Beyond the Profile: How to Succeed on LinkedIn

Beyond the Profile: How to Succeed on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is an incredible resource in an online job search, but must be used effectively. When I first started using the site, I thought just making a profile was the key to finding and getting my perfect job. But it isn’t. After using LinkedIn in my own social media recruiting efforts, I’ve found that people who follow these steps are most effective at creating an online presence for themselves on LinkedIn, which can be used to achieve your career goals.

Complete your profile.

It’s one thing to create a LinkedIn profile; it’s another thing entirely to complete it. You might not think that adding a profile photo, updating your skills and specialties, or linking your Twitter account will all aid your job search efforts, but they will! LinkedIn is all about creating an online, professional presence for yourself, so the more a potential employer can learn about you right on your page, the better.

Connect!

Connecting with former employers, colleagues, and friends can aid tremendously in your job search. You never know who they might be able to connect you with, and a job search can be just as much about who you know as what you know.

Join some groups.

It’s easy to join groups on LinkedIn- just search for groups in your field, your high school and college, and your area. Staying active in groups that interest you will lead to more connections, and therefore more contacts. Plus, groups are a great way to find job postings that might not show up on other job boards, or even in LinkedIn searches.

Search and apply for positions.

My favorite thing about LinkedIn is the job postings. It’s really simple to find and apply for jobs on LinkedIn, and once you upload a resume and cover letter to the site, it takes mere moments to send in your application. You can view all of your applications in one area, so it’s easy to keep track of what you’ve applied for and where. And since you’re applying for a position on the site, whoever receives your application will have easy access to your LinkedIn profile so they can learn more about you, which is why it's so important to keep your profile up to date.       

Recommend former colleagues.

I feel great writing a recommendation for former colleagues, not only because it gives me a chance to help someone out, but because it helps me flex my writing muscles. It shows that I'm engaging with my LinkedIn connections. When you're recommending someone, think about all the great things you're saying about them, and think about how you'd like others to view you. 

What have you found effective on LinkedIn? Tell us in the comments.