Last Updated on September 13, 2024
These days, recruiters and employers are not using the most traditional methods of finding the ideal candidates to fill their open positions but rather are using social media sites like LinkedIn. Here are five ways you can used LinkedIn to land your next job.
Optimize your profile
You absolutely must take the time to optimize your profile on LinkedIn. Doing so will ensure that employers and recruiters can find you. Remember that LinkedIn is not Facebook so you don’t have to be reluctant to divulge too much information about yourself. LinkedIn was designed to help professionals ‘link’ to one another and when you fill out your profile completely, you will be allowing this to happen.
Use a high quality photo for your profile that looks professional. Remember that you will be judged by this photo so wear nice clothing, smile and avoid featuring anyone else but yourself in the photo. When describing what you do, use keywords which will help your profile in SEO terms. Be sure to use multiple titles and to include all the skills you possess.
Customize your Invitations with Care
In order to succeed on LinkedIn, you have to invite others into your network. You need to customize your invitation message to whoever you are sending it to to avoid sounding cold or worse, spammy. When you greet someone, do so by name and briefly mention how and where the two of you met. Show people that you are truly interested in getting to know them rather than just trying to grow your network. In short, construct your invitations with care for optimal results.
Share, Share, Share
Your LinkedIn profile offers a space for updating your status so use it. The best LinkedIn profiles are those that leave positive impressions on people and those which are frequently updated. Tell others what you are interested in, share articles you have enjoyed reading and ask questions the people in your network are likely to want to answer.
Follow Individuals and Companies You Admire
There must be people on LinkedIn (as well as a few businesses) you admire. Follow those individuals and companies. It’s important to know what is trending inside and outside your industry. If you do not know the person or business you are connecting with be sure to send them a friendly note if you want to connect. Avoid sending boring, generic messages as they most likely will be ignored. LinkedIn is not a place to be lazy as it is a professional network so take whatever time is necessary to fine tune any messages you send out.
Join Groups and Get Talking
There are all types of groups on LinkedIn so surely there are several that you would be interested in joining. Look for groups within your industry/niche and those that focus on places, things or activities you are interested in. Be bold and start your own group as that too is a great way to make some terrific connections.
Once you have joined some groups, get busy talking. Conversations are ideal for connecting with like-minded individuals and a great way to find employers or recruiters who may wish to hire you. Play nice and avoid getting into heated discussions on LinkedIn groups, even if you are tempted to.
Finally, if you run across a company on LinkedIn that you would like to work at, get in touch with the human resources department and find out if they are hiring. You also can get in touch with them by passing on your resume to a person in your network who has direct contact with the company. The key to finding a job using LinkedIn is to connect, stay active and to present yourself as a professional, hardworking person.
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