Having an exceptional LinkedIn profile isn’t enough. You need to make sure your profile also has a pulse. Image: Primakov/Shutterstock.com
By: Nancy SegalLinkedIn claims that 7 people are hired from their website every 7 minutes. Additionally, anywhere from 72 to 95% if recruiters use LinkedIn to source talent. If you’re not using LinkedIn as part of your job search, you should be!
Here are some ways to get started:
Connections:
Why Connect: LinkedIn is just like any other networking tool. It’s about building relationships, growing visibility, and strengthening credibility. Just like any other networking tool, LinkedIn must be used to be effective. Creating a profile and then ignoring it is like going to a networking event and standing in the corner. Make regularly checking in on LinkedIn a habit, by intentionally engaging with your connections, sharing posts, and contributing to groups. Investing 10 to 20 minutes per day in active engagement will deliver a positive return on investment.
How to Connect: There are two schools of thought when it comes to LinkedIn connections. You can choose to connect selectively, accepting invitations only from those you know and trust, or you can use LinkedIn to grow your network by requesting and accepting many connections.
The power of many connections lies in “friends of friends,” so the larger the network, the easier it is to find and be found by someone you don’t know yet, such as hiring managers and recruiters. Remember the principle of “six degrees of separation.”
“Open To” Settings”
On your profile page, you will see a blue button under your headline and contact information that says, “Open to,” which when clicked will give you an option to select “Finding a new job.” This will show recruiters and others that you’re open to work. Once selected, a pop-up box will appear where you can fill out some basic criteria, such as the job titles you are interested in, location preferences, and employment types. The last section is for visibility—who you want to see that you are open to work. You have two options: “Recruiters only” or “All LinkedIn members.”
It is recommended that you select “Recruiters only,” as this will allow you to privately share your career interests with Recruiter users who aren’t affiliated with your current organization. This way, when a recruiter runs a search in LinkedIn Recruiter, your profile will appear under “Spotlights” at the top of the search results page, making your profile more likely to be viewed.
Groups
What are Groups: LinkedIn Groups provide a place for professionals in the same industry or with similar interests to share their insights and experiences, ask for guidance, and build valuable connections. Once a group member, you’re able to join like-minded members in conversations, find answers, and send a free message to another member.
Why Join Groups: A member of a group may connect with other members of the group regardless of the level of connection. For example, you cannot connect with a third-level connection directly, unless they are members of the same group. Memberships in groups and connections in professional organizations show that you network within your industry and stay on top of industry-specific activities and trends. Groups are the “water cooler” of the social site and provide opportunities for connections.
Recommendations
Why Recommend: Recommendations put your name in front of more people and provide proof of your value, work ethic, accomplishments, and/or personal brand. Recommendations serve as a quick reference that may make the difference in whether a recruiter or decision-maker puts you into the “call” or “discard” pile. In addition, your recommendations of others are displayed on that person’s profile and can be seen by their connections.
Who to Ask for a Recommendation: Request recommendations from trusted first-level connections such as colleagues, supervisors, former employers and coworkers, vendors, and clients. It is one thing for a prospective employer to read what you wrote about yourself, but it is even better when the employer can see a recommendation from a former boss or coworker. Recommendations carry more weight than endorsements because mutual engagement is required.
Jobs
Finding Jobs: LinkedIn’s “Job” tab functions like a job board to aggregate open positions. To get started, type the name of your job title target in the search bar and select the geographical region you’re interested in.
There are additional filters for date posted, experience level, salary, organization, remote, and easy apply that you can also adjust. Similar to searching for people, you may need to play around with the filters and try different keywords until you are satisfied with the output. You can also toggle on “Set alert” to get email notifications when new jobs are posted that meet your criteria.
Interested in Your Organization
You can actually signal to recruiters your interest in working for their specific organization. Here’s how:
Recruiters often manage a large volume of applicants by using filters on their dashboards. One key filter is “Interested in Your Organization.” This filter highlights individuals who have explicitly shown interest in the organization, prioritizing candidates who are deemed more likely to accept a job offer.
Engaging
Having an exceptional LinkedIn profile isn’t enough. You need to make sure your profile also has a pulse. The more active you are on LinkedIn the more likely you are to gain better visibility and establish a sense of authority within your professional circle.
Like, Comment, and Share. If you’re new to engaging on LinkedIn, try easing into it by committing to a few simple actions each day. Take 10-15 minutes to scroll through your home feed and engage with your connections. Although ‘liking’ is good, it’s a passive activity. Try and comment as much as possible on other posts that are relevant to your field. Contribute your knowledge, words of wisdom or encouragement, examples, and analogies to deepen industry-related discussions. You can disagree but remember to be respectful. No one wants to hire the bully or the troll.
Nancy H. Segal is a federal job search expert. Following her own senior-level federal HR career, she founded Solutions for the Workplace LLC to provide a HR management perspective to astute applicants to U.S. government positions.
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