Getting a job has today become a complicated mission -not impossible- in which the Internet has become a leading actor .
And it is that the competition in skills, training and knowledge is increasing, so that the search for employment has practically become one more job and to achieve success it is even necessary to follow some strategies.
Focusing on the aspect of the Internet and, above all, on one of the most recurrent and used websites to find a job, this time I bring you an essential post: 8 strategies to get a job on LinkedIn . So, if you need a job or want to change or improve your employment situation, you are in the right place.
To make things easier for you, I am going to divide the strategies into small recommendations that will make you successfully reach the final goal of this long-distance race. Because LinkedIn is much more than it seems and if there is something that guarantees success, it is taking care of every detail . Let’s start by fixing your profile.
1 Profile Strategy
Your profile is perhaps the most important part of your LinkedIn job search , as it’s where your contacts will go, and who knows if one of them might become your next boss?
It is clear that you cannot have it halfway or neglected; we need to capture the attention of the contracting parties in a positive way and there is a lot of work ahead to achieve it, so let’s get our act together.
1.1- Is the premium service worth it?
Depends. Of course, as in any website or social network that offers you a premium service, hiring it will give you some advantages that you would not have in the free version.
In this case, one of the most important aspects is knowing who visits your profile , and it may seem silly, but contact networks can be greatly enriched when you have this data.
1.2- The image is the first impression you give
Your profile picture is not nonsense. LinkedIn is not Twitter, or Facebook , much less the reviled Tuenti. LinkedIn is a social network whose objective is to search for work and establish professional relationships.
Choose a good photo, take care of your aesthetics and the lighting of the image, and try to make it a passport photo, if possible current enough so that you can be recognized. Of course, it goes without saying that you should update it when necessary.
1.3- Show complete information
Showing good information about yourself is one of the most important recommendations to follow when looking for a job on this social network. Sincerity, we will see later, will be a great ally in your goals, but above all you should not spare time to describe yourself , remember that you are trying to conquer someone .
Create a good portfolio
Your portfolio is something like a shop window, it helps you to show what you offer , your work, and depending on the sectors you want to enter, it can be essential.
Try to collect a good number of works done that are different from each other and show the contractors what you are capable of . Something like: “Do you want to know what you lose if you don’t hire me? Here is a list of my achievements”
Use the “Extract” section
Within your profile you will find a section called “Extract” , in which you can talk about your professional career , which after all is another of your showcases for the employer. Avoid saving it and it will be of great help in your task.
1.4- Show off your knowledge and skills, but don’t go overboard 😉
In this social network, modesty must be left aside, since it is about showing the world your skills to be able to get a job. Do not hesitate to show off your knowledge and skills when carrying out the tasks related to your work profile.
Get skills validations
Do not forget about the validations, since they have the function of corroborating the aptitudes that I had been commenting on. Get the more, the better, and don’t just settle for your circle of contacts , go further so that no one has doubts about what you are capable of doing.
1.5- Keep a constant activity
Stay active on LinkedIn and make your interest in the job search visible and visible to anyone who needs a profile like yours . Laziness is not a good cover letter to find a job, however, interest could open many doors for you .
2 Visibility Strategy
As in any corner of the Internet, visibility is also essential when it comes to LinkedIn . If what you want is to be hired, you must first get them to find you. So, here I bring you a series of small strategies and recommendations that can help you make yourself visible among the contractors.
2.1- Optimize your profile
SEO is also necessary on LinkedIn; Obviously it has nothing to do with the immense strategies that have to be carried out to position in Google, but the use of keywords related to the job you want to access is important.
It will be through spaces to include them: the blog, the profile itself, the excerpt, the updates and a long etcetera of places where you can shout and repeat from the rooftops your skills, your experience or your knowledge, among other things. Seize it!
2.2- Take advantage of the option to create a blog
Stopping a bit on the option of creating a blog, do you realize the treasure that LinkedIn offers you with this tool when it comes to getting a job? Here you will not only be able to position yourself, but also: the more content , the more possibilities. But, in addition, the fact of being able to talk at length about your knowledge gives you an incredible advantage over your competition .
2.3- Translate everything
This strategy will only be useful to you if you are open to working abroad or in companies that operate in different languages. Translating your profile and posts is a great way to reach more recruiters while showing off your language skills.
3 Personal Strategy
Personal strategies are also very important in the LinkedIn environment , since currently companies are not only looking for a professional profile, but they go further and also look at the personal. Show yourself as you are and try to convince the contractors with your personality, bringing out your best virtues. How can you do it?
3.1- Be creative in your description, but above all, be you
The description is to talk about yourself, but do not limit yourself to pointing out the four adjectives that companies want to hear when they intend to hire someone, everyone already does that. Describe yourself honestly, but be as creative as you can , as this is one of the most valued aspects of the employee search.
3.2- Take into account the professional nature of the tool
You are looking for a job on LinkedIn and that is something you should never lose sight of. As I mentioned before, it is not a social network to use , but a professional tool whose work nature we must not forget at any time .
Use appropriate language
A fundamental aspect of this behavior is in the language, beyond everything you say with it. How to say things is fundamental in this place , since you must not only be professional , but also appear to be. Take care of your spelling and writing in each step you take on LinkedIn and you will have a walk a part of the way -small but important-.
3.3- Request recommendations
Request recommendations from everyone wherever you go , not everyone will give it to you, but the more you get, the better. If you have worked in a place, ask your bosses and colleagues to make you a written recommendation to have one more weapon in the job search.
