7 Out of the Ordinary Things Job Hunters Can Do to Get Noticed on LinkedIn
Even if you use all the right job buzz words, your LinkedIn profile still may not catch the attention of your potential new boss when on a job search. Isn't it time you stopped lurking on LinkedIn and took control of your search?
Before you start applying these new ideas, search to see how many people or companies have viewed your profile. LinkedIn now summarizes this information for you when you view your profile. You will see two numbers immediately below your summary section. LinkedIn tells you how many people or companies have viewed your profile and how many people have viewed your posts. (You may also see the number of connections you have.) If you click on either number it will take you to a new page with greater detail. Write these numbers down and check them after you've begun implementing your new actions on LinkedIn. You will notice a difference. And this will help you in your search for a new job through the platform.
[See: 10 Ways Social Media Can Help You Land a Job.]
Publish an article on LinkedIn. If you've always wanted to blog or have a knack for writing, this is your opportunity to show off your communication skills or tell a story about your job, company or career. You may choose to write a case study about a job success you took part in, list your favorite "tools of the trade," provide your opinion on an industry trend or describe a personal career achievement. Proofread your work before hitting publish. Anything you write should be free of grammatical and typographical errors. Once published, share your article as a status update on LinkedIn and any other social media channels you are active on to gain greater readership within your network. As an added bonus, when someone searches your profile, your most recent article is featured immediately below your summary section.
Create a career summary using SlideShare. Sometimes it is challenging to condense your work history onto one or two pages. What if you could create a presentation highlighting your career achievements instead? Start by creating a visual summary of your career using your favorite presentation software. If you aren't sure what to use, search online for the presentation program that you feel comfortable with. Then upload it to SlideShare, which is owned by LinkedIn. SlideShare is a repository of presentations on many different topics. Once you have uploaded your presentation into SlideShare, share it as a status update on LinkedIn. Use your creativity and you'll find endless options for ways to use SlideShare to highlight your personal brand.
Like, comment or share one article every day. It may seem extreme to post something daily, but most people will not log into their LinkedIn profile every day, and even if they do, they may not search for or see your activity. Daily LinkedIn activity related to jobs, companies or your career increases the odds that someone sees your name, face and information you share in their home feed. Share an article related to your industry or job. If you search for and find something outside of LinkedIn, most publishers offer "share" buttons which allow you to share it on LinkedIn. Add an introduction or short explanation about why you are sharing the article to catch a reader's attention. Another solution is to like and leave a comment on an interesting post someone has shared on LinkedIn. Search your home feed on LinkedIn and look at what your network is sharing. Whenever you like or comment on something someone has shared, it will ping them. This is one way to keep your name in front of your valuable network.
[See: 25 Best Business Jobs for 2017.]
Tag someone. If you want to make sure someone in your network sees something you are sharing, tag them and they will receive a notification from LinkedIn. To search their name, begin typing the name of the person you want to tag in the status update field. You will see a list of people begin to appear under the name you have typed. Click on the correct person and you know you've been successful when the name is highlighted in blue.
Reach out with a personalized invite to connect. As common as this may sound, the majority of invitations people receive are generic. You're more likely to have success connecting with people if you personalize your invitation. Some people consider the generic invite lazy or even unprofessional. LinkedIn might occasionally send the invite without giving you the chance to personalize your invitation. To prevent this from happening, visit the member's profile page first and then click "Connect." If you accidentally send a generic invite, immediately send an InMail or message to the person you connected with and explain who you are and why you want to connect. It's also a good idea to explain that the invitation was sent before you could add your message. We all make mistakes, but taking the time to explain yourself to them may actually strengthen your connection.
[See: 7 Companies With Perks That Will Totally Make You Jealous.]
Turn on LinkedIn's Open Candidate feature. This newer feature on LinkedIn allows companies and recruiters to see that you are actively open to new jobs and opportunities. Recruiters who work for your current employer listed on LinkedIn will not be able to see this annotation, to prevent the wrong people from knowing you are on a job search. To turn this setting on, go to the jobs icon and click on "Update career interests." From this page, make sure you fill out all the fields requested by LinkedIn, such as the job title, geographic preference and types of companies you are interested in. This should help match you with the right jobs or opportunities.
Give a great testimonial. Before you visit a new restaurant or order a new product online, do you read the reviews? Recruiters and companies are no different. Before they hire you or even interview you, they want to know what others think about you. It is uncomfortable and often awkward for you to ask for a recommendation. Why not write one instead? Writing a testimonial for a colleague, manager or client is not only nice, it makes you look good, too. A well-written testimonial shows your professionalism, leadership and strong moral character. Seeing these characteristics in action may be more powerful than just listing them in your summary or on your resume. And one added bonus: The person who receives your recommendation may be prompted to write one for you in return, which will only bolster your LinkedIn profile.
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