LinkedIn 101: The Job Hunters’ Tool For Career Success
LinkedIn is one of the most important tools a job hunter can use to market their talents and meet hiring managers. As a relationship-building portal, new grads, adults in career transition, and seasoned professionals can research companies, identify new careers, meet decision makers, and participate in professional development groups.
But how does a job seeker navigate LinkedIn to proactively identify targeted opportunities, introduce themselves to decision makers, and drive employer traffic to their profile to get invited to interview?
By learning a few tips and tricks to get great results from using LinkedIn, you’ll transform your user experience from passive profile poster to aggressive researcher and connector. The following three LinkedIn tabs will energize your efforts, cutting down on your job search time to find an exciting professional opportunity.
Research and Apply to Companies:
More than 2 million companies have LinkedIn pages. At the mere click of a button, LinkedIn becomes your virtual personal research assistant by pulling up helpful, relevant information you need to research companies of interest. As a job hunter, you’ll easily find network connections to employers you’re considering. Review posted jobs and reach out to employees and fellow college alumni who LinkedIn identifies within your network. Ask these colleagues for assistance in learning about the advertised job and corporate culture. Request an introduction to the decision maker and follow the company as news evolves.
In addition to your finding advertised jobs and introducing yourself to employees, you can apply for an open opportunity by selecting the job title and clicking on the “Apply on Company Website” yellow bar. Underneath this button, you’ll read how many people have applied for this position, the person who posted the job, with reference to connections in your network who can introduce you to the hiring manager. What a terrific, time-saving resource for job searchers to perform their initial research, solicit employee feedback, meet decision makers, and apply for new positions, all in one online location.
Create Job Alerts and Apply:
One of the many benefits of developing a substantial LinkedIn network is identifying connections who can help you get hired. Each job title shows which connected colleagues can introduce you to the decision maker posting that job. The larger your network, the better your results, because you’ll have a variety of connections at your fingertips. If you have the opportunity to introduce and market yourself directly to the hiring manager before sending your resume, you’ll set yourself apart from the pile of applicants as a proactive, personable, enthusiastic go-getter. This employer will review your profile and seriously consider you for their team. You’re in a helping community, so take full advantage of this enriching resource!
Cut down on your computer time wisely by automating your searches. Select the “Jobs” tab, type in keywords or titles, and insert your zip code to create relevant results. Create a daily or weekly e-mailed job alert for new opportunities by clicking on the “Save” link, located at the top right side of the page.
Participate in Groups:
Members benefit from participating in a variety of groups, one of LinkedIn’s most important attributes in nurturing relationships and professional development. There are currently over one million groups from which to choose. If you don’t see what you need, consider leading your own group. LinkedIn users have the opportunity to connect with alumni, business, conference, corporate, cultural, employment, environmental, networking, non-profit, philanthropic, professional, and sports colleagues, and many more.
Market your core competencies and transferable skills by introducing yourself to group members, ask for job search assistance, identify company decision makers, participate in or create discussions to show off your expertise, and grow your influence. By reaching out to group members and sharing your ideas in discussions, you’ll drive traffic to your profile, which in turn attracts new opportunities from colleagues and invites new connections. Many groups offer a “Jobs” tab with relevant career opportunities, so review this section within your industry and introduce yourself to the employer who posted it.
LinkedIn is a powerful catalyst for proactive job seekers. It’s a time-saving, lead generating, relational database that will effectively market your talents only when you reach out to your fellow users and ask for help. Within seconds, you’re able to identify connections and decision makers happy to introduce you to hiring employers, cutting down on your job search time and producing fruitful results. Take advantage of this impressive tool at your fingertips and you’ll put yourself ahead of your competition.
Deborah E. Rooney, M.S., Ed, is the owner of Power Resumes & Coaching. She coaches new grads, seasoned professionals, and adults in career transition to identify and market their outstanding transferable skills and core competencies to attract new jobs where they’ll thrive. Deborah teaches job hunters how to optimize LinkedIn as a powerful catalyst to connect with their network of colleagues to find great opportunities. She works with her clientele to improve both resume and LinkedIn profile content. As a LinkedIn Connector, she uses her network to introduce clients to hiring managers.
Connect with Deborah on LinkedIn and Facebook!
On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/drooney
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/ResumeWritingandCareerCoaching
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Hi Deborah,
Thanks so much – this article is amazing and covers points that I hadn’t even begun to think about!!!
Jill