Back in the days when Julie Andrews belted out this song in the classic “Sound of Music,” what used to transpire via Rolodexes and phone calls from initial outreach to first-step networking to reconnecting with long-lost colleagues, today happens on LinkedIn.
Interested in how to get the quickest ROI when it comes to LinkedIn? Below are the Top 4 functions offered by LinkedIn invaluable in my experience to today’s job search:
#1 Who’s Viewed Your Profile
Think of this as LinkedIn’s Caller-ID – where you can see who has checked out your profile (providing they have made their profile public or partially public).
Find out who has checked you out by going to “Profile” from your LinkedIn’s home page and selecting “Who’s Viewed Your Profile.”
With this information, users are armed with the perfect segue into a conversation that begins with “Thanks for visiting my profile!”
#2 Recommendations
Struggling with how to describe yourself or want to show that you mean what you’ve written?
Let the words of others corroborate your story OR let them do the talking for you via a LinkedIn recommendation. LinkedIn makes it easy for you to request the recommendations of others, and to repay the favor by offering to write one for them.
Simply hover over your picture icon in the upper right hand corner of your home page and select accordingly.
#3 Pulse
I always recommend my clients become active on LinkedIn by liking, sharing and commenting on the articles of others.
Not only does this help to position you as a thought leader, it keeps your profile at the top of the feeds of your connections – helping to keep you at the top of their list should an opportunity arise.
LinkedIn Pulse offers a treasure trove of articles written by influencers (some well-known, others not) ripe for reviewing and sharing. You can locate Pulse by going to the “Interests” tab on your home page and selecting “Pulse.”
The best part of LinkedIn Pulse? It has its’ own APP for iOS and Android devices which means it is mobile friendly (you can share and like when you have brief moments of downtime on the go!), and you can customize by selecting topics or subject matters of interest.
#4 Cyber Sleuthing
Want to identify companies to target or people with whom to connect? LinkedIn can serve as one-stop shopping.
Company Sleuthing
Even though LinkedIn’s original intent was to serve as a database of professionals, today the site’s company pages allow you to get an overview of the organization.
Perhaps more importantly, it offers you the opportunity to see the names of employees who work there that you know, or those you’d like to get to know.
Once you “follow” a company by clicking on the button, you’ll start receiving updates, job openings and any other details communicated by the company.
People Sleuthing
LinkedIn’s People Search functionality may likely be one of THE MOST POWERFUL TOOLS in the site’s arsenal.
It has proved invaluable to many of my clients looking to make smart, strategic connections, and to learn about folks with whom they will be interviewing.
Using the people search, one can learn about their experience, connections, education and interests. If nothing else, the information may yield ammo for a conversational ice breaker during an awkward interview moment.
Find and Get Found
Whatever your opinion of LinkedIn, few doubt it is THE place to find others and get found in the professional world – particularly when engaged in a job hunt.
While LinkedIn offers plenty of additional useful tools, the above four are easy to use and will give you the fastest bang for your buck during a job search.
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Interested in learning more about getting your career documents ready for today’s readers?
Call to schedule a resume consult, or check out my Emergency Career Toolkit – a series of 8 short and sweet videos that explain the techniques I employ with my clients to create resumes, LinkedIn profiles and cover letters that land interviews in 60 days.
www.virginiafrancoresumes.com | VAFrancoResumes@gmail.com | 704-771-8572