Job aspirants are in for exciting times as the online hiring activity has increased substantially year on year. Top recruiters of India Inc. have their eyes constantly on potential profiles on LinkedIn to meet their aggressive hiring needs which makes this professional networking platform one of the most efficient for all for job seekers and job providers.
This calls for a methodical, tactical and brainy use of LinkedIn by job seekers to showcase their skills and grab the attention of potential employers. Here is what you need to do:
1. Get the Basics Right!
Make an eye catchy profile which could be easily hunted by recruiters. A professional headshot photograph with a concise and convincing headline is the first impression. This is the gateway to your profile, so make sure it is as impressive as possible. The headline can consists of words describing your skills and/or industry. You need to consider what recruiters from our industry are likely to search and accordingly update your headline.
2. The Art of Networking!
Your network is the back bone of your LinkedIn profile. There is no better time than today to reach up to your alumni, juniors, past and current colleagues from work, college faculties and any individual who has an educational and/or professional connect with you. Connect with them on LinkedIn. Don’t hesitate to congratulate your peers, seniors and juniors in your network on their achievements. Be interactive on their posts and engage into open forum discussions with them. This is how you build a professional rapport which could aid you gain excellent references for placing your CVs into the right hands.
3. Endorsements for your Personal Branding!
Ultimately it is all about differentiating yourself from others. To stand out of the crowd. To let the employers know who you are professionally and what have you got to offer. Update all the relevant skills you have developed over your employment journey. Avoid adding generic skills into your profile to keep the noise as less as possible when recruiters scan your profile. Ask for endorsements on your skills from your connections. Do not feel shy in asking for endorsements as they help in validating your skills by peers which also reflects your ability to maintain healthy relationships at work.
4. Follow your Dream Companies
Companies have their pages on LinkedIn and they keep updating them with the latest buzz. Access the content to get a closer idea about the company. Many a times it may give you immense knowledge about the profile you are targeting. Post relevant comments to let the recruiters notice your inclination towards the firm. You get to update your knowledge and interest for the firm and the recruiters get better visibility of interested candidates. It is a win-win situation for everyone.
5. Stay Active!
Recruiters are silently observing potential candidates on LinkedIn. It is an excellent platform to showcase the industry/domain knowledge that you possess by regularly posting updates and contents useful for your industry peers. You have to create your opportunities for getting that dream job and if that does not come of its own, it’s better to take matters into your own hands!
Jitu is Co-Founder of Mantras2Success. He has Engineering & MBA degrees to his name, along with 10+ years of corporate work experience in fortune 500 companies. Jitu is passionate about improving the careers of the modern day professional. He would be reading books or watching documentaries if not fulfilling his dreams at Mantras2Success.