linked in guide

Social Networking and Your Job Search

Most recruiters use some form of social media for recruiting• 73 % have used it to fill a job in the past year• 92 % plan to use some form of Social Media for

recruiting sometime in the next year• 43 % of recruiters who use social recruiting saw an

increase in candidate quality(Jobvite June 2012 survey -

http://recruiting.jobvite.com/resources/social-recruiting-survey.php)

Social Media is used by most everyone

Most users of social media are OVER 35 years old The highest growth of new users is also in the age

brackets over 25 years old (Pew Center, 2011)

Maricopa Workforce Connections, Gilbert, AZ presented by Pat Krueger

1How to Create and Maintain a LinkedIn Account

Social Networking reaches millions of people

Facebook has over 700 million users Twitter has over 200 million users LinkedIn has over 150 million users

In today’s marketplace, if you are not on at least one social media site you are invisible

Recruiters will check social media BEFORE they call you

Recruiters will pass along your social media information along with your resume

No Social Media site will leave you behind others competing with you for attention

Linkedin is the most powerful Professional Social Network available at this point. If you do not use it, you will lose out on opportunities



Network with Business Professionals

LinkedIn takes networking to a whole new level. The social media site contains detailed contact information for many of the professionals that you add to your network. The site is a centralized place where you can find accurate contact information. When one of your contacts changes jobs, LinkedIn is one of the first places where they will update their employment and contact information. The social media site is also a great way to stay in touch with those casual professional acquaintances.



Your LinkedIn Profile

Your LinkedIn profile is your chance to showcase your skills and talents and help the right people and opportunities find their way to you. As your professional representation online, you can set it to be discoverable through the millions of searches on leading search engines and on LinkedIn. Be sure that your profile is up-to-date with your latest work information and you have a well-written summary that touches on your experience, interests, and where you’d like to go. Start updating your profile now. Write it so that it presents a call to action for those recruiters and others viewing your profile.

Users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn



What Are Hiring Managers looking for?

Many want to find that the candidate has great communication skills, creativity, well-roundedness, professionalism, etc. Also, they’re looking to see if the candidate is mentioned by others in a positive way to serve as a reference.

What Are Hiring Managers looking to Avoid?

Some things that could land a resume in the recycle bin may reflect that the candidate isn’t doing everything right on their personal social media profiles. Things like too many provocative or inappropriate comments and/or photographs, content about them drinking or using drugs, bad-mouthing previous employer, co-workers or clients, showing poor communication skills, discriminatory comments, etc. are all no-no’s. Many forget that people are watching you, whether you want them to or not. After all, a majority of social media content is public information.





Hiring Managers get more excited over potential than actual proven performance

• This excitement translates into a willingness to hire and more

pay for the candidates with potential. (Stanford School of Business)

• Your Resume is a description of what you have DONE. Use

Social Media – especially LinkedIn to establish WHAT YOU CAN DO – your potential.

• The researchers suspected that if people saw the potential

and achievement conditions side by side, the effect might disappear or even reverse, such that achievement would trump potential.

Did that happen – No. Hiring Managers were more excited about the person with potential and more interested in hiring that person. So people see the objective difference on paper, yet still get more excited about the person with potential.



What Does this Mean?

• It means that regardless of what you have done, how

well you have done it, or even how long you have done it – You need to word your information in such a way that it shows your POTENTIAL first.

• It turns out that when people are uncertain, they’re

motivated to think more. When someone with high potential is bolstered by strong evidence, more thinking leads to more favorable judgments because people are dwelling more on compelling information. By thinking more about the high-potential target, participants focused even more on that person’s strengths and weaknesses.




• By the same token, if someone is trying to come across with

high potential but that is in fact not the case it can back-fire.

• By thinking more about the high-potential person, participants

focused even more on that person’s strengths and weaknesses.

• So when the evidence is compelling, statements about high

potential can outperform claims about high achievement. When the evidence is not compelling, this effect goes away.

