3 LinkedIn Strategies for Job Seekers
Do you feel stuck in your current job? Is there no room for advancement at your current company? Are you ready to make a job change and not sure how? Here are three strategies you can use as a job seeker using LinkedIn to get you the results you want:
#1 The Compelling Profile Owner
While it may seem like it goes without saying, having a LinkedIn profile that boosts your credibility and creates intrigue is one of the sure-fire ways to get yourself hired in no-time-flat.
Here are 12 things you can do to make your profile more compelling:
- Use a professional headshot.
- Create a branded headline.
- Craft a compelling summary.
- Earn yourself endorsements and recommendations.
- Keep your profile updated - once a quarter is plenty.
- Update your status at least once a week.
- Add professional certifications you’ve earned.
- Add PowerPoints or Slideshare presentations you’ve created.
- Don’t put “Looking for opportunities” in your headline - this will scare employers away from you. Consider putting this information at the bottom of your summary instead.
- Consider using keywords for the positions that you’re looking at in your summary section as well. Use the headline of “skills” to list these!
- Make your profile easy to read and personal. This is not a formal document like your resume. Research shows that writing a story and using first-person is the way to go on LinkedIn.
- Get feedback on your LinkedIn profile from trusted colleagues, friends, or family.
For more specific tips on how to improve your LinkedIn profile, check out this article.
#2 The Subject Matter Expert
Are you a researcher-type? Do your colleagues consider you to be a subject matter expert? Do you like learning, teaching, or mentoring others? Using the subject matter expert strategy could be your shortcut to your next or bigger paycheck.
Here are 7 ways you build your credibility as an expert:
- Publish well-written articles on LinkedIn on a regular basis.
- Research what type of articles will resonate by using Google.
- Ensure that your posts solve a problem.
- Link to other articles written by experts - you’ll be found guilty of being an expert by association.
- Share your article on other social media websites.
- Place a link to your article in your email signature.
- Include short videos of you presenting one of the topics you specialize in.
For even more specific tips on how to become a subject matter expert, check out this article.
#3 The Savvy LinkedIn Networker
Today’s job-seeker must understand that the Trust Economy demands not only that one be knowledgeable, capable, and confident in a particular discipline or skill, but the job-seeker must connect well with others and send trust signals:
Here are 11 ways you can network like a pro using LinkedIn:
- Choose your target industry (IT, Finance, Healthcare, Education, etc.).
- Identify ideal companies/employers.
- Follow the company's LinkedIn page.
- Like and comment on articles published by the company.
- Share articles the company publishes that you find especially valuable.
- Add value to the company by providing urls to other related and relevant topics.
- Reach out to people at the organization who you already know.
- Ask those people to introduce you to people you don’t already know.
- Send InMails to new contacts.
- Learn about your hiring manager.
- Connect with local and national recruiters.
For even more specific tips on how to network like a genius in person, check out Take the Work Out of Networking.
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