5 Tips for Using LinkedIn To Boost Your Job Prospects
There are plenty of online tools out there nowadays you can use to improve your prospects of landing that next big job. Employers often check social media platforms when they consider inviting someone for interview.
One that stands out more than others in the world of job hunting, of course, is LinkedIn.
The trouble is that many job seekers tend to upload the basic minimum job hunting information and don’t really engage profitably with the site. A few simple changes in your approach can actually improve your visibility to those online as well as helping you to stand out from the crowd when it comes to job applications.
Here are our top 5 tips:
1. Fill in the detail and brand yourself
Treat LinkedIn as the front of shop for your career – you want it to be attractive, entertaining and informative. That means adding as much detail as concisely as possible. Ensure you get the basics right by including a quality photo, making sure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes and your content is presented in a professional manner. The other key is to make your page searchable for the sector you work in so that you are more likely to found by employers. That means including relevant keywords.
This is, of course, all about branding yourself and the greater amount of time you spend on getting it right, the better. Check out other people in your area of employment and don’t be afraid to learn from what they’re doing right.
2. Build your network
It’s important to reach out to other people and build your network in Brighton on LinkedIn. Whether you are looking for local businesses or hope to build your career further afield, you can search the network and contact people to begin that all important conversation. There are nearly 500 million LinkedIn users around the world, so there should plenty of individuals and businesses to reach out to.
3. Join groups
Engagement is key to success on any social media channel and LinkedIn is no exception. Joining relevant groups is one of the most powerful ways you can improve your visibility and find organisations who are relevant to your career.
You do have to avoid being too salesy, instead focus on building relationships if you want to succeed. You’ll also pick up some good advice on finding and developing the right career choices. If you want to meet people in person, many group members contact each other online and then arrange physical events on a regular basis.
4. Post interesting articles
You can post blog articles on LinkedIn and this is one area that job hunters tend to forget about. Not only is it a great way to continually update your profile but it also enhances your brand and reputation online. If you want to build up some serious content that future employers will love, try blogging at least one quality article a week.
5. Be clear about your career goals
It’s all well and good getting more involved on LinkedIn but you have to know why you are doing it. Sitting back and reviewing your career goals can help illuminate what you need to do on the platform and how best to brand yourself better. For example, if you want to forge a career as a marketing copywriter than producing blog posts on this subject area can greatly improve your reputation and authority.
Finally, succeeding on LinkedIn is all about engaging regularly with the platform. Build a list of content that you want to add or groups you want to engage with and set a timetable for doing so. Get it right and you will undoubtedly improve your career prospects and really stand out from the crowd when you make that next application.
