How to utilize your LinkedIN to your advantage

LinkedIn has grown significantly over the years and professionals are taking advantage of it. Your LinkedIn profile represents you and your personal brand. When you set up your profile correctly and build the right connections, there are many opportunities that can come your way. Hiring managers and recruiters are utilizing LinkedIn to hunt for potential employees. They constantly check out candidates and review profiles before even making a decision to reach out about an opportunity. Here are a few things that can help you create a more attractive LinkedIn profile.

1) Understand the demands in your field.

I always ask people if they know the demands in their field. This is so critical to know because recruiters look for specific skills, experience, and tools when they are looking at potential candidates. Once you are able to answer that question, then you need to make sure that your LinkedIn page showcases those demands.

2) Make sure your career interest option is set to ON.

A lot of people do not know that this option even exists. When you turn this setting on, it tells recruiters that you are open in the job market. Recruiters are more likely to contact someone that has this option on instead of off.

3) Write a nice, brief, and detailed bio.

Your bio is the first thing hiring managers and recruiters look at. It is equivalent to the summary on your resume. You want your bio to catch the recruiter’s attention and showcase your skills. Be sure to include the different areas that you have experience in. You can also include your career intentions and specific positions that you are interested in. Here is an example of an undergrad student with an impressive LinkedIn profile.

Mehul did a great job writing a very strong bio. His profile tells a story about his professional development. He talks about his experience, what he believes in, what his desires are, and attached his resume. Recruiters and managers know if they want to continue to look at Mehul’s profile or not by simply looking at his bio. It stands out and makes people want to know more about him and watch his career growth, including myself.

4) List your strongest skills.

If you look below the experience and education section on your LinkedIn profile, you will find a place where you can list your skills and different areas of expertise. The purpose of this section is to tell recruiters and managers what skills and tools you have knowledge on. It also gives your connections a chance to endorse your skills as well. 

Here is my up to date skills section on my LinkedIn profile.

As you can see, I have a good variety of skills listed. Be sure to list all your tools and skills, even if you do not have a lot of experience.

5) Get recommendations.

When someone writes a recommendation for you, it appears on your LinkedIn profile. After talking to recruiters and managers, I learned that they read recommendations and they are very important. Similar to your LinkedIn profile, your recommendations should showcase your skills, and accomplishments. The best people to get recommendations from are teachers, managers, and peers.

Here is an example of a solid recommendation that was written for me by a manager at my old job.

6) Connect with the right people.

Your connections are the core of your LinkedIn profile and it gives you networking power. For example, if you are interested in working at Google and one of your connections knows someone that works there, you can ask your connection to introduce you or share your profile to that person. People reach out to me all the time about different companies, and ask how I can connect them with the right person. When you send a request to connect with someone, try to stand out. Instead of sending the automatic “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.” message, try writing a personal note and explain your reasoning behind connecting with them. If you are new to LinkedIn, start off by adding people that you know first. Once your connections start growing, start adding professionals, recruiters, and managers that are in your career field.

7) Don’t be afraid to reach out.

A lot of people I know are afraid to reach out. There is nothing wrong with reaching out to recruiters and managers, even if you do not know them personally. If you create a connection with a recruiter for a company that you are interested in, send a polite message and attach your resume for them to see. This shows ambition and high interest to the recruiter. What is the worst that can happen?

Here is an example of me reaching out to a fellow collegiate alumni about job opportunities. Even though there wasn’t any job opportunities available, I would have never known if I didn’t have the courage to reach out.

Conclusion

LinkedIn is the most powerful networking tool in the market. When you utilize it correctly, it can help you find plenty of opportunities. Remember, you need to know the demands in your career field. If you are showcasing things that recruiters aren’t interested in, then your opportunity chances are very limited. As long as you continue to learn, add new skills, and network, your chances of landing that dream job are. much higher. Keep working and never give up on your dreams..