With nearly 31 million users in the UK, it’s clear to see why LinkedIn is the top professional social networking site out there! If you’re hoping to land your dream role in 2021, here are my top 10 tips for how to use LinkedIn to find a job!
1. Say cheese!
Did you know that pages with a profile picture are 14 times more likely to be viewed than those without? It’s not surprising really; a profile without a photo looks unloved and neglected. If yours lacks a professional, high-resolution image, rectify this asap! Although less critical, there is also the option to upload a background or cover photo. Perhaps you have a picture of you in action or photos of your work that you’d like to show off. If so, upload these too.
2. Keep your profile up to date
An out-of-date profile doesn’t make a great first impression to prospective employers or recruiters. When people search for users on LinkedIn, the only elements they get to see are your photo, name and headline. You’ve already sorted out your image, so next, it’s time to review your headline to make sure it reflects your current objectives.
If you want recruiters (or anyone else who’s searching the site) to find you, think of relevant keywords you could include in your headline to get noticed. If you’re able to advertise that you’re looking for a new role, you may also want to use your headline to make people aware of this. Another way to highlight you’re looking for a job is to click on the ‘open to’ option which will place a banner on your profile picture telling people that you’re #opentowork.
3. Highlight your experience and skills
LinkedIn is a fantastic opportunity to show the professional world who you are, what experience you have, what your key skills are, and where your professional interests lie.
Highlighting your skills is straightforward as there is a long list of options to choose from. Remember to be selective though. It’s tempting to be click-happy but try to focus on those that will add value to your profile. It’s also important to provide examples that highlight your achievements on your LinkedIn page. This shows recruiters and employers how you can add value and be an integral member of a team.
4. Get networking
A simple way to expand your network is by exporting your contacts from sites such as Gmail. Remember to connect with people you have worked with in the past and ask them to introduce you to their connections too. Have you started following your university or college? This is a great way to discover connections through its alumni. You never know what doors may open through this shared experience. Sometimes it’s not what you know, but who you know!
5. Follow potential employers
Are you following companies you’re interested in? It’s straightforward to do, and it’s a great way to see blogs, find out about new positions, projects they’re working on or any expansion plans. All handy information if you’re selected for an interview!
6. Don’t forget the job search function
There are lots of jobs listed on LinkedIn, so don’t forget to make the most of the job search function!
7. Be active
Don’t be a wallflower. Get stuck in! The more you post articles, videos or interact with other users, the more you’ll stand out and be recognised. Why not look at the profiles of people who are in a similar field to you? Do profiles of other job hunters inspire you to make any improvements?
8. Find professional groups in your field
Search for and join professional groups in your field. Remember to pay close attention to how active they are though. If they haven’t posted anything for a long time, it’s probably not worth spending your precious time and energy on those ones.
This is not only a great way to expand your network, but it’s also the ideal way to show off your expertise, get noticed, find out about organisations you may want to work for in the future, and gain valuable knowledge of developments in your industry.
9. Research recruiters and hiring managers
If you want to make a great impression with a recruiter, take a quick look at their profile to see if you have any professional interests in common, or just find out a little bit more about them. It could help break the ice a little and show them you are serious about your job search.
If all your hard work has paid off and you’ve landed yourself an interview, that’s fantastic! Why not use LinkedIn to find out a bit more about the company, the hiring manager and interviewers?
10. Don’t neglect the basics
Remember to check your profile thoroughly for any typos, grammatical errors and broken links. Any mistakes will reflect badly to potential employers.
Want to find out more about how to use LinkedIn to find a job?
I hope you have found this blog useful. If you’d like to find out more about how to use LinkedIn to find the perfect job, contact me to book a free, no-obligation 30-minute consultation
