Networking is a crucial task in any job search, and in a world where more and more people are doing business online, social networking sites are great tools to have at your disposal. LinkedIn is a social network designed for business professionals to network with each other to find new jobs and business opportunities.
When using LinkedIn, there are certain steps that you can take to improve your chances of finding employment. Here are some tips that all LinkedIn users in search of a job should know:
- Tell a story. Your LinkedIn profile should give the reader some information about who you are and what your value is in the marketplace. Ask yourself what your LinkedIn summary says about you, and whether or not you clearly defined your experience in the fields given on your profile. Attach a professional picture to your profile so readers can put a name to the story that they are reading.
- Include your contact information. Always have your contact information available on your profile so that people have an easy way to contact you. You can put your information in the contact form, the summary section and the “advice for contacting” section.
- Support your brand. The skills and expertise that you list should all be related to your brand that you are trying to establish. You should be specific and try to have people endorse you for those skills, rather than listing skills all over the map that may or may not apply to the type of work that you’re looking for.
- Keep it distraction-free. Your profile should be as tidy as possible, only having content that supports who you are and the story that you wish to tell. Get rid of the “viewers of this profile also viewed” section, because you don’t want to steer people who visit your profile toward someone else who might also be appealing. You want people focused on you, and nothing else.
- Use it for email marketing. LinkedIn’s messaging system makes it easy to use as a free email marketing tool. You can even choose to categorize your contacts using the Tags feature, and send out group emails to stay in touch with your network as you go through your job search.
LinkedIn can be a valuable tool for job seekers, as long as you understand how to use the site and how to present yourself. Sign up for the site and create your profile today, keeping these tips in mind.
