Using LinkedIn for Your Job Search

LinkedIn is a lot like chocolate -
more useful than it seems, and healthy too!
(image source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Linkedin_Chocolates.jpg)

by Megan Elliott, Social Media Developer

Chances are if you’re reading this, you have at least one social networking profile. You’re connected to tons of people on Facebook and Google+, get yourself into a whirlpool of crafty things to do on Pintrest, or hang out and chat with people on Twitter all day long. Have you made yourself a LinkedIn profile yet?

LinkedIn is probably the most useful tool in your online job search toolbox. This is where your professional life is on display for anyone to see, from recruiters to human resources at that company you would give your eyeteeth to go to work for – if you have a profile.

You don’t have to be an especially tech savvy person to create a LinkedIn profile. If you figured out Facebook, you’ve figured out how to fill in all the boxes on LinkedIn. Plus, they walk you through the weak spots in your profile and can give you suggestions on how to improve it. It is a good idea to get someone to read behind you and make sure that you didn’t make any spelling or grammatical errors. Following the link above should give you some really good pointers to make your profile stand out from the crowd.

The search box in the top right is the most useful part of LinkedIn, after making that profile so that you can be found and seen and possibly contacted about a job. Your connections are awesome, that’s true, because their networks are a good way to get you in contact with jobs, but you can also follow the specific companies who might have jobs available.

Those companies, from big ones to little ones, list their openings all the time on LinkedIn, and sometimes even before they update their jobs portal on their home website! Follow those companies, and you have an inside peek at those job openings, and you don’t have to use another job board to find them.

The latest news from LinkedIn is that they have updated their search engine, so you can actually search by job title (like “administrative assistant”). If you use the advanced search option, you can filter by company and people you know who work at those companies. You can also set LinkedIn to e-mail you results that match your specific search criteria – so you don’t have to do the same search each week.

One final thing to note about the power of a LinkedIn profile – and why you should always keep it updated – lots of hiring managers use it as a reference tool to see if your resume matches up with your work experience. The link above is a how-to guide on using LinkedIn to check up on job applicants.

How have you used social media sites to find jobs? Would you recommend that your friends create a LinkedIn profile after reading this? Let us know in the comments!

Networking... What's the Big Deal?

By Megan Elliott

A buzzword you may have heard during your job search is “networking,” but what does that word mean? What does networking have to do with a job search? Well, everything, if you do it right.

Networking is simply something that you do on a regular basis, talking to your friends and family. A helpful suggestion is to write down everyone you know. Family members, friends, friends of friends, coworkers from previous jobs, and even casual acquaintances are part of your network. Each person in that network can connect you with people in their network. If you write down everyone you know, and call them to ask for their support while you’re looking for a job, and suggestions of people they know who may have a good lead, you potentially have thousands of job leads in no time!

Before you start calling and e-mailing everyone in your network, however, it’s best to have a plan in mind as to how you’re going to approach your network. Develop your plan by asking yourself questions and preparing a statement that answers all of them.

1.       Who will you be talking to?

2.       How would they know you?

3.       What specific jobs are you looking for?

4.       What are your best skills within those types of jobs?

5.       How can you be best contacted?

A good answering service response to these questions would be, “Hello Mr. Evan Clark! My friend Tripp Carter told me to call you today. I’m Megan Elliott, and I’m looking for a job as an administrative assistant within your company. I have excellent phone skills, and I learn filing systems quickly.  If you would like more information, please call me at (843) 519-1319.”

If you’ve been lucky enough to get the person you’re trying to reach on the phone, make sure you keep the conversation flowing. Ask questions, wait for appropriate responses, go into more detail about your skills, and make sure you follow their directions when they ask for you to send in your resume or cover letter.

In-person networking can be more intimidating, but it’s also been shown to be more rewarding. Person-to-person contact allows for eye contact, which is known to increase a feeling of trust among the participants in the conversation.

E-mailing someone can be a little tricky. If they don’t know you, the e-mail can be sent straight to the trash bin, without the person you wanted to read it ever realizing that you sent it. If they do know you, it can be ignored until they have the time to respond to you. One advantage to e-mailing someone is that there is no limit to the number of words you can use, but a good rule of thumb is to keep it to a paragraph or two of quality information that answers the same questions as listed above.

Above all else, remember that networking is all about making and maintaining relationships with people who have similar interests or desires as you. If someone tells you they don’t know of anyone hiring, don’t give up! As the old saying goes, “As one door closes, another one opens.” Keep looking for those open doors. You never know what may walk through them!

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