How could LinkedIn help your job search?

Does LinkedIn help your job search? The career marketing world has been abuzz with social media for a number of years. I meet someone often who looks at me curiously when I mention LinkedIn.

I ask, “Do you know what LinkedIn is?” and I get that head shaking “no.”

A bigger question is how can LinkedIn help me?

Rather than baffling my clients, I go on to explain how LinkedIn works and the benefits of having a presence there.

As a professional network, LinkedIn offers opportunities to connect with past employers, coworkers, college alumni, and old friends. But unlike Facebook, it stays mainly professional and has attributes that are more likely to help you in your career than in your social life.

Dozens of resources are available for you to learn better ways to use LinkedIn, including Jason Alba’s products.

4 tips to make sure your LinkedIn profile works

Is your headline a branding statement or a current job title? The branding statement will take you much further because it isn’t pigeon-holed but rather description of the assets you bring as a professional.

Do you have a professional-looking photo? Don’t leave off the photo. Let someone take a photo that flatters you.

Is your summary written from an “I” voice and filled with accomplishment-driven statements?

Don’t forget the keywords! You want to have the key words that will match the positions you would really like and you also want the keywords to reflect the skill sets you have in the positions you hold now.

LinkedIn is ever-evolving

If you are holding back because of your occupation, remember that the 550 million people on LinkedIn in 2018 are certainly not all job seekers. Many use LinkedIn to reach their own goals and meet connections for their companies. Others are entrepreneurs who are wisely finding good ways to connect with new customers. Consider this philosophy I share with my clients who are employed:

LinkedIn has to be your call since you know your company policies and whether it would create a problem. As far as the custom-written words, I believe even if you were unemployed, the profile should never actually say you are looking. Instead it should show off your best attributes.

I guess my answer for the people who put two and two together would be the truth. “I believe you should present a professional image on all platforms. I built my LinkedIn profile to reflect what I bring to the table. Since I speak and represent the company and I know people Google and look you up online, I wanted to look professional and well-branded.

Like everything, using LinkedIn to SPAM others will not help you or your company. However, building quality connections will be an asset to you and your career.

Now that you know a bit more about LinkedIn, I hope you will consider it in your career marketing arsenal.

To get your job search working for you, simply click here!