How to Use LinkedIn to Get a Job
One thing that has stood the test of time is the idea that referrals and networking is the best way to find a job. Next to knowing someone personally to hand your resume to, LinkedIn is your best resource for landing interviews.
LinkedIn is quickly becoming a universally adopted hiring tool, with the latest survey from Jobvite showing that more than 95% of companies use LinkedIn for recruiting candidates.
How to Use LinkedIn for Networking
LinkedIn is a great networking and recruiting tool. Staying in touch with current and former colleagues helps build your network and leads to recommendations.
Employers give more credence to candidates they see with recommendations since it shows that other people substantiate your work-ethic and performance.
This is especially important for current and former manager’s recommendations.
How to Use LinkedIn for a Job Search
You should use LinkedIn’s job search tool. This is an effective means of applying for positions since it is done directly through your profile and employers can immediately access it.
Employers’ and headhunters often search LinkedIn’s database of information for people with relevant skills and experience pertaining to the position they seek to fill.
This means that simply having an effective LinkedIn profile leads to a stream of potential opportunities without you having to do anything active.
People Search
Another method of using LinkedIn is to see where the people with your backgrounds are working. You can do an advanced search for people who have your skills in the area you want to work and connect with them. This will help you focus your efforts on a few specific companies.
You can even contact those people through LinkedIn and ask about the inside scoop of what the company is looking for when hiring. Most people are more than willing to share this information with you.
Stay Current
Finally, you want to ensure is that your profile is always current. As we already know, recruiters are always searching using LinkedIn to find potential candidates. Your contact and career information should be current and accurate for when they choose to pursue you.
It is essential in today’s technology driven environment to be familiar with using LinkedIn for networking and job searching.
Short of personally knowing someone to hand your resume to directly, using LinkedIn for connecting with people and searching/applying directly for jobs is your best resource.
Maria Gold is a Content Manager/Writer for Empire Resume. She is dedicated to helping educate people with the latest career articles and job search advice. When Maria is not working, she enjoys reading and spending quality time with her family.
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