#10 Your profile should have a current professional photograph of you.
The heading (title) under your name should promote confidence and what you want
to do. Do not put “I am looking for a new opportunity”
#9 Your profile should have a well thought
out summary and begin the summary with your email address so networkers do not
have to search for your contact information. Your summary should describe what
you can do for a company NOW. What can you bring to the table that your peers
can’t? Professional self promotion is good – not traits i.e. good listener but
actions!
#8 You need to ask for professional
recommendations to support your career goals. A good way to get a
recommendation is to give a recommendation to those professionals you know well
and you would want their recommendation of you. These recommendations will take
the place of references at the initial screening.
#7 Search for companies that you would like
to work for or are part of the industry you are in or want to be in. You can
find these companies by doing an advanced search. Follow the companies and you
will find out of new job openings. If you are following a company, LinkedIn
tells you which employees of that company are on LinkedIn. Connect with those
professionals that you think will help you land a job with their company –
connect by a direct request, connect through an introduction or join groups
they belong to and connect through the group.
#6 The Linkedin jobs board for Charlotte is
growing daily with job postings. Do an advanced search and put in a zip code
i.e. Huntersville (28078) and highlight 75 miles of this zip code. The jobs
board will show you all of the jobs within that area each and every day. You
can always filter your search down by industry, etc. Click on a job that
interests you and you can apply through LinkedIn or you may have to go to the
company website to apply. But, you should also see who posted the job and connect
with them or any employee that shows up on the right side of the job
description.
#5 Join groups which are general and
location specific i.e. Charlotte, NC, and remember you can join probably more
than you will need to but try groups out to assess their networking energy.
Leave groups that have “old” discussions as the top tier discussions. Gravitate
to closed groups specific to your profession. Or, maybe consider starting your
own group. I started a Land Development group which is a closed group and a
very specific profession and I have over 10,000 members! Groups lead you to
people and people will lead you to your next job!
#4 Increase your contacts DAILY! The result
of more contacts will lead to better connections. As an example, the Charlotte
Business Professionals group has about 25,000 members and I can contact most
everyone in the group. The more connections will lead to a wider network which
will lead to your next job. Connections are found in your groups. Start
“mining” for connections in each of your groups and target market yourself to
other professionals by requesting a connection. By selecting professionals that
may be able to help you find a job is what networking is all about. Ask for an
introduction from your contacts that knows the individual you want to connect
with. Once you connect, start to work with your connections and ask for their
help finding you a job!! Connect with recruiters and company HR professionals.
#3 Use your network to help others and they
will help you. Suggest a strategic connection to one of your contacts. After
you have connected with a professional, there is a manage tab in the contact
list which allows you to put your contacts into categories. Not only will this
help you remember your contacts by category heading, LinkedIn allows you to
send a message free up to 50 connections at a time. By putting your contacts
into specific categories, you can send a specific email to a selected list of
contacts and not be considered spam. Start thinking outside the box.
#2 Elevating your brand on LinkedIn will
set you apart from your peers. Remember, if you are not regularly involved in
your groups or with your LinkedIn contacts, “you are out of sight out of mind”.
If you want to find a job and use your connections to do so, you can’t be a
part-time networker! Engage in group discussions and post current information
to elevate your professionalism. The more active you are the more your name and
face will become better known in your groups and with your contacts. Strive to
elevate your willingness to help others. Become an expert in your profession!
#1
Be proactive but not aggressive. Be
a giver rather than a taker. Be genuine and share your professional knowledge
to help others. You have to do what you have always have done differently!
Substitute your time used to send resume to a black hole never to be seen again
with efforts to expand your professional network on LinkedIn. Getting your foot
in the door at a company starts with who you know in that company.
It
is time to be proactive and seek out the people that will help you land your
next job opportunity.
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