You don't have to be a whiz to hire great people or find a great job. This site is about recruiting made simple. Find who you are looking for with tips from a whiz!
People tell me that they have a LinkedIn profile, but it doesn’t really do anything for them, or they don’t really “get it,” or it’s just too overwhelming to complete and they’re not really sure where to start. Other people say that they don’t have a LinkedIn profile because they’re not looking for a job.
I can tell you LinkedIn is for much more than jobseekers! Salespeople actively review their contacts and extended connections via LinkedIn for potential sales leads. It’s much easier to make a warm sales call based on a mutual connection! LinkedIn is also a fantastic resource for connecting and conversing with people in your industry. For many recruiters, LinkedIn is one of their top resources for learning about hiring trends, connecting with new client companies AND identifying new talent. Tech-savvy hiring managers often use their profiles to advertise the open positions and/or network with potential future employees.
In order to maximize the benefit you get from LinkedIn, you need to have a complete and informative LinkedIn profile. It explains who you are, what you know, what you have to offer and why you’d be interested in connecting. After your profile is complete, you need to CONNECT. Connect to friends, family, co-workers (both current and former), people you meet at tradeshows – almost anyone! More connections means more conversations. The next step is to look at LinkedIn Groups. There are groups for almost everything on LinkedIn; professional associations, alumni chapters, personal interests, sports fans, news channels, etc. Find a few that work for you and join the conversation or simply read about what’s happening in your areas of interest. If you don’t have a lot of connections, groups are a great way to build your network.
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If you’re job searching, you’ve learned that it’s a much different process these days than it was even just three years ago. One of the major changes is that your online presence may have a significant impact on your ability to find and be selected for a job. Applicants are adding websites like LinkedIn and Facebook to their resumes, so some employers proactively check these sites to learn more about their potential candidates – even if you didn’t include them on YOUR resume. What are your online profiles saying about you as a potential employee?
Here are a few REALLY important things to keep in mind when reviewing your online profiles and preparing for a job search:
1. Watch your language. Don’t use foul language or speak negatively about former employers/employees/bosses. Assume that anything you post online is public information and could be seen by anyone. If you wouldn’t say it out-loud to the person you respect the most or a future employer, don’t say it online. Think about how what you say might be interpreted by a future boss – does it make it sound like you are late or miss work frequently? Or do you sound like you enjoy being successful?
2. Monitor your profiles. Consider removing the option for your Facebook friends to post messages on your Wall. They can still send you private emails and/or leave comments on your posts. This is especially handy if you have a Facebook friend who tends to leave a little more info than really needs to be widely known. Otherwise, monitor your profiles frequently and quickly delete any comments or notes which are inappropriate for public viewing.
3. Consider your audience. Use various social media sites appropriately, based on the most likely audience. Keep your LinkedIn profile strictly professional. It’s not necessary to post your birthday and special interests on that site. Facebook and Twitter are better places to discuss that new fiction book you’re reading or what you’re doing in your spare time that isn’t work-related.
I’m not encouraging people to hide who they really are from employers. Online profiles are a great place to showcase your unique qualities and interests, but consider how future employers may perceive your information. These profiles are an extension of who you are and they may “meet” a future employer before you do!
For me, LinkedIn is the ultimate source for finding new connections and new people. I also use it as a standard method for keeping track of the people I’ve connected with as they move around throughout their career.
There are a few things that I’m looking for when I’m searching LinkedIn to find candidates for great jobs with our clients. Hopefully, this will help you do a simple audit of your own profile to find ways to make it work more effectively for you!
1. Work History – Fill in your dates of employment and employers. I use this to see the progression of your work experience. It can also show some obvious trends in your tenure with each employer. If you have several jobs of short tenure due to situations out of your control, like downsizing, note that in the description!
2. Experience: Add details! – You don’t need to rewrite your job description, just tell me in your own words what you do. Note info about the types of customers you work with and/or your favorite projects. If there were any unique particulars about the job like working from a home office or doing a significant amount of travel, you should note that as well. These details give me a good idea of whether you’re likely to be successful (and happy!) with our client.
3. Websites - Include links to related websites about you or your work. If you have a blog or Twitter profile, include them. (But make sure these places are “safe for work” and represent you as a professional, yet unique individual!) I rarely look at “My Company” links unless I don’t understand the explanation of the product.
4. BE OPEN TO MESSAGES, CONNECTIONS AND/OR INMAIL. - Otherwise, delete your LinkedIn profile because you’re missing its purpose for connecting and communicating. If you’re concerned about receiving job opportunity emails to a work account, use a personal email account to receive messages and/or set-up a new email account specifically for LinkedIn.
Things that I think are unnecessary? Marital status and/or birthday. Be cautious with the information you’re making publicly available online. This info is not necessary for professional connections. People who know you well will already be aware of those details. Also, the interests section should also be limited to professional interests or simply left blank. You want to maximize your chances of someone reaching out to you.
If fully utilized, LinkedIn is a great tool that will work as a partner for you in your job search, even when you are sleeping at night! Keep it up-to-date and informative, then be open to conversations and connections. Good luck!
Hi! I'm Jessica. I believe that recruiting (when done correctly) is about creativity, minimizing limitations and applying new methods to make the whole hiring & job search process a little more efficient for everyone. In this blog, I will focus on recruiting and how HR, jobseekers and recruiters can make the hiring process a little smoother – and maybe a little more fun!
