How To Use LinkedIn To Get A Job

At first glance, LinkedIn may look like just an online resume. But on a platform where numerous employers are looking for top-notch candidates every day, it’s a very useful resume. Not only is it a great way to network with leaders in your industry of choice, but you can also use it to promote your achievements and build a professional online presence. And if you have an entrepreneurial spirit, you can even start your own business there.  The key to using LinkedIn effectively is to be “discoverable” by employers and agencies, and use these all-important connections to your advantage. 

That’s how it’s done. The first step, of course, is to create a LinkedIn profile. You can change and update your profile as often as you like. So adjust or add the part that doesn’t work. The more changes and additions you make, the more “active” your profile will appear in the system. This boosts your likelihood of being seen by possible employers.

13 Ways To Use LinkedIn To Find Your Dream Job

Step 1 is, of course, creating a LinkedIn profile.  You can change and update your profile as often as you like. So adjust or add the part that doesn’t work. The more changes and additions, the more “active” your profile appears in the system. This boosts your probability of being seen by possible employers.

Pick The Perfect LinkedIn Profile Picture

Profiles without photos appear inactive and obscure in search results. Find high-resolution, work-appropriate photos of yourself. Avoid flashy selfies and group photos (even if you cut everyone else). Graduation photos are always a safe bet but don’t make them look tense or too formal. Remember, you’re trying to sell yourself as someone easy to work with. Of course, avoid silly Snapchat filters. But LinkedIn has a filter feature that lets you adjust the colors in your photos for the best impact.

You also have the option to upload a background image or cover image. This isn’t that important, but if you think it’s relevant, do it. Your own creations or photos of yourself in action might be appropriate here.  Top Tip: You can also use your photo as an opportunity to sell relevant skills. Think hand-drawn portraits, faces as app logos, or opportunities to show off your photography skills. 

Write A LinkedIn Headline That Makes You Stand Out

Headlines are the first thing potential employers see.  Make sure it stands out and defines what you have to present.  Avoid trifles like “student”. List your dream job, freelance or part-time job, related hobbies, or the title of your last internship. Add a professional overview to your profile.

Include A Professional Summary In Your Profile

Use summary boxes to showcase achievements and aspirations, or present an elevator pitch. Mention why you’re a great employee, a process you’ve improved, or just great. There are only 50-100 words. Try to include keywords that recruiters and others are likely to search for. Remember that your profile may also show up in Internet searches. Below is an example of a professional LinkedIn summary to motivate you. Promote Your Work Experience On LinkedIn.

A final year student aiming for a career in journalism. As a departmental editor of a university newspaper, I am passionate about writing good articles and nurturing other writers. I’m also intrigued by the rise of digital publishing over print – which I follow closely on my blog and as a freelance web developer of his for companies in Gloucester and across the UK. Created his website which is beautiful and functional. 

I love optimizing the user experience (UX), finding ways to slow down page load speeds, and making my website mobile-friendly so that my content always reaches all my customers. Important Tip: Include contact information in your summary if you want others to contact you. But don’t use your personal email address unless you like spam. Link to your website instead.  

Get Recommendations And Endorsements For Work Skills

Follow the prompts to list your work experience, courses are taken, volunteer work, and exam results. There is a fairly extensive list of items to choose from. No need to add them all. Choose what adds value to your profile, what you’re proud of, or what you want to appear in searches.  Use the media section to link to work in progress and achievements. Add blog posts, magazine articles, photos/artwork of yours, businesses you started, videos, or social media accounts you created. 

If you’re proud of something, stick it here and show it off.  It goes without saying (almost), but check your profile for typos, errors, and broken links. A mistake in this area can have a pretty bad effect on you as a potential employer. Key Tip: Show what you contributed and how you made a difference, not just what you did. 

Get Job Skills Referrals And Recommendations

To add credibility to the skills and projects you’ve listed, ask current or former employers and colleagues to post testimonials on your profile page. However, you don’t have to accept or show anything you don’t want the public to see. Not only can you distribute relevant keywords to your profile, but you can also add skills individually.

Don’t just use general stuff like leadership or teamwork.  Think about software or technology for which you are an experienced user. What are the skills that really set you apart? Your LinkedIn connections can make sure you’re good at something by endorsing the various skills you’ve listed. These will appear on your public profile and show your talents. Remember, LinkedIn Has A Lot Of Jobs Posted.

