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LinkedIn

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LinkedIn – Get Found and Stand Out

Having a strong LinkedIn profile used to be good idea….now it is a MUST.  Of course, not all industries utilize the platform to the same extent. For example, police officers, lawyers, medical professionals, and teachers tend to prefer to keep lower profiles. However, most professionals find LinkedIn to be a necessary part of their professional identity and presence.

It is easy to understand why when you consider that over 90 percent of recruiters supposedly utilize LinkedIn to search for qualified candidates. I recently landed a nice little contract gig after being found on LinkedIn. Sweet! LinkedIn is also a great way to build and maintain a rich professional network.  Finally, LinkedIn helps us stay on top of industry news and trends.

Lose the mindset that LinkedIn is a job search tool.  Consider your profile a personal website that allows you to track your professional experience, education, accomplishments, publications, recommendations, key skills, certifications, industry activity, target company list, and your network of connections.

Most recruiters admit that they will pull up your profile before giving you a call.  If your online profile is not clear and consistent with your resume, you may find yourself in the B pile.  If you have zero recommendations or your profile is way out date, the recruiter will likely move on to a candidate who takes more pride in their online presence.

The Top 10 Profile Elements

The following are necessary in order to stand out and get found:

  • A nice headshot…not one with your dog – unless you are a veterinarian.
  • Headline….120 characters of searchable job titles….not your current job.
  • A well written 2000 character, keyword rich, summary.
    • Personalize this and don’t sound like a resume robot!
  • Current and previous work experience with bulleted details.
  • Personalize your LinkedIn URL.
  • Complete your Skill Section with at least 30 relevant skills listed in proper order.
  • 50 plus connections (Better yet, aim for 500)
  • Education and Training
  • 3-5 Recommendations
  • Join 20 plus groups and follow 50 plus companies.

The 10 Minute a Day Approach

Keeping your profile up to date and fresh AND spend time on LinkedIn each day going through your newsfeed.  Liking, commenting and sharing posts help develop your personal brand.  Actually publishing an article is another way to boost your presence and become a thought leader in your industry.

Spend 10 minutes a day making connections, commenting on interesting articles, and following new companies. This helps LinkedIn understand you. If and when you are in job search mode, LinkedIn will be a much better resource in terms of positions it recommends and how well you show up in recruiter searches.

Be 10 times more Brave

LinkedIn has actually proven to be a really powerful tool for me and for many of my clients.  Actual relationships are formed and developed from LinkedIn. Different careers are explored and new positions are landed – all as a result of reaching out to people.  Not everyone will respond to you in the way you wish but some people will!

Respond quickly to any requests that come your way and take any lack of response in stride. Make your outreach personal and avoid sending off generic connection requests.  Add a short note.  Take time to read someone’s profile and highlight what you have in common when you request a connection. Be courageous as you reach out. No one gets far alone.  We need each other and LinkedIn is platform that allows us to find support and give support.

Social media is here to stay and LinkedIn remains the go-to professional networking platform.  Make your profile sparkle and find ways to connect that feel genuine and authentic.  While social media is not a replacement for face to face relationships, LinkedIn can help us connect in real ways to people we might not otherwise be able to meet.

 

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Professional References – Allies in an Effective Job Search

A woman I barely know recently requested that I recommend her on LinkedIn. I was taken aback because I had only met her a handful of times in very casual circumstances. I could not speak to the quality of her work or her character so I politely declined her request. It was awkward for both of us.

Professional references are an important piece of an effective job search strategy. Most recruiters look at the recommendations on your LinkedIn profile before contacting you. And any reputable employer will call your professional references prior to bringing you onboard.

A strong reference will affirm the feelings the hiring team has about you and this often seals the deal to receiving an offer. Lackluster or unfocused comments could cause the hiring team to look more closely at another candidate. It is the kiss of death if a candidate’s references don’t return calls.