4 Analysis Strategy
As it happens in practically any field, when it comes to looking for a job, the situation must be carefully analyzed. How do I want to introduce myself? What do candidates who have a profile similar to mine do to get a job? In what context and before what scenario do I find myself? And a host of other questions that can help us plan a strategy . These are the most important.
4.1- Study your own brand
Personal branding has become almost essential in the times we live in. Although it will always depend on the type of job you are looking for, it never hurts to have it well configured: let it be known who you are and what you are capable of, if you can make yourself known in your sector -for good, of course-, a lot better.
4.2- Investigate your competition
How does your competition look for work ? Do some research and come up with a strategy to compete with them and stand out from the rest. LinkedIn is a good place to spy and take note of the successes and failures of other candidates to stay ahead when it comes to getting a job.
4.3- Perfectly control the operation of LinkedIn
Reading this post will help you, but it is not enough. LinkedIn is a social network that is constantly being updated , and you should do the same so that you can move like a fish in water when using this tool .
5 Contact Strategy
Connections are the center around which everything revolves on LinkedIn , with permission from work, of course. We are referring to a social network for a reason, one of the most used worldwide and the number one when it comes to labor relations.
For these relationships to be productive, you must know how to move correctly in the tool. Some recommendations that will not hurt you at all are the following.
5.1- Create a wide network of contacts
It may seem obvious, but it is never wrong to remember the importance of having a good portfolio of contacts on LinkedIn. Don’t be shy about sending invitations and requests , nor about accepting them. Think that the wider your network, the more chances you have to get a job .
5.2- Personalize your invitations
Do not be stingy with the invitations you send to your future contacts , especially when you sense that the relationship can be fruitful at work. Keep in mind that this is just another cover letter when it comes to job hunting, so it doesn’t make much sense to always send the same one. Remember what we said about creativity .
5.3- Do not dismiss any contact
I mentioned it before and I repeat it now, do not despise any invitation that comes to you through LinkedIn, even when you have already landed the job of your dreams . You never know when you might need another job or when you might recommend it to someone you know. The contacts in this social network are like the well-known “pull the agenda” when it comes to flirting, you may need it when you least expect it.
5.4- Start conversations and keep in touch
Do not have the adornment contacts, count on them and establish relationships, because it is clear that the job is not going to fall from the sky if you do not try to interact with the people who make up your network on LinkedIn .
Get to know your LinkedIn connections personally
If you can allow yourself to personalize virtual relationships with your LinkedIn contacts, we would be talking about one more step in your contacts strategy . Building bonds of trust at this level can help you get the job of your dreams on the least expected day.
6 Resume Strategy
The strategy to be carried out regarding the curriculum is another of the central aspects of the platform. Managing an instrument like this well is essential to achieve success in the job search, bearing in mind that it is the basis of any application for a job .
6.1- Clearly show all your training
Offer a clean and clear resume , where you can see perfectly all the aspects that support your skills for certain jobs, but where you can also see much beyond what your writings say . Your resume says more about you than you think, and you should take advantage of that in your job search.
6.2- Continue training permanently
Do not leave training aside, never think that you have stopped learning because each new learning can mean achieving the job of your dreams. Completing your resume with new assets to reinforce your candidacy will always be a great strategy, both on LinkedIn and outside the social network.
6.3- Take advantage of all the jobs you have held
Do not be ashamed of any of the jobs you have had, much less dismiss them in your job search, since you never know how a contractor can understand it. Of course, what is certain is that something is learned in each task , so the conclusions in this regard will always be positive.
6.4- Be totally honest
It is very good to surprise the companies for which you would like to work, but the lies in the curriculum are already very seen and are very little credible . Suppose that, by chance, a false resume were successful in getting you a job, how long could you keep up the lie?
6.5- Update yourself constantly
Try to make your resume something dynamic capable of constantly renewing itself. Some of the previous points could be summarized in this recommendation, such as continuous training or the inclusion of all jobs in the document. A constant update is another sign of interest in a world of work in which everything counts .
7 Job Search Strategy
Lastly, job search strategies are the icing on the cake on LinkedIn . Do not think that they are the only thing, because all of the above will be the sustenance of this final aspect. The tip of the iceberg on your way to finding a job.
7.1- Move constantly in search of a job
Another obvious thing to note. You have made a profile on LinkedIn, you have left it perfect and loaded with information about you, your training and skills, your experience and your knowledge, do you think that only for that reason will companies fight to hire you? Nothing is further from reality, you will have to move around the entire network to end up achieving your goals , but how can you do it?
7.2- Follow the companies in your sector
Are you especially excited to work in a company that you know? Follow her on the social network, but don’t do it only with this one, take the opportunity not to lose track of any of the leading companies in the sector in which you want to get a job .
7.3- Use groups
LinkedIn groups are another way to socialize with other candidates , but also with companies and employers who may end up being interested in you if your participation in these circles seems interesting to them.
7.4- Make it clear what your current position is
Do not hide your current title for any reason. You may think that your profile is higher than the one shown by your position, or that, on the contrary, the employers are not going to think of you because they believe that you are already comfortable where you are; However, if your profile is interesting to someone, they are not going to pay much attention to it to make you an offer, it will only help them to learn more about you , which, at that point, will surely be positive for them.
7.5- Show your availability
If you’re on LinkedIn because you want to get a job , don’t forget to always show yourself available for any contact and willing to accept the great opportunities that come your way. Remember that there are trains that only pass once in a lifetime.
8 Use the LinkedIn Mobile App
Finally, one last important recommendation. Download the LinkedIn application on your smartphone -I assume you have it- and take advantage of it to speed up any step you take on the platform. This will make it easier for you to actively search for a job, communicate with your contacts and access the information that is most interesting to you.