Finding a job has always been a tricky business. Right from making a CV and getting in touch with recruiters to making a good impression in an interview, it is altogether a stressful task to do. Professional networking sites like LinkedIn have made this a bit easier, if you use LinkedIn wisely, finding the job of your dreams isn’t a tough task. Let’s look at how you can find a job through LinkedIn.
What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is a professional networking site that can help both active and passive job seekers to connect with their present and past colleagues, industry experts, and recruiters. Having a good network can help you get a job through referrals and open doors to new opportunities. The wide numbers of users are just a click away. You can find top executives in your industry and follow their career paths and the tips they share. It is indeed a good site for networking and gaining knowledge related to your industry.
Tip 1- Keep your profile updated
Recruiters or any user on LinkedIn would always like to network with a person who is genuine. By having an incomplete profile you run a risk of losing opportunities to increase your network.
1) Keep a professional photograph, ideally, a front-facing close-up shot with a smile. Avoid selfies, group photos, or a picture in casual attire.
2) Add all details about your education, career, and ways to reach you, add your email Id, and if you are comfortable you can also add your phone number.
3) Add notable achievements you had in your career- it could be sales achievement, an award, or a pat on the back.
4) Add a professional summary, it should be short, precise and describe your roles and aspirations.
Tip 2- Use your profile as a portfolio
If you are a designer or a writer, LinkedIn is a good platform to showcase a few of your samples. Add your best work and let your network know about it. These samples help recruiters know your skills and can help you to land your dream job. If you have your website or blog, you can drive traffic towards it by mentioning it on LinkedIn.
Tip 3- Build your network
You may be satisfied with your job, but you never know what time will come. With an unpredictable economy and job market, it’s always wise to have good connections or a good network. A profile with zero connections is not perceived as credible, so have at least 100-200 connections. They can be your co-workers, past colleagues or industry experts, and family members.
Tip 4- Get recommendations on your profile
A strong recommendation from your past manager or your client highlights your skills and shows you are a valued employee. Do not shy away from asking for recommendations, reach out to your past or present managers and clients.
For example- You can drop them a message stating “Hello Harvey, I would really appreciate if you could give me a recommendation in regards to the Pacifica project that how it helped you increase the website traffic by 120%.”
Rather than you stating your achievements let others do the talking by mentioning it in recommendations. You can always return the favor by writing a recommendation back for them. Keep in mind recommendations must be genuine and not just made-up words. A poor recommendation is easy to identify and may hurt your profile big time.
Tip 5- Let your network know
Now that your profile and networks are set up, you should let your network know that you are looking for a job change. You can use a status update and mention the role and kind of job you are looking for.
For example “ Hello Guys, I have 5-year experience in graphic designing, I have worked with International clients and made great designs and logos for them, currently am seeking a role as the manager in a mid-sized or a large-sized company in North India. If you have any opportunities kindly reach me”
Putting out a word in your network can help you get several interview calls and hence an opportunity to get a new job.
Tip 6- Engaging with your network.
Just adding connections and not speaking to them ever is no good. Keep in touch with your contacts, it can be a simple congratulatory message for a new job or New Year wishes. One can also write something in status updates, which can be a funny thing that happened at work, asking for help to deal with a tricky client, or simply writing a productivity hack you use. One or two posts a month can help you communicate with your connection and help generate a bond.
Tip 7- Directly reach out to recruiters for getting the job
You can search for recruiters by writing ‘recruiter’ or ‘HR manager’ in advanced search and connect with them; you can ask them directly whether there is a job opening. You can connect with as many recruiters as you want. Moreover, one recruiter can help you to introduce yourself to other recruiters in their circle and ultimately help you to get a job.
Tip 8 – Look for job openings
LinkedIn lets you ‘ follow’ the companies in which you are interested. Suppose you are in the advertising industry, look for the top 15 companies and follow them. Company pages upload the job openings and the recent events they had. This way you stay updated with what’s happening in top companies and also get to know whether there is any job opening. Once you follow their page, all updates automatically start appearing on your homepage.
LinkedIn is a superb website for getting a job, the only trick is to connect and reach the right people and make sure the right people can reach you well.
Have you got a job on LinkedIn? If yes, Kudos to you, if not, I am sure following the above tips will help you a lot. Best wishes for an awesome career.
Ajay Rathod
Hi!! I am Ajay, and I’m a passionate blogger who loves to write about a variety of topics. I’m always eager to explore new ideas and share my thoughts with others.