The upshot, in the case of compelling reasons to support claims of high potential, is that people can reach an illogical conclusion; after all, there’s no good reason to favor someone with uncertain abilities over someone with proven abilities. The fact that people are motivated to think more doesn’t mean they’re engaging in objective processing. As a person looking for work, you have to impress those with brains and those without.




• From the perspective of a hiring manager, you

have an opportunity to present yourself with the potential to be a great hire WHILE also touting your experience.

• Use LinkedIn groups, status updates, respond to

questions from others to show you have the ability and potential to be a great addition to any company.

Provide updates on a regular basis to keep your name out there and show you have the potential!

Join LinkedIn and Create Your Network

• Visit the LinkedIn Web site (www.linkedin.com) to start your

account. (Click on “What is LinkedIn? Option to learn more).

• Locate the "Join Now" button and click on it. Remember it is

free to join LinkedIn.

• Begin by filling in your name and your email address (you will

need an active email address) in the boxes provided for you.

• Choose a password by entering it into the box provided for

you.

• Confirm your password by reentering the previous password

entry.



• Complete the remaining boxes and categories, along with

your country and ZIP code.

• Include information on your industry by selecting an option

from the drop-down menu. Next, provide your experience. Your education information is optional.

• Finalize the process by clicking on the "Join Now" button.

• Confirm your account through your email address. Once

you have done this, go back to www.linkedin.com, and sign in.



Make Your Account Specific

• Specify the needs of your account by selecting the checkboxes in

either or both of the categories titled "To Find" or "To Be Found.

• Check any of the categories that apply best to you and will be

most beneficial for your business needs.

• Click on "Save Settings" to complete your brand-new account.

Maricopa Workforce Connections, Gilbert, AZ presented by Pat Krueger 13

How to Create and Maintain a LinkedIn Account

Build Your Network

• Conduct a “People Search” to get things going.

• Locate the site map. Find the "Name Search" link and click on it.. Next

•Choose a person's name you would like to add to your network and enter it into the box provided for you.

•Add Connections, by having LinkedIn search your email address book to find people to connect with a person's name you would like to add to your network and enter it into the box provided for you.

•Click on the link at the bottom of the “See Who You Already Know on LinkedIn” screen; on the ‘Import your desktop email contacts’ link. Connect with people that have 500+ connections, and/or are LinkedIn Open Networkers (LION). This will give you more access to second and third level contacts, which allows you to find jobs, find out about companies, and keep up on what is going on in your industry of interest.



• Balanced approach – both sides of the page – to find a job and to be

found. Job Hunters put resume and profile info into Linkedin. That is the find side.

• Do not just work the find side – work the found side. Do not forget to upload your resume though! More people get hired in face to face and “real” contact. LinkedIn is a stepping stone to getting to that off line contact/relationship.

LinkedIn helps identifying who you can contact to ultimately create a connection. Connect with the right people – the people who have the power to hire you. You are not truly networking if you are talking to anyone in a company. You are talking to them, which is fine, but not networking and will not help your job search as much as networking. You need to contact the hiring people.



Build Your Profile



Finish your profile. That's right, make it complete. When you log

in, your account displays how complete your profile is and what elements you need to complete. Make sure your profile reads "100% complete."

For the most part, you will only show up in searches of Head Hunters, company HR staff, and anyone else looking for your skill set and/or title if you are 100% complete. Only those companies or people that pay to upgrade their LinkedIn account get print outs of everyone in their request; otherwise it is just those with 100% profile completion.

Upload a PROFESSIONAL profile picture (Avatar), and use the

same picture across any other social media platforms you use. This makes you consistently recognizable. Career Connectors meetings (www.careerconnectors.org) in Phoenix, Gilbert and Mesa consistently has a photographer to take your picture for FREE.

Add keywords to the "Specialties" box. The terms you enter here

make your profile more searchable.



Ask for recommendations. Don't be afraid to ask for, and give,

recommendations. They add credibility to your profile, and get your profile to 100% complete.

