Guide to Using LinkedIn to Land your Dream Job
In the time past, people go from one company to another to submit a hardcopy application but in today’s world, there is a platform called LinkedIn that has got everything covered. One of the greatest online social media platforms to use to land your dream job is LinkedIn. There are a lot of Companies, Organizations, and Influential individuals on LinkedIn and I will confidently say it is the perfect place to search for a job. There are a lot of job recruiters on LinkedIn and it is the best and easiest platform to apply for a job.
What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is an American business and employment-oriented online service that operates via websites and mobile apps. Launched on May 5, 2003, the platform is mainly used for professional networking and allows job seekers to post their CVs and employers to post jobs. As of 2015, most of the company’s revenue came from selling access to information about its members to recruiters and sales professionals. Since December 2016, it has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft. As of February 2021, LinkedIn had 740 million registered members from 150 countries.
Tips to land your dream job via LinkedIn
Complete Your Profile
Go to the LinkedIn site and create an account, you can also download the LinkedIn app. What you need to create a LinkedIn profile is a good email address and password. After you have created your profile then you can proceed to update your records.
The first step is to update a good profile picture, do not upload a poor quality image as this gives employers the first impression about you; the next step is updating your academic records. The academic records include your course of study and professional certifications. Add relevant work experience, professional certifications, and the skills you possess. Updating your records will show employers the qualifications you have and the relevant skills you possess. Consider hiring a career coach to help you get a marketable profile. This move will help you attract and impress those who are looking at your profile and it will make you a hot cake on LinkedIn
Update Your job Interest and Location
The next step is updating your job Interest because there many job opportunities on LinkedIn. For example, one may study Microbiology but his core area of interest could be Public Health. One may also study Mass Communication but His core area of interest could be Content Writing so it is very important to update your area of interest on LinkedIn.
Another aspect is to update is your job location interest. LinkedIn is very wide and companies around the globe are on LinkedIn so it is important to update a job location that has proximity. For example, if you are a Nigerian and you stay in Abuja, make sure you update Abuja as your location; you will always get notified when a job opportunity is in your location. By updating your records you will always get notified when there is a job opportunity.
Use LinkedIn Recommendations
LinkedIn is a very large social media platform with a lot of companies and influential people. Many times you will get notified to connect with certain individuals on LinkedIn, especially those you share similar interests with. Connect with such people and follow influential personalities and companies on LinkedIn. Connect with job recruiters on LinkedIn and chat with them often. You can send them a message like this: hello, how are you doing, I saw a job position posted; I don’t know if the offer is still on? You will get a prompt response but don’t just chat with people on LinkedIn when you want a job, you can keep chatting to build relationships. For example, if you land a job in a particular company, connect with employees of the company to get background information about the company, this will go a long way to help you a lot during an interview. Also use LinkedIn to search for people, jobs, and articles that may help you to land your dream job.
Join a LinkedIn Group
There are many LinkedIn groups but join the group that shares the same job interest with you; where you connect with like-minded people. Feel free to post questions and share experiences. Keep reading other people’s conversations and updates you may learn a lot from such.
Add your LinkedIn profile to your resume
This helps employers to easily connect with you; most job recruiters are on LinkedIn. If your LinkedIn profile is on your resume, they will easily get information about your personality.
Be Very Active on LinkedIn
You can’t just create a LinkedIn profile and then leave the account inactive; it will be very difficult for you to get a job. Make sure you are very active daily. LinkedIn updates are also sent via email but I will suggest you get the app because through the app you can be very active on LinkedIn. Use your computer and mobile device to check for updates frequently so that opportunities will not elude you. If you are very active on LinkedIn then you are not far from landing your dream job.
Apply for jobs promptly
Delay is very dangerous and when you get notified about a job offer on LinkedIn make sure you apply immediately. Jobs on LinkedIn have a very short time frame before the offer closes, some jobs offers can be closed in intervals of weeks and months. So apply very promptly, this can also give you an edge over prospective candidates because you applied very early. Submit your C.V immediately to make hay while the sun shines.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not create a false identity or profile on LinkedIn: Creating a false identity can spell doom for you in the future. Be very honest about your personality and academic qualifications. All this information will be verified during the physical interview. Many people use social media to create a false personality so as to attract recruiters. Do not indulge in such. Ensure you let LinkedIn job recruiters hire you for who you are and not someone you are claiming to be.
In conclusion, feel free to always update your new achievements on your LinkedIn profile because you don’t know who is looking at you. If you follow the tips above you will surely land your dream job through LinkedIn.