Job Search: Using LinkedIn to Score Your Next Job
How LinkedIn Can Score You Your Next Job
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LinkedIn is the largest professional networking site on the web and quickly becoming the number one place to turn for career development. As of January 2011, LinkedIn reports over 90 million members with executives from all Fortune 500 companies represented. LinkedIn also reports that, as of the New Year, 69% of all Fortune 100 companies use LinkedIn’s hiring solutions to source new employees.
With all of their latest statistics in place, LinkedIn is impossible to ignore and an essential tool in the 21st Century job search.
Here’s the John Leonard 3-Step-Plan to scoring your next position via the social network of LinkedIn:
1. Create a complete profile.
Your profile should read as a resume. The first step is to write a thorough professional summary and add it to the “Summary” section. Next make a list of your specialties and fill them in keeping in mind that recruiters search on keywords. Your “Specialties” section should include software programs that you have used, professional strengths and job duties. Here’s a sample from my profile:
Once your Summary and Specialties are complete, upload your resume. This will populate your “Experience” section.
Not only will this give your profile the resume feel that you are looking for, it will help recruiters find YOU.
2. Follow and Research Your Target Companies
More than one million companies have LinkedIn Company Pages including all Fortune 500 companies.
Company pages are a quick and easy way to learn about companies and their demographics. Use these pages to do research and target companies that you believe would be a good match for you. Once you have your targeted companies picked out, click the “Follow” button in the top right hand corner. This will alert you when the company posts new positions and when there are internal changes within the company.
3. Join Groups and Apply to Jobs
The final step to scoring your next job through LinkedIn is to join groups and begin applying for jobs. LinkedIn groups are a great way to network and join in on the conversation. It is also a FREE place for recruiters to post jobs and a great way for you to APPLY for jobs directly.
LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups. Begin by searching for groups within your geographical region and related to your industry. Here are a few examples of Boston networking groups:
On the top of each group page, you will see a tab for “Jobs.” Check you groups for new postings regularly and follow the instructions within each posting for submitting your candidacy. Recruiters will be responding in no time.
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John Leonard On LinkedIn
John Leonard has been active on LinkedIn since early 2009. Today, the entire John Leonard team is a member of LinkedIn. We list all of our current openings directly on our profiles and post frequent status updates regarding new opportunities. As of 2011, we use LinkedIn to actively recruit for all of our searches.
We invite you to connect with our consultants via LinkedIn, follow us and become a member of our group: John Leonard Employment Services.
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