Whether you are a working professional, going through a career transition or a job seeker, you probably have a LinkedIn account. For many LinkedIn users, they seldom log in, have 50+ pending invitations and have a bared bones profile.  For many reasons, professionals and job seekers don’t see the value of this platform and are not convinced to why they should go all in. If you are currently in the job market and need to redirect your job search – you need to go all in.  Many employers are looking for candidates just like you on LinkedIn but you have to make yourself visible and have a top-notch and solid profile!

Here are some strategies that will help optimize your job search and get noticed.

Establish your brand

What is your brand? This is an important question because everything in your profile (your headshot, tagline, summary, groups, experiences, projects and other sections of your profile need to reflect the brand you want to convey.  All of these components will drive your targeted audience to your profile.  If you are seeking opportunities in the field of higher education within student affairs, then you would include a tag line such as: “Experienced higher education and student affairs professional creating enriching student experiences”.  If you notice, LinkedIn will use your current job title as the default headline – but maybe your most recent job title does not fully capture your brand.  Go back and edit!

Prioritize your skills

Scour through job postings that most appeal to you.  What skills do your prospective employers value?   List and prioritize those skills.  You may notice that once you list your skills, you will receive endorsements from colleagues that will validate the credibility of the skills you claim to have.  There are many critics that don’t feel that endorsements are truly valuable because anyone can endorse you –even those you probably never met before. However, if I visit your profile and I see that you are endorsed 99+ in management, 99+ leadership, 89 mentoring, etc. I think that gives me a solid idea that your network confirms your leadership skills.

Include descriptions in your experience

Don’t add every single thing.  Capture the most relevant information of your roles. This is another great opportunity to integrate keywords and highlight your contributions in a short summary.

Join professional groups

If you are not sure what groups to join, conduct a keyword search in the group section based on the industry of interest. This is a great opportunity to connect with other like-minded professionals, take part in discussions and learn about trends and opportunities within your niche.  Another great strategy is to find professionals that you aspire to be and see what groups they belong to.

Ask for recommendations

Hesitation? I know – I am aware that there are many fears of rejection and other insecurities that come with asking for a recommendation. Nevertheless, having recommendations on your profile is invaluable to your brand.  You have to be strategic in who you are asking and what you are asking for. If your brand is to showcase your teaching and facilitation skills, you might not ask for a recommendation from a supervisor where you served as a cashier at Macy’s – unless you facilitated trainings. In that case, I would ask that supervisor to focus on your facilitation skills and how you contributed to the success of having a well-trained staff. Further, you may want to reach out to former students or other professionals that benefited from your presentations and trainings. Always be sure to customize the recommendation request, be specific on the focus area, and thank them for their time and consideration.  Remember, if you ask for 5 and get 2, those are 2 more recommendations on your LinkedIn profile.

Connect, connect, connect!

What companies and positions interest you? Find professionals in the areas of interest and always customize the invitation. Find a commonality and let them know why you want to connect – keep it brief.  Once they accept your connection, you will have access to their e-mail.  This is a great way to follow-up, thank them for the connection and perhaps ask for a brief coffee chat or phone call to learn more about them. This can also be a great strategy to connect with professionals out of state if you are looking to relocate.

Don’t be afraid of recruiters

You may have heard of the black hole.  Basically that is where your application and resume go when you apply through job search engines. It is like a needle in a hay stack for recruiters to find qualified candidates like you.  LinkedIn however, provides the opportunity to directly connect with recruiters and make you visible. I recently worked with a client who had great interest in a position for XYZ organization in Chicago.  As we looked through the posting on LinkedIn, I encouraged her to connect with the recruiter. She hesitated but I coached her through the process.  Within a few days, she received a phone call for an interview. This may not always be the case, but it’s still worth a try.

Be proactive to maintain visibility

It is not enough to just have a profile – you are now part of a professional community and you have so much to offer.  If you read an interesting article in your field, share it with your network. If a colleague shares an interesting article, comment on it. Interact with the professionals you have connected with.  Take part in discussions in your group and maintain visibility.  Share a job opportunity!

Remember to take it one step at a time.  These strategies will enhance your brand, increase your visibility and help you get noticed.

I am available for LinkedIn coaching and assisting in enhancing your LinkedIn brand. You are welcome to contact me at lizcareercoaching@gmail.com.

Connect with me on LinkedIn!