5 Things You Didn’t Know About Using LinkedIn for Jobs

Have you tried looking for jobs on LinkedIn, only to end up frustrated? Tried messaging hiring managers for open positions and got a sorry in reply or didn’t hear back? Maybe you scrolled through the available jobs and all you could find were stale positions or others too senior you couldn’t apply?

If this is you, don’t assume you are alone. This kind of frustration happens to more people than you’d think, especially those not familiar with the little tricks that lead to numerous jobs. It is not surprising to find people who have been hired through LinkedIn or who have gotten several interviews through the platform. It happens. And it can happen to you too.

But in order for this to take place, you need to get familiar with how these people get hired through LinkedIn. Luckily for you, this post is here to help you discover exactly that.

What You Didn’t Know about Using LinkedIn for Jobs

1. Your Headline Plays a Very Important Role

If you are an administration professional and a recruiter was doing a search for Administrative Assistants on LinkedIn looking for a job, would they find you? The best way to answer this question is to do the search yourself.

Get a computer; open a new Google Search window and type in “Administrative Assistants LinkedIn Profiles in Kenya” and click on search. If you can’t find your profile among those listed, you might need to do a little editing in your headline. The same applies to all other professions.

Your headline should include the job titles you identify with. It does not have to be one. You have the luxury or including several, as long as they relate to your profession or what you would like to do.

See Also >>> How Being on LinkedIn Helps Your Job Search

2. It’s Okay to Let People Know You Are Job Searching

You may have heard negative opinions on how you shouldn’t say you are looking for a job on LinkedIn. This is not entirely true. You can let potential employers and recruiting managers know you are seeking a new position without being too obvious.

How do you go about it? For instance, a Business Development Professional who is currently employed but looking for new opportunities could write something like this: “Business Development Manager Seeking to Manage and Develop Business Solutions for Your Organization”.

With this information as part of your headline, hiring managers will see a reason to contact you and your boss will never know for certain if you are looking to move. They might guess it, but they can never be sure.

3. You Have a Better Chance if You Follow Companies You Want to Work for

It is not enough to have an updated LinkedIn profile. You also need to make an effort in following the organisations you would want to work for. Write down a list of companies you would want to work with, search for them on the platform and click on the follow button.

By doing so, you position yourself to receive any news about the organisation. So when they have new jobs or are going through a restructure, you will always be among the first to find out and you can send in your applications in good time.

Following these companies and recruitment firms (they always post new jobs) will also give you a good chance of getting to know the recruiting managers on a personal level. After all, LinkedIn is the only place you can stalk someone, with their knowledge, and they won’t get mad.

Read Also >>> 4 LinkedIn Mistakes You Need to Avoid

4. Just Listing your Previous Work Experience is Not Enough

A common mistake most people make on LinkedIn is making their profiles the second CV. While it is recommended to list down your work experience and some of the duties and responsibilities you were involved in, don’t do it exactly like you would on your CV. The information you include should be brief, but informative. And, remember to use the appropriate keywords.

In addition, LinkedIn gives you the chance to include material that demonstrates work you have previously done. If you have a striking PowerPoint presentation, video, published article, design samples or other proof of your work, feel free to share it on your profile. You will be surprised how impressive you look to employers.

5. A Personalized Recommendation Counts

You know how you include referees on your CV and the recruiter has to call the person listed to inquire more about you? Well, you can easily make that information available by getting your referees or other people you have worked with, or who know you, to recommend you.

And it’s as easy as writing a text message. You don’t have to worry about recruiters calling your referees at the wrong time because what they have to say about you is already in your profile.

In Conclusion

I would like to emphasize the importance of having a clear headline; one that defines your profession, mentions your job title and your career objective. It doesn’t have to be long, but it has to contain this information.

Don’t write you are a job seeker, currently job searching or leave it blank. Doing so will only make a recruiter, look past your profile and select someone different. Why?

When a recruiter, potential employer or hiring manager searches for people to recruit on LinkedIn, the results usually show the name of the person and their headline. Some may also include the most recent position, but it is not always the case. This means they will only click on your profile if your headline has the information they are looking for.

Have questions about your LinkedIn profile? Leave a comment below and Follow us on LinkedIn.

The writer is a Communications Officer at Corporate Staffing Services. Email: selipha@corporatestaffing.co.ke 

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