If you’re not on LinkedIn…you don’t exist!
It’s direct but true! Whether you’re actively looking for a job or not, you NEED a LinkedIn profile and should be reasonably active on it. Why? Because without a well-populated and current LinkedIn profile, it’ll be hard for potential employers or recruiters to find you. It would be like you don’t exist. It puts you one step closer to over 61 million companies with LinkedIn profiles, including recruitment firms like MacDonald Search Group.
To position yourself for success on LinkedIn, here are my top five tips for using LinkedIn to prove you exist:
1. Turn on “open to work”
Turn on your profile's “open to work” feature to let recruiters (and others) know you’re open to or actively looking for a job. You can make this status visible only to those with recruiter accounts (so your current boss doesn’t see it), or you can make it public by also adding a profile picture border.
2. Network
LinkedIn is a great place to digitally network with those in your industry, potential employers, and recruiters. Following with the right people is the first step:
When you meet a new professional colleague, add them on LinkedIn
Follow companies you are interested in working for one day
Follow recruiters and recruitment companies that specialize in your niche or location
Then, be sure you’re interacting with these connections. This means liking and commenting on their posts and sharing their content when relevant. This helps you stay top of mind so when a role comes up, they’re more likely to think of you first.
(As a bonus, when you like and comment on posts, it shows up as activity on your profile, which helps you appear more active on your profile.)
3. Keep your profile up-to-date
This is hugely important, yet I find so many people don’t have an up-to-date LinkedIn profile. Every time you get a promotion, a new significant responsibility at work, or earn an award or certification, add it to LinkedIn (and your resume) immediately. Then, when you’re actively looking for a job, your profile is updated and ready to go. Added bonus: writing these achievements on your profile is a great way to reflect on all that you’ve accomplished!
4. Monitor job listings
Monitor and apply for job listings through the LinkedIn Job board. You can set up alerts and preferences to be alerted when posted jobs meet your criteria or keywords. Remember, even if you only meet 70% of the application criteria, apply anyway because employers sometimes overcast their net to catch as many qualified candidates as possible.
5. Ask for and give recommendations
Third-party recommendations and kudos often carry more weight than anything you can say or post on your profile. It feels more honest and trustworthy, so be sure you ask for a couple through the recommendations feature on your profile.
BONUS: An updated profile makes your life easier!
With an active and current LinkedIn profile, finding jobs is much easier. As a valued tool for recruiters to get leads for their clients, LinkedIn is critical for candidates to be engaged on. A well-thought-out profile increases your chances of being found by a recruiter. Without LinkedIn, you’ll have to search through the internet and third-party job boards to find work.
So, with all this in mind…when was the last time you checked or updated your LinkedIn profile? Review it every 4-6 months or after significant professional changes. Set aside time in your calendar for a few posts a week and some dedicated time for liking and commenting on other accounts.
And don’t forget to follow MacDonald Search Group on LinkedIn too! We post all our jobs here, plus constantly curate terrific tips and tricks to help manage your career.