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- How to leverage LinkedIn to streamline your job search
In today’s issue, I’m going to talk about using LinkedIn to streamline your job search and attract more attention from recruiters!
But before we do that, let’s cover a few questions posed by job seekers this week.
Question 1: How do I tell a job interviewer that I was fired from my last job?
That’s a tough one! Here’s what I’d suggest:
If you were fired for something you did, be upfront about it, highlight what you learned from the situation, and talk about how you plan to prevent the same issue going forward.
If you were let go for something that was out of your control, be clear about what happened without badmouthing your previous employer.
Question 2: I got a job offer from Company A, but am waiting on an offer from Company B. Company B offers more flexibility and higher pay. What do I do?
Ask Company A for a week to review the offer. When asked why, be open and tell them you’re reviewing offers from multiple companies (they’re doing something similar with other candidates).
Then contact Company B and let them know you’ve received offers from other companies and would like an expedited timeline, if possible.
If you reach Company A’s deadline and no offer yet has been made by B, I’d suggest taking the former’s offer. A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush!
In today's job market, having a strong digital presence and professional brand is more important than ever before.
LinkedIn, in particular, has become the platform of choice for professionals to showcase their skills, experience, and accomplishments to potential employers.
In this week's issue, I'll discuss how to create a solid LinkedIn profile and attract employers from a mile away. Without further ado…
The headline
Your headline is the first things that potential employers see when they come across your profile.
This is what I see when I perform a search for ‘business analyst’
In the screenshot above, notice how the headline is one of the main pieces of info LinkedIn shows you (the other one is the photo, which I’ll get to in a sec). Notice how all of the headlines in the search I pulled are nearly identical? Big no no!
Why does your headline matter so much?
It sets you apart from your competition
It’s one of the first things recruiters/clients see
It’s designed to be targeted to your audience (like a big billboard)
When your audience reads your headline, they need to be able to resonate with it right away (think about when you see a product ad for something that matches exactly what you’re looking for - you’re probably thinking “I need that” - this is the same).
My formula for a great headline:
Who you are (i.e., your title)
Your areas of expertise (must be related to your target industry)
A snippet of your background, preferably backed by some numbers
Example:
Business Analyst | Expertise in PowerBI, Python, SQL | Delivered over 3-fold improvement to supply chain processes at 3 retail companies
Your profile picture should be clear and show you in attire you’d normally wear to work. Avoid using selfies or photos with too many things going on in the background - remember, you’re the focus.
Use a professional looking headshot
Notice I said professional looking, and not professionally taken. You don’t need to visit a photographer for one, but you do need to follow some basic rules:
Show your head and torso
You can dress in whatever you’d normally wear to work, as long as you look neat and presentable
Look at the camera
Show those pearly whites!
Craft a compelling summary
Your LinkedIn summary should be a brief yet powerful account of your professional background, skills, and achievements.
Use this section to highlight what makes you unique and what you can bring to the table. Use short paragraphs to make it easier to skim.
Example:
I’m Harry, a marketing professional with over 5 years of experience in digital marketing, branding, and content creation.
My path into digital marketing was a bit unconventional starting out initially as a software developer, only to discover my calling in marketing later on.
Over the course of my career, I’ve developed and led multi-channel campaigns with Nike and Amazon.
Today, as Marketing Manager at Comcast, I manage 7 marketing specialists through campaigns for Xfinity internet service.
Additional tips:
The first 300 words are what your audience will see first before being prompted to “see more”. Use them to reel your audience in with a hook.
Make it flow like a story instead. Unlike your resume which is more technical and concise, your LinkedIn summary is your platform to let your personality shine through.
Make it easy to read by splitting it up into small paragraphs with no more than 3 lines per.
Use it to highlight some of your biggest career wins.
Highlight your experience
The experience section is where you can showcase your professional journey, highlighting your achievements and responsibilities in each role.
However, don’t mistake it for a resume - only provide high level responsibilities and a few key accomplishments.
