LinkedIn isn’t just the Who’s Who in the employment world. These days, LinkedIn provides a valuable tool for job seekers who are looking for new employment opportunities. Don’t think you can find a job via LinkedIn? I’ve personally made contact with freelance clients when I wasn’t even searching. A good LinkedIn profile can work for you even when you’re not working.
#1. Make Your LinkedIn Profile Shine!
One of the most important keys to successfully using LinkedIn to find a new job is to make sure your profile is fully completed and up-to-date. The more companies, schools and information you provide, the more likely potential employers are to contact you about an opening. Don’t forget to inject a bit of personality to really showcase who you are and why people should hire you. Guy Kawasaki has a great “LinkedIn Profile Extreme Makeover” tutorial.
#2. Use Applications to Make Your Profile Stand Out
LinkedIn enables you to add applications to your profile to showcase your skills and expertise, so customize your profiles with applications that reflect your experience and personality. You can upload presentations, link to your blog, link to a Twitter account, create an Amazon reading list; anything you can do to enhance your profile and give people more information in a fun and interactive way is going to increase your chances of landing a job. Use applications to create a presentation showcasing your skills, or create a visual resume to help you stand out from other potential applicants.
#3. Make Connections to Expand Your Network
Finding a job on LinkedIn is a numbers game. The more people you’re connected to, the easier it is for potential employers to find you via friends and colleagues. Expand your professional network. Use your LinkedIn status to let your colleagues know you’re looking for a job. Join groups. Answer questions to establish your knowledge and skill level. The more exposure you have via LinkedIn, the more your name will show up in searches, and the more likely people are to find you via a friend of a friend, a company, experience or other LinkedIn criteria.
#4. Get Recommendations from Your Colleagues
Recommendations are an extremely valuable feature of LinkedIn. Recommendations enable potential employers to quickly find out what your former colleagues have to say about you, and help determine whether you’re a good fit for a job. Recommendations are also another way for you to connect with people and expand your network. Get as many recommendations as you can, and don’t be afraid to ask for them.
You Can Find a Job via LinkedIn
Don’t assume that finding a job via LinkedIn isn’t for you. With over 250,000 business professionals on LinkedIn, and a ton of companies, many job opportunities exist. Creating an up-to-date, interactive profile is a great start, and enables people to find you and consider you for open positions. You can also use the “Jobs” function to find job openings that match your skills and qualifications. For inside intel, view the profiles of other people employed in the company to see what skills and qualifications the company likes. LinkedIn will work for you once you set up a good profile, but if you’re willing to sleuth via LinkedIn, you can get a lot of great information that can give you an edge over your competitors!
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