Want to use LinkedIn to find a job or boost your career, but not sure where to start?
Here are some ways to get the most out of the professional networking site.
Customize your URL
Your URL (uniform resource locator) is the address of your LinkedIn page on the Web. Customizing it will drive it toward the top of a Google search on your name. On your profile page next to the rectangular grey “Edit” button to the right of your name, click on the drop-down menu, and then click on “Public profile settings.” Halfway down the page on the right side you’ll see a grey bar that says “Your public profile URL.” Underneath the bar, click on the blue phrase that says “Customize your public profile URL.
Consider a Photo
You can add a photo (a headshot is recommended or upload a larger photo and edit it) to your LinkedIn profile. Note that it must be a small photo – no larger than 80×80 pixels. Profiles that contain a photo are seven times more likely to be viewed.
Keywords and Skills
Include all your CV keywords and skills in your profile, so your profile will be found.
A nice trick is to change your work status to “Looking for a job in marketing…” or whatever your discipline. This is something that will scream out to potential employers and make you that little bit more noticeable.
Follow Your Dream Companies
There are over three million Company Pages on LinkedIn, so follow the ones you want to do business with.
Build your network
The more connections you have, the more opportunities you have. Connect to people you know and trust or have a business relationship with, no need to go crazy and connect with everyone.
Ask your network for help
70% of jobs are found through networking. Once you connect, send customized messages (no mass emails!) to say you’re job hunting. Ask for advice, and informational interview, or if they know anyone in your desired field. Connect one-on-one and others will be willing to make the effort for you.
Recruiting: Most of the 94% of recruiters who use (or will use) social networks for recruiting will be using LinkedIn, and the preference for LinkedIn is significant with 94% of the “social” recruiters using it vs. 65% of social recruiters using Facebook and 55% of social recruiters using Twitter.
Recruiters indicated that they checked candidates LinkedIn Profile for:
- Professional experience
- Length of professional tenure
- Specific hard skills
Read > OPTIMIZING YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE
Get to the hiring manager
LinkedIn’s job search engine allows you to search for any kind of job you want. However, when you view the results, pay close attention to the ones that you’re no more than two degrees away from. This means that you know someone who knows the person that posted the job—it can’t get much better than that. (Power tip: two degrees is about the limit for getting to hiring managers. Another way to find companies that you have ties to is by looking at the “Companies in Your Network” section on LinkedIn’s Job Search page.
Get Recommendations from your colleagues
Recommendations from people you have worked with carry a lot of weight.
Share regularly and wisely
If you share something just once a week, LinkedIn has found you are 10 times more likely to have your profile viewed by a hiring manager.
Search Jobs
Use the job search section to find job listings.
If you have more than one position listed on your profile it’s 12X more likely to be viewed. People are looking for experience.
Join Job groups
Demonstrate your expertise by contributing to group discussions where you can make a substantive contribution. By doing this, your words get seen and you build your brand as a helpful expert.
Avoid posting questions that simply demonstrate your neediness.
Use Answers
The Answers section of LinkedIn is a good way to increase your visibility. Respond to questions, and ask a question if you need information or assistance.
Please share your Linkedin job search tips with us in the comments below or Tweet Us @PApriveUK
Happy hunting!
