St. Patrick’s Day is here, and while the holiday and the “luck of the Irish” is fun to celebrate, when it comes to job searching it’s probably better not to leave it to chance. LinkedIn is a great tool for jobseekers, especially with the current shift in reducing in-person job search. It’s an active place for recruiters, can build networks, and can provide employment leads. In this year’s St. Patrick’s Day blog, we’ll provide 4 tried and true ways to increase your chances of finding a career you’ll love – from the comfort of home!
- Utilize Keywords: When recruiters search for job candidates they use keywords for the qualifications they are looking for. When building out your LinkedIn profile, be sure to be specific about your skillset (such as knowledge of Microsoft Office) and any certifications you have earned. Also include the field you work in and the kind of work you are looking for. (Pro tip: Set your profile to “Let recruiters know you’re open” so you appear in searches.)
- Create a (Full) Professional Profile: On LinkedIn, it is not enough just to list your previous employment experience! Make sure to round out your profile with a professional head shot photo and a descriptive “About” section. These small but significant changes, personalize your profile and make you more accessible to recruiters.
- Send Personal Connection Requests: LinkedIn is built around connecting with others and expanding your network. To better connect with people outside your current network, especially people you haven’t met before or met only briefly, customize your invitations instead of using the prompt LinkedIn provides. Adding a personal touch will increase the odds that your invitation will be accepted.
- Always include a recent job entry: Recruiters often only search for candidates by their most recent experience. If that employment history is missing, your profile will be left out of important search results. According to an article from the University of Washington, “if you’re unemployed…create a dummy job listing in the current section that includes the job title(s) you’re targeting — for example, “Full-Time Student/Financial Analyst in Training” — followed by a phrase like “In Transition” or “Seeking New Opportunity” in the Company Name box.” This will help your profile appear in LinkedIn searches.
With these tips in mind your LinkedIn profile should have all the luck it needs to be successful!
We welcome you to visit www.NationalAble.org/Calendar as we do have some JUMPSTART! workshops coming up that focus on LinkedIn.
