There is no doubt that technology has opened doors for scores of career minded people. Thanks to computers and the growth of the World Wide Web, we now share a global economy.
We are able to seek employment anywhere in the world from our kitchen table.
The internet is our biggest asset while seeking a career change. However, the same powerful resource can become our greatest hurdle, if we do not use it properly. Below we will explain how to use the world’s most influential site for job hunting.
Linkedin is not Facebook
Linkedin is a powerhouse. It is a site that is accessed by professionals around the world. It is a place to connect with others who can help you reach your professional goals. Linkedin makes it easy to cross lines and seek various types of employment. People interact and make (business associates) friends on the website. But, you must be careful not to confuse Linkedin with other social networks. Linkedin is not Facebook. You do not post a picture of your dog. Do not try to dress-up your contact with emails dotted with emojis. Let your skills speak for themselves. Your experience may be a perfect fit for your talents. Do not let foolishness take the wind out of your sails. You would handle your contact with business people online with the same professionalism as you would face to face.
Respond to emails or connection request, politely and professionally. If you were called and invited to go for an interview, you would not give your potential employer a business card with little happy faces colored in. Linkedin has more than 602 million users. These members understand that Linkedin is the place to grow your network. When you connect with a user in the network, you are privy to the connections they have and they are privy to yours. Being connected to people will get your foot in the door when you are job hunting.
Getting Started
Setting up your LinkedIn profile and information is not difficult. Take your time and do it right. Before you start requesting connections and growing your social base, consider how you want to be viewed. This is very important. Your profile should have complete information on you. You should have a fully functional company webpage. If you are just getting started, then build a beginner site and post “Under Construction” signs so readers will not consider you inexperienced.
Be sure to give complete and accurate information about yourself, your experience, and your experience. This is one place on Linkedin where you want your merits to stand out. Don’t be shy, but don’t embellish the truth. It is easy enough to check someone out from Linkedin. Spend some time going through contacts on your email and phone. Send these people a connect requests. They may be looking for someone with your skills. Getting a request is a reminder that they know someone who is talented and skills.
Prep Work
Again, this is not Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. You are not looking for friends, you are looking for a hand-up to the next step in your career. Before you do anything else, build a resume that details your experience, education, and job training. On a personal network page, you don’t worry a lot about the job you list. For example, you may simply write “Accounting” under your job section on Facebook. After all, you do not need to impress your friends and family. But, when you are listing your job on Linkedin, you will put your full and correct job title, in this case, instead of listing “Accounting”, you may put will state, “Chief Financial Officer.” That statement just took your job search from an entry-level position to an executive opportunity.
Respect their time
One of the biggest mistakes people make when creating their resume is trying to impress someone with their vocabulary. You must be careful with your wording. Your text should be short and to the point. It should bring attention to your accomplishments (not your job duties.) Potential employers want to know how you saved the company money and what tools you are utilizing to changes you made to be more efficient, Do not leave off professional accomplishments and do not cut it so short that you sound like an amateur. Keep your information current and to the point.
Skills and training
Of course, you want to be detailed when describing your job skills. If you stay current with business software, it deserves a mention. Take this opportunity to be proactive. Answer questions that are usually asked, before they are asked.
Understand the process
Linkedin is considered to be a leading recruiting site in more than 200 countries. Linkedin pulls in hiring agents, recruiters, and professional head-hunters who are looking for competent employees. Here are a few suggestions for recruiters to find you in this massive employee pool.
- Be dedicated to keeping your profile current. This is important if you have an old email account listed or a new phone number. But worse of all, never ignore people trying to connect with you. That is what it all about.
- Post twice per week. If that is too much for you, stretch it out to once per week. Stuff happens. But, this needs to be done in order for you to reap the benefits you deserve.
- Try to interact with others. Having your name online is great, but to know your personality, you need to show it on Linkedin. When a recruiter sees an active user, he knows you are seriously looking for a career change or a different job.
- Use a nice and professional photo on your site. Please do not make the mistake of posting your dog in a tutu. That may be adorable, but it will not get you a job. It could even put some people off when they are seriously seeking an associate and Fido is on the email address. Linkedin reports that profiles with a photograph are seven times more likely to get attention over sites with no (or the wrong) photo.
- Have several resumes prepared. You do more than one job. Perhaps you work for a small company where you take care of Human Resources, and also accounts receivable. You need one resume that highlights the human resource skill and a different one with the focus on accounting. Play the field, but make sure you have solid resumes for any job you are seeking.
- Track everything. You want to know how many people accessed your profile. You may forget who you reached out to. You need to track your search engine results. These programs are in place and working for you within minutes.
Groups
There are some great groups on Linkedin. People connect and friendships grow. But, you should be extra careful what you are posting online. What you may call dry humor, sometimes
Others do not get the joke, and if your humor contains subjects that are not easily accepted in society. Keep the rule of thumb, if you cannot say it in front of your mother, don’t say it.
Looking for a job is not always easy. We get complacent and stop looking earnestly. Do not let this happen to you. Being prepared for the unexpected is being smart with your resources. This is something all employers respect and it just might take you to the top.
