left this role.)
- Add a brief description of the company you work for and quantifiable achievements you acquired while working in this role.
- (Optional) Select “End current position as of now” if this is a new contract role you are currently holding.
- (Optional) Update your headline.
- (Optional) Update your industry.
- (Optional) Add media to this position like photos, videos, website URLs, etc.
Why Should You List Contract Work on LinkedIn?
While having a LinkedIn profile gets you one step closer to landing that next gig, it doesn’t necessarily mean that employers will come around by just having one.
There’s a tremendous amount of competition out there and making your LinkedIn profile stand out gives you an advantage over the competition. Here are a few reasons why you should list contract work on LinkedIn.
Helps Potential Employers Find You
By having contract work listed on your profile, it can become easier for your next employer to find you. Discoverability is one of the most important reasons to have a LinkedIn profile. Keeping your profile fresh, maintaining your portfolio, and letting future employers know about your work, you will show your value without ever having worked for your next employer.
Become a Subject Matter Expert
Some of the first things recruiters search for on a LinkedIn profile are the skills, subjects, or specialties you provide to a potential employer. Portraying to your next employer that you are a subject matter expert in a specialized job.
Improve Visibility on Search Engines
When was the last time you searched your name on Google? Do you know what first comes up? This is your time to shine. Updating your LinkedIn profile with contract work could increase your visibility on search engines. Much like anything else online, discoverability is essential for LinkedIn profiles.
How to List Freelance Work on LinkedIn
Every freelancer knows how difficult it is to find work these days. It doesn’t matter who’s in your portfolio, where you’ve been, or where you’re going. Even if you’re a seasoned vet, finding that next gig may be far and few between. If freelancers can provide their worth through placing freelance work on their LinkedIn profiles, they can find tremendous opportunities.
Listing freelance work on LinkedIn is similar to listing contract work on LinkedIn. Follow the same steps in the previous section, but make sure to list “Freelance” on step #5 in the drop-down menu under “Employment Type.”
How to List Consulting Work on Linkedin
Consulting work can provide valuable information and experience to potential clients. If you have permission from your previous consulting clients, you can add it to the description of your LinkedIn experience. It’s recommended to add this consulting work to your profile if you believe it can strengthen your online profile and the opportunity of acquiring new consulting clients in the future.
Listing consulting work on LinkedIn has the same process as listing contract work. Follow the same steps as contract work but on step #5 in the drop-down menu under “Employment Type,” select “Self-Employment.”
What’s the Most Important Thing to Remember?
When thinking about listing contract work on LinkedIn, the most important thing to remember is to provide quantifiable achievements with each of the jobs listed. Providing employers the chance to envision you within their organization. Recruiters historically only take 5-7 seconds looking at a physical resume. Capturing that recruiter’s attention with your LinkedIn profile is essential. Update your work experience with your previous contract experience and increase your discoverability for future employers.
