The Internet is great! For among all the other things it does for you, it also gives employees and employers worldwide a great opportunity to access one another without the hassle of finding references or having to track the physical location housing a company. In fact, the internet has introduced some truly amazing platforms, which have turned out to be great solutions to quite a few problems. LinkedIn is for sure one of those remarkable platforms where we have a social networking site entirely dedicated to the business community, which lets its users create professional profiles, post resumes online, and connect with other professionals and job-seekers worldwide.
Local Cable Deals bring astounding packages which thoroughly helped me complete the process I had to go through to land my dream job via LinkedIn; their powerful internet connection made it a piece of cake to post my online CV profiles everywhere, staying in touch with regular updates on my CV or an interview, not to forget actually give video interviews without a hiccup. The phone service also added a plus factor when my mobile phone ditched me at the nth hour; I could still connect with the employer to determine their exact location before leaving for the interview. Here I must say, during my recent job hunt, I also binge-watched TV to keep myself entertained during some rather anxious times.
Fact is, when it comes to job hunting, there are many online platforms. However, LinkedIn still beats them all, so let’s first comprehend why LinkedIn is more important for anyone working or willing to join the professionals’ market?
1. Top Searches
If we are a recruiter and have to interview someone for an important role in the company, we will make sure to find out as much as we can to gauge what the candidate may be like beyond the CV. In such situations, a CV is actually never enough – the reason why someone would be in the first place searching LinkedIn for the services you provide. Your potential recruiter would definitely research you before hiring and, at times, even before calling you for a face-to-face interview. LinkedIn is so strong, you have to type the name, and it will appear in all the top searches, including Google, the number one search engine. And this only reinstates how important your online profile is and that LinkedIn is definitely the right place for making your online profile.
2. Personal Branding Platform
When you are applying for a job, you look for the best possible work and workplace, in terms of employers’ repute as a company, salary, and the number of things that can help you grow your career in the future. Thanks to the internet, today, when you do your personal branding, your CV becomes your brochure, and you a brand. You have to consider yourself a brand while making your CV. Keep it short, but make it look complete and concise, with no mistakes, no grammatical errors, no misleading or incorrect information, and keep it formal. There is no harm in availing expert services for making your CV worthwhile; since this is your entry card, even if you know the CEO, your first impression would be based on your CV.
LinkedIn provides us a forum where we can brand ourselves, showcase our skills, education, experiences, and other achievements. Even if you desperately need a job, and even if you can, you cannot apply for every job opening in the market – you might not reach them promptly. LinkedIn covers this factor, too; your CV is displayed all the time, even before the job comes into the market. Recruiters can see your profile to determine if you would meet the skill-set they are looking for.
3. Regular Updating
Making your profile on LinkedIn may not be enough if you are not regularly updating it. Keep posting – even if you are already working somewhere or doing an internship – if you have learned a new skill or language if you have decided to go back to college to enhance your academic profile, or just completed another degree, new certification, or diploma, or even if you have volunteered with or for someone or participated in some extracurricular activity – update your LinkedIn profile with all that. It will make your profile look active and more complete. As a candidate, you would appear approachable to everyone, compared to someone who made the profile and moved to Mars right after that.
4. Groups Are Powerful
Apart from making your profile and showcasing your skill-set, you also get the golden opportunity to become part of the multiple groups on LinkedIn – groups that are either dedicated to job-seekers or companies in any particular field of expertise. The healthiest activity would be to join pertinent groups and stay updated about the market. This is the power of the internet and online personal branding – utilize it fully!
5. Share Ideas And Follow Companies.
Similar to what we do on Facebook – except whatever we do on Facebook is mostly personal – you can also share your ideas and thoughts on LinkedIn with a professionals community. Acquaint yourself with ideas and experiences shared by other professionals. You can also follow the accounts of various companies and get their updates directly. LinkedIn thus affords an open opportunity for networking and getting noticed by the right employer.
6. Write A Great Summary and Tag-line
Now, if you have followed the aforementioned instructions, it’s time for your cake’s icing. Yes! You have to write a smart tag-line that will appear in all the searches every time someone tries to search for you or see your name in the suggestions.
Write a crispy yet classy sounding summary of your professional journey – something that reflects your personality through your professional history – something that highlights your strengths. Everyone will be able to see your qualifications, phenomenal achievements, and the number of things you have done so far. And as they read through your depiction of yourself, they would be introduced to your person and see a glimpse of who you are – information that tells them what you like and how you learn, what your hobbies are, and what you plan to focus upon in the coming years.
7. A Personal Touch Goes A Long Way.
While making your online profile, writing your tag-line, or summarizing your accomplishments, besides being extra cautious and vigilant about the silly mistakes and errors, be careful about being authentic, honest, and following the right timeline. Adding your personal tone, your essence will help add the personal touch, which would go a long way. It will leave a long-lasting impression and will serve as the cherry on top.
The bottom line is:
No matter how many inbox messages or job offers you may receive, or how many Skype interviews you may give, face-to-face meetings are still the real thing. Once you have put yourself out there as a brand with the power to attract the right market, don’t just rely on someone approaching you. Focus on sealing the deal instead of lingering on with the virtual talk. As anywhere else online, remember, even on professional sites, you must not share any sensitive personal information such as bank details.
