Loading ...Guest Post: Top Ten Tips on How LinkedIn Can Get you Headhunted
Author Bio:
Carlo Pandian is a freelance writer based in UK and works for Media Recruitment. When he’s not online or cycling around town, you can’t get him out of the kitchen for his love of food.
Top Ten Tips on How LinkedIn Can Get you Headhunted:
LinkedIn is a professional social network which can change your life. If you are looking to move jobs or increase your income it is a good idea to get online and create yourself a profile on this network. The reason for this is because employers are using the site to find their next employee. Therefore it is vital you fill in all parts of your profile and make proper use of the site. If you are looking to make dramatic changes in your career here are ten simple tips on how to get headhunted on LinkedIn and make the employers come knocking on your door.
- Think of your profile as your CV. You will need to add all your employment history adding plenty of details when it comes to the role you played and the impact you had on the company. Be sure to include information such as awards, sales records, important clients and anything else which might be seen as being impressive. Check all the dates are correct and include your current position.
- Avoid using abbreviations. Complete all words in full rather than using shortcuts. This provides all the information people need and it looks professional. Leave the comedy for elsewhere, you must remain professional at all times on this network.
- Think of LinkedIn as a tool for business and not a social site. Save the jokes and silly photos for Facebook. Never add links to inappropriate material online and never complain about your day at work. In business it is always good practice to dress as if you were meeting with the CEO of the company every day. Apply this to your profile, set it up for CEOs and Directors rather than friends and work colleagues.
- Include information about your education and not just your working history. Again you need to pay attention to dates and ensure everything is correct and ties in together. Don’t feel that your interests need to be left out, add them but perhaps leave out common interests such as swimming or going to the cinema. Make your interests interesting as it could be a good way of building on a conversation.
- Use optimisation tricks to help your profile get seen. Add in keywords to do with your expertise and make use of tags. You can create an introduction for yourself using these words and use bullet points to make the information stand out.
- Ask for recommendations from previous employers and clients. Clients are particularly useful here and can have more weight than your old manager.
- Join in with the rest of the community. LinkedIn has plenty of groups you can join as well as company pages. Try to join as many appropriate and relevant groups as possible and join in with the conversations. There are job boards on the site too so you can actively seek work rather than simply wait for work to find you. Make sure you allow people to send you messages on the site and make your profile visible rather than private.
- Consider using the site more effectively. There are some useful add-ons which can really benefit your profile and help you stand out from the crowd. There’s an app which allows you to add PowerPoint presentations and apps which allow you to link your blog if you have one. Connect your professional Twitter to the sites well as your website.
- Connect with others. Invite people that LinkedIn suggest as well as work colleagues, old bosses and clients and professional friends who understand that LinkedIn isn’t the same as Facebook.
- If you decide to create a new profile you should remove the other one to avoid confusion.
These tips will help you to gain the most out of the opportunities LinkedIn provides. Remember to keep your profile up-to-date and keep in mind this is for your professional side to reap the benefits.
Infographic on How Employers Use Social Networks to Screen Job Applicants
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