Leanne Ganley Job Searching
Getting noticed on LinkedIn is like being a needle in a haystack!
In the meantime you are either really busy searching for and applying for jobs, or you are too busy in a job which you want to leave to have the time to do anything about it. If this sounds like you, then you should invest a few critical minutes in your LinkedIn profile and then sit back and let the world’s biggest online professional networking site work in your favour and have the best jobs come to you.
To increase your chances of being found by an employer and getting invited to apply for your dream job, we recommend the following ideas:
1. First impressions count
We live in a world where visual bias dominates, so make sure you have a professional photograph of yourself on your profile page. This should be a head and shoulders shot, not your whole body, you should be dressed professionally and not use a picture cropped from your wedding album or holiday snaps. Please remember, LinkedIn is a professional networking site, not social media. We recommend using The Headshot Guy.
2. Make your headline stand out
Say what it is you do best, keep it specific and use it to say what your main job purpose is.
3. Make your summary eye catching to the right audience
Outline the key benefits of what you do for people who specifically want your expertise: e.g. “Attention ambitious Aerospace Manufacturing companies, I have 7 years’ experience in growing technical sales within the Precision Engineering Sector”.
4. Make it easy to contact you
Put your contact details in your profile summary.
5. Join groups where your target audience are members
You will find a lot of posts in these groups come from companies looking for talented people within their business community.
6. Build a library of testimonials
Think about those people you know and respect within your industry, the chances are lots of other people feel the same about them too. If you have previously worked with or alongside them, ask them to write a testimonial on your behalf, which will appear on your home page. These endorsements will increase your credibility and therefore value within the market.
7. Build your network
Connect with the key people in your industry. Whenever you meet someone relevant at a conference or event ask them if they would like to connect with you and send them an invitation whilst you are still fresh in their mind. This will increase the number of people who can view your profile within your industry.
8. Sell yourself, not your employer
Focus on describing what you do and how you do it, rather than who you currently or previously work for, remember this is your LinkedIn page not theirs.
9. Put yourself at risk of opportunity
Be open to offers and turn on the Job Seeking options within privacy settings to show you are open to approaches.
10. Be proactive
Check to see who is looking at your profile and send them a message to ask what interested them about your profile and begin what could become a worthwhile conversation.
Leveraging the power of LinkedIn to work in your favour is one of the simplest, yet potentially most effective ways you can start a conversation with some of the most influential people in your industry. It is however critical to remember to take the conversation off line and face to face as soon as possible, as this is where the opportunity to truly build a relationship and create opportunities really lies.