Use active language and quantify your achievements wherever possible, as that’ll help recruiters understand the impact you’ve had on current and previous employers.
Example:
As a Digital Marketing Manager at Untuckit, I developed and implemented the strategy powering all digital and physical marketing activities impacting over 43 product lines and 800 products.
My biggest wins included:
Leading a team of 5 marketers to develop and implement a successful social media strategy that increased engagement by 200%.
Overseeing the launch of several successful email marketing campaigns that drew in over 24K subscribers and helped generate over $3K in additional monthly revenue.
Grow your network
Connecting with people in your industry or companies you're interested in are phenomenal ways of expanding your network and gaining insights into the job market.
When reaching out, send a personalized message that shows you’ve actually done a little bit of research.
For example, you could say something like:
"Hey Sam, I came across your profile and noticed that we have similar interests and experience in real estate development in California. I'd love to connect and learn more about your work. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you in return."
What you shouldn’t do:
Don’t send generic messages
Don’t be pushy
Don’t make an ask - it’s too soon
Avoid spelling and grammar mistakes like the plague - it’ll reflect on you poorly
Engage with your connections
LinkedIn’s algorithms reward users that are more active on the platform. Because of that, you’ll need to engage regularly to reap the rewards. Think of this as a long game - you won’t start seeing benefits until later on (think months).
The main types of activity you could engage in are:
Commenting on posts
Posting your own original content
Sharing helpful tips/industry news
In my experience, I’ve found that establishing yourself as an expert in your field through regular, consistent posting is a great way of building a network, generating a following, and improving your overall career prospects.
How often should you post? If you’re serious about building a following, once a day. At the very least, aim for 2-3 times per week.
Join LinkedIn groups
Joining LinkedIn groups related to your industry or interests will enable you to connect with like-minded professionals and participate in discussions.
By contributing to group conversations, you can establish yourself as a thought leader and further expand your network.
For example, if you're a marketer, join groups in digital marketing, social media marketing, or content marketing.
Participate in discussions, share your insights, and connect with other marketers in the industry.
Additional Tips:
Follow larger groups for greater exposure (10,000+ members)
Follow group rules
Don’t be spammy and try to sell your services or beg people to hire you
Do engage regularly and establish yourself as a subject matter expert
Always be respectful of others in the group
Search for job openings
LinkedIn’s search bar is one of the most powerful features of the platform, with a host of filters you can use to refine your search by keywords, industry, geographic location, office/remote, and more.
Customize your search to find the job that aligns with your professional and financial career goals.
Filters are there to help you find jobs that align with your goals
Reach out to recruiters
Should you reach out to recruiters on LinkedIn? Yes!
Should you do it strategically and with a little thoughtfulness and consideration? Absolutely.
What you shouldn’t do:
Don’t send generic messages
Don’t sound desperate
Don’t ask them to find you a job in your first message
Don’t them to review your resume
Put yourself in their shoes - would you like it if a random stranger did that to you? Probably not.
Here’s how to approach this:
You need them, but they also need you (they want to fill the roles they’ve got)
You’ll need to do their homework for them, and show them where you’d be a great fit, and why
Example:
Hi, I'm a marketing manager with 5 years in retail. I'm looking for a role at [Insert Company]. I saw this role [Insert Title]. I've led 50+ campaigns in the same areas your position advertises and would love to connect and tell you why and how I’d be the perfect match for this role.
I’m James, Cofounder of Final Draft Resumes. I’ve been in the career consulting space for 13 years, and before that, I was a recruiter for AECOM.
I’ve helped thousands of job seekers, from industries like software engineering, IT, sales, marketing, manufacturing, and more generate job opportunities through well-written resumes that translate unique backgrounds into coherent narratives.
If you’re struggling with your resume for whatever reason, reach out - I just might be able to help!
If you’re more of a DIY person, then check out Resumatic, my free-to-try resume builder.