Update your profile regularly, as this not only keeps your

information current, but keeps your name in front of people. Update something at least weekly, as each time you update something, your updates are sent to people you're linked to, so this keeps your profile circulating among your connections.

Provide links to online articles, blog posts, Twitter profiles or

websites you run or to which you contribute content. This allows people to get a more well-rounded sense of who you are and what you contribute.

Open yourself to new connections. Look for and add connections with former coworkers and fellow members of professional associations. Allow incoming email in your account preferences so other people can connect with you, too.



Add Applications to Your Profile

The Number One Application you need to add is Signal. This will assist with your job search. There are other applications you can add to your account, for free, that enable you to use them, based on your needs.



To effectively conduct a job search in LinkedIn, adding Signal will

assist you.

Once you have added Signal, use can use it to the search people

who are hiring. Signal works the same way as a status update works in Facebook.

Many professionals will discuss an opening in their company, or the

fact they are hiring, as they do not have to pay for an add. You can conduct searches to key in on these conversations.30 To be most effective you will need to connect with people who have 500+ connections themselves. That level is a tipping point in LinkedIn, because it gives you the needed level of access to find a job faster.

It is a numbers game – the more people you have access to through first and second level contacts, the more you will have access to what is going on in each of their companies.

Using LinkedIn for a Job Search



There is a catch with Signal to fully work for you. You do not get to

search every conversation going on about hiring in your area – it just gives you access to your network, and 2nd degree and 3rd degree contacts.

Thus a small network equals less access to those discussing hiring. You need to build your network to get access to more people. More access allows you to network more and connect better. You need to build out strategically, but also it is a numbers game. LinkedIn is like a sports car – it can get you there fast. But if you do not have a rich network, it is like having no gas in your car, you get nowhere, fast.

You can also do an advanced search when using the Job Tab, to

conduct specific industry searches, specific titles that have job openings, and based on a specific location.

Go to Advanced search and use Keywords and Title , and zip code.

Type in titles and use ‘OR’, to add similar titles; “Marketing Manager” OR Marketing Director, type in your target city or zip code and the number of miles radius you’d like to find the job in.



You can also do an advanced search when using the Job Tab, to conduct

specific industry searches, specific titles that have job openings, and based on a specific location.

Go to Advanced search and use Keywords and Title , and zip code. Type

in titles and use ‘OR’, to add similar titles; “Marketing Manager” OR Marketing Director, type in your target city or zip code and the number of miles radius you’d like to find the job in.

Go to Advanced search and use Keywords and Title , and zip code. Type

in titles and use ‘OR’, to add similar titles; “Marketing Manager” OR Marketing Director

You can also do an advanced search when using the Job Tab, to conduct

specific industry searches, specific titles that have job openings, and based on a specific location. Go to Advanced search and use Keywords and Title , and zip code. Type in titles and use ‘OR’, to add similar titles; “Marketing Manager” OR Marketing Director.

You can also leave keywords and title blank and search by location and industry type, or by company.



It is important to maintain a job title while looking for work, as

LinkedIn is set up to allow for easier searches by those who are hiring, if they search using a job title.

That can be a problem if you are unemployed. There are a couple of ways to keep a title in your profile. Use your previous title, or the title you seek to find work in, and indicate you are looking for opportunities with jobs holding that title. Another way is to create a LinkedIn Group, and use your target title as the title that will be referenced in the group. You can then add this to your profile, that you are the Group Lead, with your target title.

LinkedIn Groups are also important, as many groups will post jobs

of interest to their group members. You can also pose questions you need answers to, comment and respond to comments of others, and begin to build true connections with others.



The value of LinkedIn groups comes not just from the conversations and networking that happen between members, but also by increasing your social reach – in this case, your ability to connect to people through LinkedIn. As you sort through groups, do not hesitate to join those that are open to the public.

You can be a member of 50 groups with a free LinkedIn account.

You can connect with and send LinkedIn messages to all group members when you join a group. This function is extremely beneficial as you can now directly message new group connections, whereas your direct “in-mails” through LinkedIn are limited.

