How to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job in 2020 - Career Sidekick

How to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job in 2020 - Career Sidekick How to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job in 2020 LinkedIn / https://www.edenscott.com/blog LinkedIn is one of the best tools to find a job right now.In this article, Ill show you 10 steps for how to use LinkedIn effectively to get more interviews and job offers.We need to do three things if you want to find a job on LinkedInSet up a great LinkedIn profileUse LinkedIn as a networking tool to get interviews and make connectionsUse LinkedIn to apply directly to employersThe steps below will show you how to do all of that.How to Use LinkedIn Effectively to Get a Job1. Upload a great headshotYour headshot is one of the first things people see, so if you want to use LinkedIn to land a job, make sure your profile photo is giving off the right impression. Choose a photo thats clear, professional, and friendly-looking.It doesnt need to be stiff-looking (suit and tie), but you probably shouldnt choose a photo where youre drinking from a keg, either.You can also upload a background image to make your profile stand out further. However, your headshot is more important because thats one of the things employers see BEFORE they even click your profile.Heres an example of my headshot and background image:2. Write a great headlineNext up, youll need a great LinkedIn headline. This is essential for using LinkedIn to get a job because everyone sees your headline when you apply for a job, when they see you in search results, etc.Dont put actively seeking positions that tells employers nothing about what you do or why they should care. Make your headline about your skills and how you can help them.For example, you could say, Experienced B2B sales professional responsible for $25MM in sales from 2017-PresentOr you could say, Recent Biology graduate passionate about cancer research; winner of ___ awardYou can see 10 full LinkedIn headline examples, and a detailed explanation of why NOT to say, actively seeking opportunities here.Like your headshot, your headline on LinkedIn is one of the few things people see BEFORE even clicking on you fo r example, when you comment on an article or a friends post, share a post yourself, etc.So its very important if you want to stand out, make a good impression, and land jobs on LinkedIn.3. Fill out all 50 skillsMake sure youre using all 50 skill slots that LinkedIn allows. This is a big part of how to use LinkedIn to find a job, because it will help you get spotted more.Recruiters are constantly searching LinkedIn, and skills count as keywords in your profile, which means they help you appear in more searches!For example, if a recruiter searches for Phone Sales and youve listed Phone Sales as a skill, itll make your profile show in their results.If you need ideas of what skills to put, glance at your own resume, and look at colleagues/peers in your industry on LinkedIn. What skills are your coworkers and LinkedIn connections listing? Use that as inspiration for your own profile.4. Write your work experience in terms of results/accomplishmentsNext, make sure your previous work is in bullet format and easy to read.You can put a one- or two-sentence description of each role before diving into bullet points, but avoid big blocks of text and long paragraphs.These tend to get skimmed over, and you want your LinkedIn to get READ. So this is important.Then, in your bullets, make sure youre focused on detailed results and accomplishments. Put metrics, data, and numbers whenever possible.For example, dont just say, responsible for managing customer questions and requests.Say, successfully handled 100+ customer requests per week with a 99% customer satisfaction ratingThats going to make your bullets stand out a LOT more and make employers want to interview you more, because youre showing the exact type of results youll be able to get them.You should be doing this with your resume bullet points, too.5. Get recommendationsWere almost done setting up your LinkedIn profile to job search effectively. The next step is to ask one or two colleagues to write an endorsement for yo u.You can learn more about how to do this (including examples of good LinkedIn recommendations) here.Even one or two recommendations will help your profile stand out from all the competition when youre trying to use LinkedIn to land a job.6. Show volunteer work/community involvementNot every employer is going to care about volunteer work and community involvement, but some do! So if youve done anything, put it on your LinkedIn.LinkedIn has a profile section dedicated to this called Volunteer Experience.7. Start networkingNetworking is by far the fastest way to find a job if done right. This article explains why (and how to get started).First, reconnect with past colleagues and tell them youre job searching. Dont ask for a big favor (like an introduction to a hiring manager) right away, especially if you havent spoken in a while. But do tell them youre searching; nobody can help you if they dont know!So, you might start by saying,Hi Bill. How have things been going for you at Microso ft? I hope youre well! I wanted to let you know that Ive started looking for a new position hopefully a Senior Supervisor or Manager position in Software QA. Do you know of any interesting companies that are hiring?Next, start to build new connections. You could ask your existing contacts if theres anyone in their next that they think you should speak with.And you can reach out to new people at companies you want to work for. Ask for something very small to begin, like:I see you climbed the ranks very quickly to VP of Marketing. Do you have any advice for a newer marketer who hopes to accomplish the same?Complimenting someone on their career and asking one single question is a good way to open the door to a conversation. After a few messages, you couldthen ask if their group is hiring. But dont do it right away.And dont attach a resume or cover letter in a first message to someone. This is NOT going to work. I get this all the time and its a big turn-off. Its pushy and assumptive. Just start a regular conversation and youll be much better off.8. Take advantage of Easy ApplyYou can also apply directly for jobs on LinkedIn via their Easy Apply feature. Search for job titles or keywords, narrow down by location and other search filters (LinkedIn has awesome filters), and then start applying.If a job offers Easy Apply, you can submit your details and attach a resume in just a few clicks without ever leaving LinkedIn.This is ideal because it saves you a ton of time and you dont need a cover letter, either. (Nobody really talks about this, but if youre just applying online and you dont know the hiring manager and werent referred for the job, you really do NOT need to be spending time/effort on a cover letter).And if a job doesnt offer Easy Apply, you can click through the company website and apply that way.9. Comment, post, and engageThe more active you are, the more youll get seen by recruiters, potential new colleagues who can refer you to their company for a job , etc.One good way to get seen is following a few big influencers (like Bill Gates or Gary Vee) and commenting on their posts. When I comment on a big influencers post, my comment usually gets 10 likes. Whereas a regular comment of mine might get 0-2 likes.Then you can go connect with those people who liked your comment. Youll build more and more connections by doing this.You never know when one connection will be able to introduce you to a hiring manager or get you an interview. So you need to just keep engaging and building your network if you want to use LinkedIn to find a job.You can also post content yourself just keep it positive and professional. You can post examples of past work, case studies, interesting articles you find, questions, and more.The more active you are, the more youll get seen and potentially receive invitations to interview10. Put a link to your LinkedIn profile on your resumeFinally, put a link to your LinkedIn profile in the header of your resume (right a fter your phone number and email address).This will show employers youre modern and up-to-date and will get them to click over to your LinkedIn and see all the great content youve added.This boosts your chances of getting invited to interview and lowers the risk that theyll glance quickly at your resume and move on. Employers only spend 8-10 seconds reviewing your resume at first. Then, they decide if they want to read more or not. So a link up top can help you stand out and keep them reading for longer.Create a custom LinkedIn profile URL too, so your link is short and professional-looking. Mine is: linkedin.com/in/bironIf you follow the steps above, youll be well on your way to using LinkedIn to get a great job. Youll have an effective profile that impresses employers and gets you more interviews, and youll drive more people to view your LinkedIn profile, too.If you have any questions about this article or about how to use LinkedIn to find a job, leave a comment below.