4 Tips to Leverage LinkedIn

LinkedInI’m on LinkedIn, now what? That’s a question I hear from time to time. Or, I’ve filled out my profile on LinkedIn and nothing is happening. Those are comments from passive job seekers, those that are sitting back and waiting to be “discovered.”

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for job seekers, but like any tool, it takes more than just having it in your toolbox, you have to use it. First, you should optimize your LinkedIn profile with your most marketable attributes and skill sets. Include quantifiable successes, key words, a professional picture, recommendations and make sure your profile is 100% complete. For some people, with skills that are in high demand, just having a great profile on LinkedIn can be enough because recruiters do use LinkedIn to mine for candidates.

However, if you’re truly interested in making a career move and doing so in a timely manner it takes time and effort. Spending quality time on LinkedIn can lead to a rewarding position. The following are four tips your competitors who are waiting to be “discovered” are not doing:

1. Build your professional network.

Once you’ve perfected your profile now’s the time to show it off. Reach out to friends, colleagues, alumni, and acquaintances. It’s not necessarily about the quantity of your connections, it’s more about the quality. True, having a lot of connections will give you more information when you run searches on LinkedIn, but having quality connections who you can reach out to for introductions is more effective when you’re trying to network into a company.

2. Use the Advanced Searches.

When you see a job posting anywhere, your first step should be to run an advanced search on LinkedIn and see if your connected to someone at that company. It is about who you know to get your foot in the door. But more importantly, LinkedIn is best if utilized to target the unpublished market by networking. If you’re serious about finding a job, you should be using LinkedIn to build your network and target the unpublished job market.

3. Target and follow companies for whom you’d like to work.

Use the advanced search to target companies and identify people at those companies to connect with. Also, if you follow companies where you’d like to work you’ll see their posted activities including job openings or updates about their business that may inspire you to reach out to them regardless of whether they have an opening. Yes, companies will create positions for the right candidate.

4. Participate in Groups.

You can expand your network on LinkedIn by joining groups in your area of interest and asking to connect to other group members. Additionally, by participating in group discussions you can show off your expertise and become recognized in your industry.

Remember, just having a hammer and some nails won’t get that house built, like everything worthwhile, it takes applying yourself thoughtfully and intentionally to build a solid career.

Linda Lupatkin – The Imagemakers, Ink! LLC – Resumes, Bios, Career Coaching and Consulting

 

Quick Tip: Keep In Touch

The Career Coach Quick TipWe live in an amazing time where we can communicate literally at the touch of a finger. Not only can we text, tweet, buzz, IM, and email, we can still even call each other from our mobile phones and yes, even from landlines. Oh, and of course there’s also snail mail. But, the sad truth is, we don’t.

Time and time again, I hear from frustrated clients who’ve reached out to people in their network, never to hear back. In our communication age it seems we’ve lost touch with common courtesy. While we may feel inundated with information and bombarded by status updates, we should still make an effort at etiquette. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but in this age of constant career moves you never know when that connection you snubbed just might come in handy.

-Linda

Listen Up to Land Your Next Job

Inverview ListeningMany people prepare for interviews by practicing what they’re going to say and what message they want to get across about themselves. That’s helpful, but even more important to interviewing well is not just what you’re saying, but what the interviewer is telling you. If you listen, they’ll tell you exactly what they’re looking for. The following are some key tips to listening during your interview:

1. Don’t assume you know what’s most important to the interviewer.

You know what they say when you assume. Ask questions, find out what the hiring manager is really looking for and frame your answers accordingly. If you make assumptions, you may talk up a part of your background that has no significance whatsoever to the interviewer.

2. Don’t assume everyone you interview with has the same agenda.

These days my clients frequently end up talking to multiple individuals within an organization. Again, you don’t want to make the assumption that they’re all looking for the same thing in their hire. You need to ascertain what’s most important to each individual with whom you speak and shape your answers to meet their needs.

3. Don’t focus on what you’re going to say next.

Be present and focused, listen to your interviewer, they could be giving you key information, for instance telling you exactly what the most important skill is for the person they’re hiring. By not focusing on what they’re saying and instead plotting your next verbal move, you could miss an opportunity to sell yourself.

4. Do ask open-ended questions.

Asking open-ended questions beginning with what, when or where can be helpful in gathering information about the position for which you’re interviewing. Not only will this help you better frame your answers according to the interviewer’s needs, it enables you to perform your own due diligence to gather information and decide whether the company or position is a good fit for you.

5. Do actively listen.

This takes concentration and patience. It means not only paying attention to the verbal communication, but also paying attention to non-verbal cues found in body language. This helps you identify how strongly your interviewer feels about what they’re saying and can give you guidance in your own response. It also goes a long way towards building rapport.

Having a compelling message about your strengths and skills is important, but if you’re not in tune with your audience, you could end up selling something they’re not buying, tune in and listen and you’ll better be able to sell yourself.

~Linda