The importance of online networking has never been more apparent. While sites such as SEEK and MyCareer continue to play an integral role in any job hunt, professional social media site LinkedIn is increasing in relevance with each passing day. With LinkedIn you can reach 200 countries and territories, in 20 languages used by over 350 million users, 40% of who are checking it daily. Furthermore, since 48% of recruiters are now posting jobs exclusively on LinkedIn, every day spent without a LinkedIn profile is a missed opportunity. To ensure you don’t miss out, Insights has prepared a list to help you get the most from your LinkedIn profile.
1. Don’t cut corners
Approach your LinkedIn profile the same way you would a legal submission or letter of advice: be persuasive, cover all bases and, above all, be thorough. When it comes to filling out your profile, take the time to fill in all the blanks – and that includes a profile picture. Completed profiles are seven times more likely to be viewed, while profiles with photos are 11 times more likely.
2. Steer clear of typecasting
Listing your current and past significant jobs is an instinctive step when filling out your LinkedIn. However, what will set you apart as a unique candidate with a diverse skill set is an employment history that showcases a career resembling a jungle gym rather than a ladder. Don’t leave anything out. That administrative position in the months between clerkship and your graduate position that taught you how to organise an office with the click of a button, the internship you took at a small firm building their social media presence – all of it made you the excellent candidate you are today. Furthermore, don’t forget to detail what you actually did in each job – and more importantly, any key outcomes or results achieved. Employers care as much, and in some cases more, about your ability to problem solve and adapt to constantly changing professional demands as they do about your grades. A series of job titles just doesn’t say much about what you might be truly capable of achieving.
3. It’s a network so start networking
Despite its professional nature, LinkedIn is still, after all, a social network. Once you’ve created an account and provided a comprehensive summary of your professional history, the next step is to connect with a wide array of contacts. Though it may be intimidating to reach out to prospective employers from the outset, a good first step is to follow companies you’d like to be a part of. That way you can keep up with the company’s openings and keep track of potential contacts you may have within the organisation. Also use the opportunity to reconnect with workplaces you’ve otherwise left behind, as they’re a rich source of endorsements and contacts that will be useful in future.
Even when you’re not making connections, keep your profile active and visible by engaging in groups that will connect you with people in your industry or field. Regularly posting in these groups may lead to strangers becoming contacts – and perhaps eventually employers or colleagues.
So if you find yourself short a networking evening or alumni event, spend the evening reaching out to those very same people using LinkedIn (even if you’re not in the market for a job and even if no-one is hiring). Your career is one long negotiation, and to strike a winning deal you’ve got to come to the table.