How to Use LinkedIn Effectively for Job Searching | Useful Tips for Job Search

There are a few key ways to use LinkedIn better for job search. First, make sure your profile is complete and up-to-date.
In a recent study, 92% of recruiters said that they use LinkedIn to source candidates and leverage its capabilities to be able to document their success when they find candidates; therefore, if you have not been utilizing LinkedIn to its maximum potential, you are missing out on some great opportunities. Read this article to have tips on how to use LinkedIn effectively for job searches.
Job Searching on LinkedIn
Here are several ways to use LinkedIn effectively during your job search. The first way is to make sure your profile is completed and current (that includes your full name, recent position, current employment details). The other major contributor to your job search success on LinkedIn is expanding your network and adding people who you currently know (however, they can be from prior companies, previous co-workers, alumni+) into your network by connecting with them. You can also grow your network by joining and participating in groups relevant to pharmaceutical industry.

Use LinkedIn endorsements and recommendations as an advantage over your competitors. Recommendations from people in your network will add greatly to your credibility as well as enhance your ability to differentiate yourself from the competition. Endorsements carry quite a bit of weight concerning providing value-added credibility to you, so ensure that you are providing them visible placement on your profile!

Making a Profile on LinkedIn

When you are searching for work, one great option to consider would be creating a profile on LinkedIn. This website is a professional networking site which allows users to network with their future employers, research companies they may wish to work for, research various job opportunities.

A great way to utilize LinkedIn in your job search is to create an attractive profile. A good way to create an attractive LinkedIn profile is to fill out all the information associated with the 'about me' section - such as job title and summary about your work history - and add a professional picture and skills which will attract the attention of others who might want to hire you.

The 'experience' section is a place to list your past positions, including your job roles, work-related accomplishments and any additional information that relates to you as a potential employee for a company that you wish to work for. Also be certain to use key search words that would help to have your profile appear when other members search LinkedIn.

Also remember to use your personal relationships to connect with people on LinkedIn. Building these relationships will benefit you with their endorsement and introductions to their employers.

Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Job Search Success

LinkedIn is a valuable resource for you to find job through networking with recruiters, employers and other individuals in your field. It also gives you access the information about different companies and industries. To fully utilize LinkedIn's capabilities, it is required that your profile is strong and optimized. Here are some ways you can prepare your LinkedIn profile to get a job that you want.

1. Use a Professional Profile Picture

The first thing someone will see when they view your LinkedIn profile is the profile picture you provide. Make sure that it is your professional image (never use other images) that is taken with good lighting and in professional clothing.

2. Write a Meaningful Headline

Your LinkedIn headline should be much more than just an indication of your current position. It should be a summary of your professional brand. It must Include words that describes the type of work you want to find. Your headline should clearly indicate that you are searching for a new job.

3. Show-Off Your Abilities and Experience

In the Experience section of your profile, list down your current and previous jobs, as well as relevant work history like responsibilities and achievements. Use bullet-style, action-word bullet points for easy reading and understanding.

4. Include Related Media

If you’ve written material related to your area of expertise (e.g., articles, blogs, videos), include that material too.

5. Grow Your Network

The power of LinkedIn is connecting to thousands of other people doing work similar to yours; take advantage of this opportunity! Actively network by sending requests for connection or through contacts you already have.

Growing Your Connections with LinkedIn

An excellent way to expand your job prospects is by developing your connections with LinkedIn. LinkedIn is an extremely helpful resource that helps you to connect with many employers, recruiters and other professionals who may have job openings related to your profession. Here are some tips to help you in growing your connections with LinkedIn.

1. Optimize Your Profile

Ensure that your profile is filled out to reflect an updated version of and clearly define your previous work experience through keywords related to your skill set and areas of expertise (i.e., keywords pertinent to your skill set).

2. Create Connections with Contacts You Already Have

An excellent way to begin using LinkedIn is by connecting with people you know (friends, family, past and present work colleagues). You will begin getting familiar with the technology while developing your own network at the same time.

3. Become Part of Groups that are Relevant to Your Profession

Many groups exist on LinkedIn related to various industries. By joining an industry group, you have an excellent opportunity to connect directly with potential job candidates and in doing so, meet with other professionals in your industry.

4. Engage in Online Conversations

Discussions can occur outside of groups on LinkedIn, but there are also a large number of organizations that have established separate discussion boards where professionals can engage in conversations regarding whatever their area of expertise might be.

Utilizing LinkedIn When Searching for a Job

Looking for a job doesn’t just require your time and attention, it can take almost all of that. If you’re still working, finding time to search for the next job can be a challenge. However, there’s a great resource available to assist you – LinkedIn! LinkedIn offers much more than just listing jobs; LinkedIn allows users to connect with other potential candidates, research companies they are interested in and find opportunities they may have missed.
To assist with your job-seeking efforts, employ these recommendations regarding using LinkedIn:
1) Utilize the “search” function to search for companies or keywords to assist with your job search.
2) Connect with individuals at companies you are interested in working for. Your network is very important in your job search.
3) Utilize LinkedIn advanced searches to narrow your results. You can search by job location, industry or number of employees (company size).
4) Review a company’s profile on LinkedIn. In addition to open job opportunities, the company’s profile will also provide you with a sense of the company’s work culture and values.
5) Maintain an up-to-date and professional LinkedIn profile. The LinkedIn profile is your “resume,” therefore, the profile should reflect your knowledge and abilities accurately.
By following above tips, you can utilize LinkedIn to help you in your job search by growing your network.