Take some time to participate in relevant groups, watch the conversations happening, and get to know key members. Connect with those people and work to build relationships with them. If a group isn’t helpful, leave it and look for another. Some groups also include subgroups for more focused networking and conversations, so don’t forget to investigate those, too.



Your goals in belonging to Linkedin Groups should include; To keep up with the industry or industries you are seeking employment in. To maintain your expertise in areas of interest regardless of your employment status. To become a Subject Matter or Industry Expert

You will want to comment on things that you know, ask questions about things you don’t. This will allow recruiters to see that you have an actual presence on LinkedIn. It will also allow you to communicate with others and share professionally.

Post Links to articles that interest you, and ask others for comments. You should then respond to their comments. Respond professionally, and it will add to your ability to network with others. Try to post something at least every other day when you are looking for work. Posting more is fine as well, especially if you are in multiple groups, as the more your name is out in the social media in a positive way, the better.



Make Yourself an Industry Expert Participating on LinkedIn is a great way to enhance your reputation. When you join LinkedIn Groups, answer people’s questions and share informative content with other group members. There is a feature called LinkedIn Answers that allows you to answer questions on various topics that are posted by users. It’s a great place to show off your expertise and increase the exposure of your business. It’s very easy to search for questions that you can answer. Just type in the search phrase on LinkedIn. It’s similar to a Google search. Type in the information that you are interested in answering and see what you come up with.

Remember to share your communication in one group, with other groups you are a member of, to maximize your exposure to others.



No company wants to spend money on putting it on the internet –

you get slammed with hundreds or thousands of applicants. As a result, HR staff, hiring managers and recruiters will use internet searches to find qualified applicants.

CNN estimates that Recruiters and HR Departments, who are looking for candidates will use Google 69% of the time. CNN also estimates that LinkedIn is searched 59%. If you want to be located for jobs, you need to be on LinkedIn.

Once you optimize your ability to Be Found, it will continue to work

for you, as you will continue to show up in word searches. Optimize your profile to allow your search to continue without you having to do it. People who are searching for people are often hiring – so you need to Be Found.

Go to home Page; then scroll down and look on the right side your number of views.



CNN reports that it takes an average of more than 250 days to find a job,

and that job is not necessarily in your area, or what you are aiming to do, or at the salary you previously had. LinkedIn estimates it takes 300 views, from a hiring manager to get to a job interview.

As a result, if you can increase the views you get on LinkedIn, that will hopefully speed up your ability to get a job.

Build It And They Will Come.

The advantage of using LinkedIn, is that once you have your profile set up, your resume posted, started a group, and make regular comments, your LinkedIn account will continue to be seen by others.

Ways to stand out;•Create your own group with the words you want in it.•www.Wordle.net – create your own word listing•Can only see 100 search results for free, otherwise they have to pay•Develop key word strategy and put those in your profile•Make it four words, and put them in the right places•Current job Title – or set up your own group, that includes your title•Profile should not copy your resume•Career brand – create it, use it, and keep it fresh•Must have a call to action – Call me to get a benefit



Remember that Recruiters do not know your name, but still need to find

you. They will enter in the following to locate job candidates;• Title• Zip Code• Industry or Skill words – they will likely put in 7 key words.• This leads to a smaller, more qualified set of candidates• If you are missing one of the words, you may not show up in their

search, so you have to do a key word search in your own industry, and use software to pull those words out. Use a word cloud.

Remember you need to be found by the hiring managers that may not

be trained in recruiting. You need to be at the top of the views. Most people, including recruiters have a free account. Free accounts give you access to listings of 100 names. So, you need to be in the top 100, you will NOT be found.

With a free LinkedIn account you can connect with up to 30,000

people, send 3,000 invitations to connect with you, join and/or create 50 groups, and see 100 possible connections when you search people, or jobs.

Maricopa Workforce Connections, Gilbert, AZ presented by Pat Krueger 30How to Create and Maintain a LinkedIn Account

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