Tami Palmer, former recruiter turned career coach and mentor at greyzone, agrees this is an important topic. In general, at least one of your references should be a previous manager. It could raise a red flag if a candidate’s reference list consists only of peers.

Palmer adds, “When you’re thinking of your references, think 360 – it’s important to have managers on the list, but if you’ve been a manager yourself, I want to talk to the people who worked for you. If you’re in sales I want to speak with a client. If you’re in purchasing, a vendor. Thinking through your connections and providing references that paint a complete picture of your work world can be very compelling to a future employer.”

If your references are not as strong as you would like, commit to developing stronger professional relationships. Do your best work and make it a priority to get along well with your manager. Even if you disagree, do so respectfully and in a way that maintains the relationship.

Seek out coaching or career counseling if you are prone to conflict in the workplace. Even if you have a lot of experience or talent, it will be hard to find people willing to sing your praises to potential employers if you don’t know how to play well with others.

If you left your last job under negative circumstances, your previous manager may still be willing to speak on your behalf. Perhaps the focus can be on your work ethic and desire to contribute. If you approach the subject with humility, it is possible that your former boss will want to help you succeed in finding a better fit.

Before making a request for a reference or recommendation, assess the quality of the relationship. Don’t ask for more than the level of connection warrants. In other words, don’t ask a near stranger for a recommendation! Ultimately, the information a reference shares about you will only be as meaningful as the working relationship on which it is founded.

When job searching, give your references a heads up so they are prepared. Share the details of the position and clarify the specific skills and qualifications you would like them to highlight. It is okay to provide key talking points to your references or those making online recommendations.

Palmer agrees, “Having recommendations on LinkedIn is truly helpful, but don’t simply ask someone to recommend you, guide them to what you want them to say. If you have old emails of praise, forward them along to the person you’re asking to recommend you. Remind them of how they’ve complimented you in the past and you’ll both speed up the reference process, and have some control in what’s being said about you.”

Professional references are vital to your ongoing success. Do good work and make it a priority to build meaningful relationships at work. This is the best way to ensure you have a supportive network of people willing to speak to your talent and character.

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The Path to Success? Presence all the Way!

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The more I work with clients, the more I realize that success is not about the format of our resumés, the strength of our LinkedIn profiles, or even our past experience.  People with lousy resumés, weak profiles, and almost no relevant experience land great jobs all the time.  The key to finding good opportunities is presence – magnetic presence. And, authenticity. Magnetic presence can be somewhat difficult to capture in words but a few of the associated qualities or characteristics include:

  •  the ability to community your value in a way that resonates rather than repels.
  •  a healthy mix of confidence and coach-ability.
  •  keen, sincere interest in others.
  • positive energy.

More and more of my work with clients is about cultivating magnetic presence.  Sure, the resumé needs to be great too.  But, even a resumé that rocks cannot overcome a lack of personal presence.  In the end, it is all about how we make people FEEL when they are with us.

Do you feel me?

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LinkedIn Tip of the Week – Turn Off Notifications

Have you ever gone in and made a minor change to your profile only to discover that LinkedIn has announced to the world that you have accepted a new position?  

You receive all kinds of congratulations from your colleagues when all you really did was update a bit of text on your profile page. There are several changes you can make to your account that will trigger broadcasts.  It is important to be aware of the messages your online activity is sending.  For example, if you begin following a company, your current boss may assume that you are on the search for a new opportunity.  To avoid confusing your audience, take a few minutes to turn off your notifications when you want to keep a lower profile.

Follow these easy steps:

1)  Go to your Home Page

2) Click on Settings

3) Under Privacy Controls – Click on Turn off/on your activity broadcasts

4) Check or uncheck this box accordingly to make sure you are broadcasting or not broadcasting appropriately

Don’t forget to go back and re-adjust this setting as your needs and situation change.  

I will be posting LinkedIn tips each week so stay tuned for more quick, easy ways to improve your online image.

Living and Learning,  Carrie

 

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