Use the search function to subscribe to job alerts or keep an eye out for status updates and follow new vacancies before they are posted. Also, check out internships and alumni jobs on the LinkedIn student portal.  Follow companies you want to work with and be the first to learn about vacancies, graduate programs, and expansion plans.  

When looking for someone new to join the STS team, I always double-check his LinkedIn. I used it not only to post and advertise jobs but also to research potential candidates. I used to be a recruiter too, so I can’t stress the importance of an up-to-date professional profile on LinkedIn. If not too much. Jake Butler, student finance expert at Save the Student. 

Share Your Achievements With A LinkedIn Post

It may not come naturally to brag about your accomplishments, but LinkedIn is all about selling yourself. When you’ve achieved something, whether it’s an award, a successful project, or a good grade on a particular assignment, post a status about it and share it with the world.  You don’t have to focus only on the good moments. 

You can also talk about the challenges and failures you overcame along the way.  You can also post on topics related to your industry or general recruitment-related topics. Topics like unpaid internships and job interview feedback usually provide a lot of buzz. Don’t forget to let us know by sharing or liking our other posts.

Use LinkedIn To Build Your Network

As the name suggests, LinkedIn is all about connecting with people in your industry or area of​expertise. Reach out to everyone you’ve worked with or studied with and ask them to share their connections as well. Adding someone you don’t know to his LinkedIn can be considered bad manners. Still, it’s usually fine other people can quickly see from your profile that you have similar interests and common connections.

LinkedIn can also be a convenient way to stay in touch, even briefly, after an interview with an intern or an interviewer or people you may have come in contact with during an internship. If you’re worried they won’t recognize you, write a short message to boost your memory. An important tip: use connections as examples. Look at how other people in your field profile and what career paths they took, specifically which companies were willing to help them when they were just starting out.

Optimizing Your LinkedIn Privacy Settings

LinkedIn’s privacy settings are very different from other social media networks. You have to be careful to show people only what you want. First, when you update your profile, you’ll see the Notify Network button. If selected, your updates will appear in all your followers’ news feeds. Maybe save it for a bigger moment. You also have the option to make things public or only visible to your contacts. 

It’s a good idea to make some things public so employers who search on LinkedIn or Google can see them. But here’s the big one. It may sound like a nightmare, but users get notified when they visit their profile. You will also be notified who has visited your site. Turning this off in your privacy settings will allow you to browse anonymously but at the cost of not knowing who is viewing your profile. To change this, look for the Choose what others see when viewing your profile button.

There’s also a privacy setting that allows you to look for a new job without notifying your current employer – smart! Look about and see which one conforms to you best. Free) to get your personal URL. You can use names, titles, or other keywords and change them later if you want. This makes it easier to find in search engines.

Join A LinkedIn Group

Enter and contribute to groups suitable to your enterprise. Get insider information, learn from the inside how the industry works, make a name for yourself with an opinion or area of​expertise, or find someone you’re interested in who can tell you more about your career path. Please check if there is any. Once you’ve joined a few important groups, you can send messages to other group members to introduce yourself and your services. But please don’t be considered a spammer. Make sure you’re sending relevant emails to the right people, asking questions, or offering to help with the project. 

Convey Writings On LinkedIn And Pen Down Your Own

On LinkedIn, I often share articles that I write or find interesting from elsewhere. Track the right people and submit it all up.  Having a solid knowledge of the latest trends in the industry will benefit you in your job interview.

You can also follow the blogs of companies of interest to get the latest news.  But if you have something that doesn’t fit into a simple status update, write a blog post instead. Just click the Write an Article button on the home page and start typing.  Sharing your opinion and knowledge on a topic can help you impress employers and make a name for yourself. You can also add videos and images to add impact.  

Use LinkedIn To Prepare For Job Interviews

LinkedIn can be your number one source of information when preparing for an interview.  Find out who interviews you and find them on LinkedIn. View their career paths, specific interests, and current projects they are working on. Use that to your advantage and tailor your responses to appeal to them. 

You can also get a deeper insight into the company by checking out our blogs and following the developments in the industry and discussing them in interviews. The site is completely free to use. But for additional features, like being listed as a hot job candidate, try a free trial of LinkedIn Premium. It’s one of the most popular free trials, but don’t forget to opt out before you’re charged.