I recently met a coaching client over breakfast and he talked about his frustration with his job search. There is no question that it is a competitive environment for jobs out there. When I asked him if he had any networking leads, he mentioned that he did have one lead but that he could not contact him through Linkedin. Today, I am going to talk about how to use Linkedin. I want to specifically outline a few steps that you need to do if you are in job search mode.
What is great about Linkedin is that once you do the work correctly, it can funnel job leads to you for the rest of your career. As we all know some of the best jobs come about when we are not really looking. Taking this advice is both a short-term and long-term benefit for your career. There are some more strategies beyond Linkedin that you can be doing to multiply this benefit, but for the sake of keeping this short we will focus on how to use Linkedin.
Image via CrunchBase
How to Use Linkedin
Step 1: Build your profile to get ranked in the search results. Recruiters and employers everywhere are using Linkedin to search for candidates for their open positions. This is becoming more and more of a popular method for several reasons. For one, companies and recruiters are on the hunt for “passive” candidates. Linkedin is a popular place that will yield lots of results. You need to show up in the search results for the right keyword phrases. Linkedin search works from a keyword density aspect. For example, if someone is searching for “Controller” and “Atlanta” those who have the word “Controller” in the description in a profile a few times will serve up higher in the results then someone who only mentions it once. You never want to “over-stuff” your profile, but can you begin to see the power in filling in all of the details of your profile. Take your resume and work in as much of the content as possible. That way you increase your chances of being found.
Step 2: Join as many groups as you can related to either your geography or industry. Linkedin groups is another great way to connect with people who might be in the know for your ideal job. First, search for groups related to your industry. If you are a CPA, then join all of the Linkedin groups that have CPA in the title. Next, search for the nearest metro area to you. If you live in the suburbs of Atlanta, then do a search for Atlanta and join as many of those groups as possible. Not only can you have discussions with others in the group page, but being in the same group allows you to message them personally even before you are personally connected.
Step 3: Obtain 500+ connections so you can benefit from connecting with others. Many people do not realize that when they have few connections, they really do not have access to very many people when doing a people search. If you can get your connections up above 500+ you will be able to reach out to 80-90% of the users on Linkedin. This is very powerful when it comes to networking.
If you can spend some time and do the three steps above you will have set-up a system that will funnel leads to you over your entire career. Get started today! If you need specific help on setting up a system like this, click on Hire Jonathan and you can buy 30-60 minutes of coaching time in which I can walk you through the process.
Question: Do you have any job search tips when using Linkedin?
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- HOW TO: Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for the Job Hunt (mashable.com)
- Nine Ways to use LinkedIn to Advance your Career (viralsolani.wordpress.com)
- How Does Linkedin Work (CPACareerCoach.com)
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