Connecting With Recruiters on LinkedIn

Searching for a new position is not an easy task these days. But you can utilize LinkedIn to reach out to recruiters that may be able to assist with your job search by utilizing different LinkedIn tools.

1. Start discovering which LinkedIn groups are ideal for you to join. Connecting to some of the different candidates recruited online can be very beneficial in connecting with other recruiters searching for candidates with similar skill sets and experience levels and ability to fit into the organization they represent.

2. Get in touch with recruiters you have previously worked with. Link in with them on LinkedIn as well if they are connected to you through either your personal or business networks. Recruiters can have positions not yet open for applications; therefore, if you create an awareness of who you are personally, they will likely retain a place on their list when looking for talent.

3. Engage and participate within each group you are involved with throughout your journey. The more engaged you are within each of your engaged groups the greater the potential you will have in being identified as a candidate through referring back to your knowledge and expertise that will help identify other candidates to help within their search.

4. Many companies daily post job vacancies on LinkedIn. Check their job boards consistently. Once you spot an ideal position, go ahead and put in your application directly using your LinkedIn account. This gives you an edge over the competition and enhances your chances of landing an interview from that recruiter.

5. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is updated. Your LinkedIn profile functions as your online job search CV, therefore you must update your profile frequently with any experience or new skill. If you frequently update your profile with new items, a recruiter is more likely to notice you.

If you follow all of the above suggestions, then you're going to be in as good a position as possible to find the job of your dreams through LinkedIn and get to meet the people that can give you an opportunity at the jobs you're applying for.

Get Involved in the Conversation

LinkedIn is a fantastic way to meet other professionals and find out about potential job opportunities but it also allows you to have discussions or conversations about things related to your profession and industry.

You can gain knowledge within your profession and industry through participating in discussions on LinkedIn as well as make valuable networking connections with other individuals within your profession. These connections can lead to potential job opportunities or simply help you to network and learn associate with individuals working within similar areas of interest.

To begin, locate groups/discussions within your particular area(s) of expertise/industry and participate. You may even want to create your own discussion group if you see a gap in current discussions. Either way, simply take part and learn more about what's happening in the industry!

Use Keywords Strategically

Using keywords properly is essential while conducting your job search. LinkedIn functions similarly to Google so that employers can use it to search through candidates by their skills and qualifications. By adding appropriate keywords into your profile, you are increasing your odds of being discovered.

Identify the necessary keywords to use by analyzing your personal relevant skills/experiences first. Then look at examples of job postings that require candidates similar to you and identify the keywords/phrases used. Also consider checking out the Job Title Trends on LinkedIn to see what terms are currently being used.

Once you discover a list of relevant keywords, place them throughout your profile. In addition to using the keywords you discovered within your summary and work history sections, incorporate them into the skill section of your profile. Also, continue to use them as you search for jobs on LinkedIn!

Get LinkedIn Premium

Consider using LinkedIn Premium if you want to utilize LinkedIn in full potential for finding a job. It not only allows you access to additional tools that may enhance your experience, but it provides several new opportunities to connect with other individuals who may have the capacity to assist in helping you get a job. Knowing who has viewed their profile can help job seekers understand who may be considering them as candidates for employment or otherwise interested in them.

In addition to knowing who has viewed their profile, job seekers are provided access to a tool called InMail, which allows them to reach out to employers via email without having the employer's contact information (which is often necessary for many companies). Job seekers also get access to job postings only available to members who have a Premium account. For job seekers that want to take advantage of all that LinkedIn has to offer them, LinkedIn Premium is worth it.

What not to do on LinkedIn

When looking for a new position, you want to have a plan for using your LinkedIn account. The following list contains several major things to avoid doing while searching for jobs on LinkedIn:

1. Posting your resume alone: It is common for job-seekers to believe that simply posting their resume is sufficient, but this is inaccurate. Your LinkedIn profile should have far greater depth than putting your resume online; your LinkedIn profile is telling the world a story about who you are as an individual and also how you present yourself professionally.

2. Not regularly being active: Insufficient levels of activity on LinkedIn can lead to stale and obsolete profiles. Regularly update your profile as well as maintain contact with your existing connections to keep them current.

3. Ignoring your professional network: LinkedIn is comprised of an extremely large number of potential contacts; utilize these potentially valuable contacts to assist you in your search by reaching out to them and letting them know you are job searching. Your network may have great opportunities available to help you find employment.

4. Using broad language: When composing your profile, avoid simply copying and pasting information from your resume. Take advantage of the opportunity to put together your own image with words so you can demonstrate to people reading your profile that you have value as an employee.

5. Remember that keywords matter: Many Employers will look for job candidates by using keywords on LinkedIn, so make sure to put proper keywords in your profile, so they can find you more quickly.

LinkedIn can be very helpful when looking for a new job because there are many ways to utilize the site to assist you in finding work. It is a great sourcing tool for networking with possible employers, discovering information about companies and gathering research about an entire industry. If you are not utilizing LinkedIn to its fullest extent, then you are missing many additional employment opportunities. Spend time developing an excellent profile, reaching out to other professional’s and shopping for companies that provide you with job opportunities. Once you start putting forth that little extra effort, your use of LinkedIn can turn out to be one of your best tools in the job hunting process.


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Dr. Ankur Choudhary is India's first professional pharmaceutical blogger, author and founder of pharmaguideline.com, a widely-read pharmaceutical blog since 2008. Sign-up for the free email updates for your daily dose of pharmaceutical tips.
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