Linked In Success
How do you get ahead using Linked In?
Using Linked In to Find your Next Position
I must admit I don’t think of myself as a Linked In expert and until last week I hadn’t paid a great deal of attention to the finer details of it. Having worked in a recruitment team for a large Middle Eastern company years ago, I think I still have some PTSD from the hundreds of daily emails received via Linked In from people asking for jobs. I used to dread looking at my account knowing that I had to deal with 250 people a day desperately seeking their dream jobs and hoping that I would be the one who would change their lives forever. Since then I’ve really shied away from it and even diarize it to work on at a set time on a weekly basis!
Nevertheless, I also have to admit that it is an essential tool for networking. I say ‘networking’ very carefully because I think that many people believe that by simply having a jazzy Linked In account, they will suddenly land themselves their dream jobs. Unfortunately for the greater majority, it really doesn’t work like that and you have to put a great deal more effort in to land any job, let alone your dream job!
You cannot expect to be one of thousands of other members who press the Easy Apply button to be whittled down to a recruiter’s shortlist – if that is the largest part of your job search strategy you are most likely wasting a great deal of your time and by now your enthusiasm must be waning from all the applications and non-responses. Let my experience above be a lesson to you; recruiters are overwhelmed with applications through Linked In, stagnating in piles of candidates. So, what is the trick to Linked In?
It is a well-known fact that most of the best positions are never advertised, online or otherwise – some believe that this statistic is as much as 80% of new jobs not being advertised – despite the best efforts of HR Departments to make changes to recruitment policy. In this case, your network is exactly how you can be headhunted for a role; so rather than applying incessantly for random positions you should spend more than 50% of your time strategically networking with relevant individuals to the industry, company and/or position that you aim to be in. As many as 85% of people find their new positions thanks to this type of networking according to Sandra Klettermayer of @the magicofnewbeginningscoach
How to Network:
- Build connections with both locals and expats in the place you want to work – strategically target your industry, preferred companies and potential connections as well as their Talent Acquisition team;
- Like, comment on and share relevant posts and make sure you participate in group discussions which are relevant to your areas of expertise;
- Be proactive in offering help, volunteer, mentoring within your new online group – this will help to get your name out there;
- Link in with Recruiters & Headhunters who are experts in your chosen position or industry – you need to be visible to them as much as possible;
- Have a clear out of your connections. How many of your current connections are there because they think you can do something for them? How many are there because they make sense in your new networking strategy? You probably need to have a cull…as terrible as that may sound, if your connections do not have anything to offer you- they are not an effective networking tool!
Linked In Profile
If you are going to be networking, obviously you need to have the best profile you can and one which is truly relevant to your chosen position & industry. This is like your CV- it needs to be targeted towards a certain outcome- it is not just a timeline of things you have done in the past! (If your CV is a timeline of what you have done in the past – it needs a review now – get in touch for a free health check!)
What can you do to make your Linked In Profile stand out?
- Do you have a nice, cheerful, professionally dressed profile picture? Make sure you have a nice background picture too which is linked somehow to your industry or area of expertise;
- Do you have a ‘Featured Section’? Dig out anything that mentions you in a professional sphere:
o Interviews;
o Videos;
o Brochures;
o Annual Reports;
o White Papers;
o Books & Other Publications.
- Your About section can have various different formats – think of how you capture your audience in the fastest way possible and make them want to read on. Remember that people these days have exceptionally short concentration spans!
- Ensure that your past companies have a logo represented on your timeline;
- Volunteer Experience and Accomplishments are often overlooked but can be essential items. Any kind of charity, CSR and volunteer work is now much sought after for many companies as CSR becomes more and more respected.
- Make sure your Accomplishments are clear and understandable - remember your audience and the culture/ country you are seeking a position in;
- Ensure you list all your skills and ask for endorsements on them. What skills are most sought after in your chosen field? Think about the soft skills that everybody wants like good communication skills, problem solving and analytical skills. (For more information on Skills check out our blog on Skills for Life)
- What are your Interests? Can you subscribe to relevant publications or groups which would give you good content for discussion?
- The best profiles I have seen lately have been ones with many links included to websites, videos, and publications. They look modern, bright, and interesting and most of all don’t give my short concentration span time to be distracted!
- Finally ask for at least one recommendation per week from your trusted friends and colleagues – not forgetting to recommend others in return. A good review from a past employer or colleague can go a long way.
Having the right profile and building up the right network will take time. This is not going to be an overnight success story and I would be lying if I said it were. It takes a long time to build up a trusted network and get your name recognized on this online forum. Therefore, even if you are not in the market for a new position immediately, it is worth building up your network as soon as possible and ensuring you have a good online presence in advance. Try to enjoy networking with others in your field – read books and discuss them, ask for opinions and involve others in your current projects. This is what networking is all about. We wish you all the best of luck in your future career endeavours!
Would you like us to have a look at your Linked In Profile and give you some honest feedback? Free Linked In Health checks direct to your inbox – get in touch now via email .
