“A huge number of jobs that are filled are never advertised to the
public, or if they are, they’re filled by people who have a connection to the
employer.” ― Melanie Pinola
Many
people have no idea that LinkedIn, the professional social networking site, has
been in existence longer than Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snap chat. Its
relevance has only been recognized in recent years, making it home to a network
of more than 500 million professional profiles. The platform, with its unlimited supply of job opportunities and network connections, stands out as forum for crafting your personal brand including selling your projects, accomplishments, and skills – under one roof.
As a job-seeker, are you using your LinkedIn to the fullest to
develop your career? LinkedIn should
be a job seekers best friend! Caveat - you must take the full advantage of
the LinkedIn features.
Majority
of job seekers believe that just having a LinkedIn profile is enough to get you
a job. That’s totally false!
While
the platform has immense features that can help position your brand to a fully-fledged
professional, it doesn’t work by itself. You have to curate your profile to
make it stand out. Simply put, ensure your profile is complete, accurate and
correctly portrays expertise – and start getting noticed by recruiters.
Take
time to keep your profile updated, provide comprehensive skills and objectives,
highlight your work experiences and achievements. Remember to include a
friendly and appropriate professional image, a headline that rocks and request
for a recommendation from a former employer or client. Above all, let your
profile represent who you are!
Why is LinkedIn useful for job seekers? With a pool of over 500 million professionals, LinkedIn provides
a platform for learning and networking. Apart from just providing a networking forum,
LinkedIn Learning portal provides some free courses tailored to individuals and
business looking to keep training their workers. Taking such online courses
will show that you are focused on improving/growing yourself, and HR and
Employers love it when you are self-driven and proactive!
LinkedIn
has one of the most robust job-boards that most employers use to scout for
talent. Many companies have moved the hiring process online and its common to
see the LinkedIn section near the resume upload tool. You can upload your resume
and your LinkedIn profile at the same time, making potentials employers to not
only view your resume but you’re your LinkedIn profile. This gives you a
competitive edge above your competitors!
Presently,
many hiring managers and recruiters use LinkedIn to search for potential
candidates. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to appear in searches of
recruiters and hiring managers!
LinkedIn
is an excellent platform for researching on potential employers. The LinkedIn
database has millions of employers and the Advanced Search page can help a job-seeker search for a company and not only find employees working there, but also
detailed information about the firm.
Are
you in any professional or alumni group? Well, LinkedIn offers interest-based
professional groups and alumni networks that can be magnificent for connecting
with like-minded people. You can join as many professionals’ groups as you want,
just to share your thoughts, learn from others, and go beyond your normal
circles.
while
other social media platforms tend to focus more on people’s personal lives, LinkedIn
takes a different route as most of the content is often professional. LinkedIn
has amazing smart and successful people and organizations who write educational
or inspiring articles, both general and industry specific. Following the right
people and organizations can help you gain knowledge that you can continuously
show off to your employer.
Always
remember, job searching is a sales and marketing project. Make use of the tremendous
power of LinkedIn as a free marketing tool and find a new career or new clients
and build your professional reputation!
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