We all know how difficult it is to find a job in an economy as tough as ours today. Applying blindly to jobs online will most likely get a job-searcher nowhere considering 100-300 people are applying for a typical position. To set yourself apart from the rest, use LinkedIn as an additional resource in your job search. Below are some ways that will get you noticed and perhaps land you that interview that you’ve been craving.
Contact people on LinkedIn who have the job that you want. I’m not suggesting that you bother people that you don’t know but in a brief message state that you are searching for employment and would be interested to know how they got to where they are today. Most people don’t mind giving advice to those who are passionate because they themselves can remember when starting from nothing. If a message may not be enough, you could always invite that person to coffee or lunch, your treat of course. Doing this the right way could easily land you a new network connection and someone who could perhaps serve as a mentor.
Reach out to recruiters listed on LinkedIn. Obviously, LinkedIn is a huge resource for recruiters today. If you see a position online that you’re interested in, search for recruiters who work within that company and contact them directly. (Easiest way to do this is to search for the terms “recruiter” and the company you’re interested in. Inform the recruiter that you are very interested in the position and that you would like to apply. Ask the recruiter if you could send them your resume directly to speed up that process. This usually always leads to a new connection for you on LinkedIn as well.
Follow the companies you want to work for. It’s as easy as it sounds. If you do land an interview with the company you’ve been lusting over, you want to be as knowledgeable about the company as possible. Following them on LinkedIn is a great way to do that. Learn who the CEO, CFO, and other top-ranking employees are. Read up on the most current news within the company so that you can show your research skills during your interview. Not being prepared in an interview is the ultimate death wish.
Perfect your LinkedIn Profile. Creating a great profile on LinkedIn takes time but is worth it’s weight in internet gold. Make sure that you upload a professional head shot as your profile picture. This doesn’t have to be a photo shot by a professional but one that will make you look like you are indeed serious about your career. Add plenty of keywords to your profile so that your profile will without a doubt be found by recruiters and employers searching for new hires. Fill out your profile as fully as you can and try not to leave any gaps in your work timeline. Describe each position that you have held by using more keywords. Just because you know what your last position entailed does not mean that everyone else will. Play up your best attributes and sound confident without bragging.
Ask people to recommend you. LinkedIn Recommendations seems to be a tool that most people don’t fully use to it’s advantage. Another person’s opinion of yourself goes a long way in the business world! Kindly ask your former employers or co-workers to recommend you on your past work. You can ask these people in person, through email or a LinkedIn message but make sure that when asking for this favor that you explain that it would help in your job search. Also, don’t ask people who wouldn’t normally recommend you anyway as that could make the other person feel uncomfortable. People are very busy these days so writing a recommendation for someone else means a lot. If someone writes a recommendation for you, it would be a nice gesture to then write one for them.
I’m sure there are many more creative ways to use LinkedIn that I haven’t mentioned here. Tell me, what are some other ways to use LinkedIn to it’s fullest potential?
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Good advice! I’ll actually use similar tactics to land a candidate for a position that I’m tasked to fill at my company.