Quick Guide to Networking and Job Searching on LinkedIn - FlexJobs

Quick Guide to Networking and Job Searching on LinkedIn - FlexJobs Quick Guide to Networking and Job Searching on LinkedIn 48 has a LinkedIn group and of course, we’d highly recommend you join to help you with job searching on LinkedIn and professional networking! But getting started on LinkedIn can be overwhelming. It’s not like Facebook where you connect with your friends, upload some pictures, and have a fun time. Because its very nature is professional, using LinkedIn requires a bit more time (though still not a lot) and effort to ensure that you put your best professional self forward. Here are six tips for using LinkedIn for your job search. Create a spiffy profile. It’s a job search fact: 91 percent of employers screen job applicants online. And when they Google your name, do you know what the top search result is? If you have a LinkedIn profile, it’s almost certainly that. And for job seekers, that can be MUCH better than some of the other things that might show up about you, like your Facebook page. When you start to build your profile, take time to fill out each category on your profile as succinctly and directly as possible. LinkedIn isn’t a place for long narratives. You want to showcase your experience, skills, interests, awards, and other pertinent information in an easy-to-skim way. Your profile’s motto should be, “Short, sweet, and memorable.” Connect with people you know. The most obvious use for LinkedIn is for professional networking. Much easier than a Rolodex, it helps you keep in touch with all of your professional contacts as they move throughout their careers. College classmates, friends, family, current and past coworkers and managers all of these people are great places to start your LinkedIn connections. Once you get started, it’s almost difficult to stop connecting with people because LinkedIn keeps suggesting more people you might know. The key is that you should REALLY know these people. If you’ve only had a quick interaction with them and it’s been five years since you last spoke, it might not be a great idea to connect with them. LinkedIn actually allows users to flag inappropriate connection requests, so be careful! Join groups. Whether it’s your old college alma mater’s LinkedIn Group, or a job search support group like ’ LinkedIn Group, joining groups helps you connect with people you don’t already know. There are also groups for professional industry associations, chambers of commerce, and even alumni groups for big companies you may have worked for. If you’re not sure what group to join, check out Groups You May Like, where LinkedIn suggests groups based on your profile and other information. Search for companies. LinkedIn is a great way to search for the companies you’re interested in applying to, and then seeing how you might already be connected to those companies. You can search for and find companies, then follow them for updates. When you’re reading a company’s profile, don’t forget to look at informative boxes like “How You’re Connected” to see how your professional network leads you to the company and “Check out insightful statistics about this company’s employees” to gain a better understanding of where you fit with the company in terms of education and experience. You can compare your company search results on LinkedIn with the Guide to the Best Companies for Flexible Jobs to see if the companies offer flexible work options. Give recommendations and ask for them. If you’re connected to people with whom you currently or used to work, reach out and write a nice recommendation for them, then ask if they would do the same for you. Recommendations are a nice way for employers to see why you’re a good employee and coworker. When you’re looking at a connection’s profile, you’ll see the option to “Recommend” them underneath each of their Experience and Education entries. If you’re nervous about asking for recommendations, read Networking and Asking for Online Recommendations for tips. Stay in touch. Set a goal for yourself that every month or week, you’ll send a quick message to 5-10 of your LinkedIn connections just saying hello and wishing them well. In your note, inquire about their careers and lives, and mention that you’d like to stay in touch. The whole point of LinkedIn is to connect people, but what good is it if you don’t maintain those connections? If you do nothing else on this list, you should create a LinkedIn profile for yourself so that employers searching for you online will find something nice to read. And if nothing else, filling out your profile might help you to clarify your career goals and focus your job search for better results. Are you already job searching on  LinkedIn or other social media? Feel free to copy and paste a link to your public LinkedIn profile below for other job seekers and employers to see! Include a line about you and your career with your submission. Want to learn about other ways to use social media for your job search? How to Use Twitter in Your Job Search How to Make Facebook Private During a Job Search 4 Ways to use Social Media in a Job Search 4 Ways to Use Pinterest for Job Search and Work Inspiration