As per the statistics, estimation shows that 90% of recruiters are using LinkedIn for hiring professionals, so it’s essential to showcase your talent on that site for effective job search.
If you’re ignoring LinkedIn, then you’re more likely losing the amazing job opportunities and contacts available. You can even start exploring LinkedIn from school, it’s never too late or early to optimize your LinkedIn profile and reap benefits from such a gold mine.
As experts agree, LinkedIn is the best tool for networking professionals and it also helps catch the eyeballs of recruiters easily. If you’re lacking without a LinkedIn presence still, then it’s time to create and exhibit your online presence.
However, don’t take LinkedIn lightly similar to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or other social media sites. LinkedIn is the best tool to reflect your professional abilities, and it’s important to avoid any color jokes or political issues there.
Your goal is to get hired in a well-established company, and for this you have to take that little extra effort to create a stunning LinkedIn profile that gets you more job offers.
Here are 10 tips to set up a LinkedIn profile to find a job:
1. Set up a profile
The first step is to set up a profile on LinkedIn if you don’t have a profile before. You can add educational details, location of work, great quality of profile, and all this basic information will help you to reach recruiters.
It’s ideal to use at least a 30-40 words quick summary describing your skills, motivations, and interests on top of your profile.
Use a headshot headline to exhibit your profile identity to the recruiters including work experience “Certified project manager known for expertise in leading multinational projects across the globe” by using the first-person voice.
2. Find connections
Once after successfully creating your job profile, start searching your current and previous work colleagues, supervisors, and bosses, also your friends.
Establish your connections strong using LinkedIn, this will help you to build professional networking and helps you to discover more job opportunities.
For instance, you have connections with HR from your previous company and are looking for jobs in another company, say for example if the same person is also working in your desired company then your chances are high to get selected.
That is how building connections with professionals and networking works, you can meet many new professionals and also get good exposure to their skills as well. People may also connect with you, in such cases, you can build connections by asking them or even you can reach out directly.
3. Optimize keywords
You can use keywords in your LinkedIn profile same as resume, cover letter, and summary to attract your recruiters. Analyze your job description, and try to include more keywords that showcase you as a “team player” or “multi-tasker.”
Focus on industry-specific keywords for optimizing your LinkedIn profile. There are many templates available online to edit your profile, you can use them for incorporating keywords in bullet points into your resume.
4. Follow up Companies
This step is crucial for all LinkedIn users, it’s important to follow the companies that provide job postings.
You can also learn more about a particular company by consistently following them. By doing this, you will also know their working culture and future job openings in detail.
5. Build Social Networking
These people can help you to get great visibility and find networking, you can search public profiles like “author” “speaker” or “award-winning” as this LinkedIn member already has great social networking connections.
However, it’s not so easy to get connections from such individuals, you can read their books and post a review, attend their seminar, repost their blogs on social media pages, all this can help you to grab their attention towards you.
6. Be active always
Networking works best for you when you stay active with your contacts in LinkedIn. People will be sharing blog posts or information regarding the specific industry, which helps you to stay up to date with industry happenings, and you can comment or upvote their intellectual contributions.
You can also post contents that help to create your own networks, such as new productivity apps, and industry trends. You can start your posts with ample questions that provoke the audience to respond, for example, “How do you stay productive all day?”
7. Make it personalized
To find your desired job, you have to make your LinkedIn profile more personalized. If some random people ask you to connect with them, you can personalize your messages accordingly.
You can receive personalized messages like, “Hi John! I noticed in your profile that you’re in Digital Marketing, and I’ve been in that field for the past two years. I’d like to connect with you.”
In the beginning, when the LinkedIn account was still evolving, users connected with only known people. But now, things have changed and people search based on their interests, educational background, and connect to them.
8. Opt for LinkedIn Premium
LinkedIn Premium cost ranges between $30 to $120 per month, experts say it’s worth every penny. A premium account provides more access to the people you have connections with.
Using this option, you can send InMail messages, you get more access to companies’ data and real-time insights like phone numbers and email addresses of recruiters. This premium account also enables salary insights of companies.
9. Gain endorsements
Don’t be afraid to ask people for endorsements. With job references, you get an ample amount of job opportunities using LinkedIn marketing.
If you have volunteer experience, you can add those projects and get recognition widely. You can also add your achievements for a brief endorsement summary in a section of your profile.
Mention two or more skills relevant to your job profile, keep it simple and these endorsements help you to present as a better candidate to the recruiters.
10. Participate in groups
There are many different groups on LinkedIn connect, whether it’s a university alumni group or industry associations. These groups help to a great extent, make sure to join such groups and participate actively to establish your identity in a specific arena.
By doing all this, you can become an expert professional in your field. By joining groups, you can kickstart your career success in a new industry or new career path.
If you could gain a set of audience through your insights, options, and facts. This knowledge will offer you long-term success and helps you to stand ahead in-crowd. You are more likely to grab the attention of your recruiters.
Final Thoughts
Setting up your LinkedIn profile takes some time, but it’s worth your time and effort. If you’re able to make connections and establish your identity, then no one can stop you from getting your desired job.
Building a professional reputation online is not rocket science, one can do that easily with perseverance and hard work. Using LinkedIn is not so hard if you follow all these steps and tricks.
Pro tip: Once you’ve created your profile, download the app on your smartphone for easy access, and stay connected with your peer networks.
