LinkedIn can be an incredibly useful tool for job seekers. The employment-orientated online service has all the features needed to network, promote yourself, and scope out LinkedIn jobs.
Build Your LinkedIn Profile
The first impression you're likely to make on LinkedIn is via your profile. Simply having a profile picture makes your profile 13 times more likely to be viewed. Not only that, but the correct presentation can also make you look more approachable, professional, and qualified to prospective employers.
Aside from cosmetics, your profile showcases your experience level, skills, and interests. Make sure to fill out your LinkedIn profile in every relevant area to get the most out of it and present yourself in the best possible light.
The experience section acts as a resume on your profile. Select any major roles you believe to be relevant to the job you're aiming for. This doesn't need to be an exhaustive list, so anything minor or irrelevant can be omitted.
Make Your Availability Clear
When looking for a job via LinkedIn, it's important to make your availability abundantly clear. Any employer, hiring manager, or recruiter who comes across your profile should be able to immediately know that you are open to job offers.
Having said that, there's a fine line between being available and appearing somewhat desperate. Pay close attention to the wording of your profile and focus on appearing professional.
Flesh Out Your LinkedIn Summary
A couple of hundred words detailing your roles and achievements can go a long way. Make sure to use plenty of relevant keywords and keep things concise. This is your chance to give potential employers a taste of what you can do for them.
Connect With People
Connections cannot be underestimated when using LinkedIn to find a job. They are the bedrock of the social media application and one of the most powerful tools for finding job opportunities. The more connections to people in your industry, the more likely you are to show up in searches.
Making the right connections is very important. Find people who work for companies you are interested in, peers in the same line of work, recruiters looking to set you up with your next job - anyone who can potentially further your job search.
Search for Job Postings
LinkedIn is an excellent resource for job seekers. Just like a dedicated job board, you can use the LinkedIn search tab to find vacancies in your field.
Search results will display a variety of openings from companies of all sizes. You can use filters to narrow down your search and help find exactly what you're looking for.
Look for Keywords
Keywords are an excellent way to find people related to you, companies worth looking into, and crucially, job opportunities. Using keywords will help you find a job by flagging useful groups, vacancies, and people. From here, you are likely to come across many different job openings in your desired field.
You may come across a company that you like but that's not hiring at that particular time. If this is the case, follow the company, keep up to date with their posts and maybe connect with some relevant employees. You never know where it will take you and it certainly won't hurt your job search.
Keep Your LinkedIn Profile Up to Date
Setting up your LinkedIn profile is just the first step - keeping it up to date is just as necessary. Outdated profiles with little activity may indicate inactivity to employers and send out the wrong message.
Even if you don't enjoy using LinkedIn every day, make an effort to check in every week or so to make sure everything is still correct and follow up with any activity.
Make Use of Direct Messaging
LinkedIn allows you to send messages to other users. This can be a great way to gain useful information about a company, network with like-minded individuals who may also be looking for a job or discuss an employment opportunity with a prospective client.
You may find that a recruiter has messaged you asking if they can help you in your job hunt. Don't be afraid to give them a chance and see what they can do for you. They may ask for your email address or even a contact number to get to know you better and help you on your job search.
Be an Active LinkedIn User
Increasing your presence on LinkedIn is a great way to aid your job search without directly searching LinkedIn for jobs. It's not necessary to use LinkedIn every day but the more interactions, comments, sharing, and posting you can do, the more likely you are to be seen by the right people.
Once you have found relevant pages on LinkedIn, make the effort to interact with their posts. Sometimes job offers can seemingly come out of nowhere when the right person happens to stumble across your profile.
In Summary
LinkedIn is all about presenting the best possible version of yourself online. The key to successfully finding employment on the platform is to appear in as many searches as possible and stand out as the best fit for your prospective job.
There are tons of things you can do to improve your chances of finding a job through LinkedIn, so take the time to consider each one and remain active to boost your chances. It can take time but there are few resources as practical as LinkedIn when it comes to finding your next job.
