At this stage in its development LinkedIn is a very powerful job search tool. I will write a more detailed article soon. For now, I’d like to share high-level observations, and welcome input from others about possible uses.
1. Make sure your profile is up to date, and searchable by recruiters. Recruiters search LinkedIn using keywords, so length is not important, but terminology is.
2. Link to many people in your area, but try to stick with people who you know. Have a policy like, “I must have spoken with them once,” or “I must have had three face-to-face meetings with them.” Inviting people you do not know is intrusive, and may be counterproductive
3. Surf for jobs. There are job listings, and suggestions to other similar jobs that you view.
4. Surf for people. Check out your second level contacts and ask for introductions. It may be worth getting a paid LinkedIn account so that you can send InMail and contact people directly.
5. Join the right groups. Look for the ones in your area. Look for alumni and industry groups. You may want to start out with a lot of applications, but prune them to a reasonable number once you get a feel for the good ones.
6. Contribute to groups, but do it smartly! People do not like spam, they like content. Contribute your thoughts, articles and questions to groups, so that you grab the attention of others like you. Build your brand and your network at the same time. It exposes you to others and may lead to opportunities.
7. Put in your contact information, or make yourself Openlinked (Those colorful circles you see next to some profiles indicate that you can contact them directly without InMail credits). Without an email address or a phone number, recruiters must exert extra effort to contact you. Make it easier on them, and indicate your interest in being contacted at the same time
I recently spoke with a senior level consultant, who secured three job offers in just over two months, so the opportunities are out there! Let me know what you find.
