supercharge your job search with linkedin
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In a tough economy, what's the best way to beat out the competition for the best jobs? Supercharge your Job Search with Linkedin. Learn all about the premier professional social network and how to use it to maximize your professional presence, awareness of opportunities, and preparation for engagement with prospective employers.TRANSCRIPT
Supercharge your Job Search with Linkedin
Jason MatyasSocial Media Consultant
Overview
• What is Linkedin and why does it matter?• Your profile• Your connections• Recommendations• Linkedin Groups• Linkedin Answers• Linkedin Jobs• Using Linkedin with other tools and activities• Supercharge your Job Search
What is Linkedin?
• The premier social network for business• Connects the dots of your professional
relationships• Provides a venue to market your skills and
experience• Gives opportunities to help others• Makes you visible to others• Gives you awareness of opportunities
Why does Linkedin matter?
• Today’s job market is tough• For employees:– One of hundreds applying to each position– Often don’t hear back from employers
• For employers:– Have to review hundreds of applications– Don’t have time to give personal replies
• Linkedin helps you find opportunities and be found by those who are looking
Your Linkedin Profile
• More than a resume, it’s a commercial for you– Market yourself and build your brand– Tell people your skills in detail– No significant space constraints like resumes– Get recommendations from coworkers– List your education in detail– List your professional associations– Everything should show your uniqueness
• All of this becomes searchable, which means people can find you
Your Linkedin Profile
Creating your Linkedin Profile
• Use a good picture – be visually likable• Write a good Professional Headline
– Seen when your name is displayed on other pages– This is your brand – make it count
• Only list websites for organizations are you currently work at or that display your professional expertise (updated blog, etc.)
• Customize your profile page with your name
Creating your Linkedin Profile
• Summary block– Your sales pitch (or elevator pitch)– Your brand statement (what makes you unique)– Your promise to future employers– Use the summary as your ad for your ideal job– Use keywords – determine them up front, then work them
into your statements• Specialties block– Don’t overdo keywords – distribute across summary– Be sure to include functional keywords (clerical, MS Office,
etc.)
Creating your Linkedin Profile
• Experience block– Use your resume as a baseline– Add extra pertinent detail that was excluded from
resume to save space– Use data and metrics - $ made/saved for company,
time saved, etc.• Education block– Include relevant education– Include descriptions, honors received, activities
Creating your Linkedin Profile
• Click on Edit My Profile, then Edit for section you want
Recommendations
• Recommendations are very important• Give additional perspectives on your history• Lets others praise you• The more you have, the better – some recruiters
use # of recommendations as a filtering criteria• Saves time and effort for an employer checking
references – can reach out to your contacts that have recommended you directly
How you are Seen
On your home page, notice:• Professional Headline• Status Update
These same elements appear to others on:• Their home page• In Linkedin Groups• In Linkedin Answers
How you are Seen
• On others’ Home Pages– Your status
update here
– Shows up to others here & they can interact with you
Your Linkedin Connections• Your connections are the primary determining factor in how visible you are to others• The more people that know you’re job searching, the more people that can help you• Your ability to search for inside information is limited by your connections• Increasing your number of 1st level connections grows your 2nd and 3rd level
connections geometrically
Connecting with others
Connecting with others
Use your email contacts or invite people individually
Connecting with othersCustomize your invitations to solidify the reason to connect
• Finding people you know– Search People first (top right of page)
– Advanced search can narrow criteria
Connecting with others
Connecting with others
Connecting with others
• Connect to people from their profile
• Click “Add <name> to your network”
Connecting with others
• Connect from a profile– Colleague & classmate
ask for Company or School you were at together
– Groups & Associations are Linkedin Groups
– Other requires email
Connecting with others
• Introductions– Using one of your connections to be introduced to
someone– Usually only do for 2nd level connections– Can connect to the 2nd level connection in order to
get to a 3rd level connection– Always think and communicate helping & win-win
Connecting with others
• Introductions– Right sidebar shows:
– Within a person’s profile, click “Get introduced…”
Connecting with others
Connecting with others
• Connection strategies– Connect to everyone you’ve worked with before– Connect to people in the same career field– Use Linkedin Groups to connect to people– Utilize Introductions when needed or beneficial– Participate in Linkedin Answers – these offer wider
visibility outside of Group discussions
Linkedin Groups
• Way to connect to people that share similar:– Professions– Areas of expertise– Organizational affiliation– Alumni affiliation– Areas of interest
• Limited to membership in only 50 groups– The more the better, but they only really benefit
you if you actively use them
Linkedin Groups
Linkedin Groups
• You can easily access the discussions and people you are following
Linkedin Groups
Linkedin Groups
• Use Linkedin Groups to:– Find people with similar interests– Research people in your career field and see where
they’re working & where they have worked– Connect to people that you can help and that can help you– Start and engage in discussions– Submit news items for discussion– Demonstrate your subject matter expertise – your
discussion entries show up on others’ home pages as new activity
Linkedin Answers• If you think of social networking as a big cocktail party,
Linkedin Answers are just the conversations happening at the party
• A way to engage in conversation with people interested in similar issues
• A way to find people to connect to• A way to demonstrate your expertise• Your answers show up in your profile sidebar and on others’
home pages as new activity• This increases your visibility, increases your connections, and
increases your ability to engage with the right people
Linkedin Answers
Linkedin Answers
Linkedin Jobs
Linkedin Jobs
Use Advanced Job Search to filter for various criteria
Linkedin Jobs
Linkedin Jobs
Jobs insider shows you inside connections and source of connections
SimplyHired integration
• SimplyHired search queries allow you to cross-check your Linkedin network for contacts at the company listed (click on the blue “in” icon)
• You can then follow up with a message or invitation request to connect to a key insider
Using Linkedin with other tools & activities
• Participate in job fairs and networking events– Linkedin is just an electronic extension of human
interaction– The best way to connect with people online is
after meeting them in person– Consider making business cards that include your
Linkedin profile address and invite connections– Talk with fellow job seekers as well as companies
& recruiters – they could be the vital link you need
Using Linkedin with other tools & activities
• Research companies and jobs on Linkedin after finding job postings– Look for company profile– Look for current and past employees– Connect with them and ask them questions– See what companies past employees left for
Supercharge your Job Search• You job search takes time and effort
– Spend several hours a day researching– Include LinkedIn as part of your strategy
• Important activities on LinkedIn– Send at least a few connection requests every day
• New connections show up as new activity on others’ home pages– Submit articles, links, and discussion entries often
• Include your LinkedIn profile address and email in your signature (can create an email address just for use on Linkedin)
– Ask and answer questions• Demonstrate your communication skills
– Join recruiting and job search Groups– Research companies and important people using Linkedin search tools
Supercharge your Job Search
• You have to find a job that fits you• You have to market yourself to employers• You have to understand the company &
people• You have to connect to people to get help• Linkedin can help you do all of these
Supercharge your Job Search with Linkedin
Jason MatyasSocial Media Consultant
Questions?
About MSI Education Services
About Jason MatyasJason is an entrepreneur and social media consultant that focuses on leveraging the latest web and software technologies to drive business results through optimization and automation. Connect with Jason on Linkedin.
Questions?
MSI Education Services is a computer software training organization that specializes in office productivity applications, such as Microsoft Office and QuickBooks. We are an approved vocational training provider for New Jersey – ask us about training grants that you may qualify for. See:
http://www.msiservices.com/index.php/education/