Are you stuck in a dead-end job? Not making the money you deserve? Just need a change but afraid your boss will find out if you start looking for a new job? LinkedIn to the rescue!
Obviously, you don’t want to use words like seeking, pursuing or looking in your LinkedIn profile—that’s the quickest way to the unemployment line. But sprucing up your profile, adjusting a few of your settings, and creating targeted search alerts are a few of the easy steps you can take when looking for a new job “under the radar.”
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Spruce up your profile
If you have used your LinkedIn account sparingly and all of a sudden there’s a flurry of activity, this might be a red flag to your boss. Therefore, if you plan to make edits to your profile, be sure that the Share with network button is toggled over to “No” to turn off the notifications to your network about the profile changes you’re making.
Keywords. Use plenty of the keywords hiring managers and recruiters might use to find people with your specialties and skills (e.g., job duties, titles, industry certifications, software expertise, etc.).
For help on this, download my worksheet Keywords: The Key to Being Found on LinkedIn by clicking here.
About (formerly titled Summary). This is tricky. You need to look like a happy employee while at the same time touting your expertise and accomplishments. Keywords are definitely important. For example, “Johnson Company always puts the customer first, and my attention to detail and ability to provide excellent customer service make me a good fit at Johnson.”
Experience. Include a detailed description of your accomplishments for every job entry you include in this section. You’re trying to differentiate yourself from other job applicants, so don’t skimp here.
Headline. You only get one shot at a first impression. Make it a good one. It’s short—only 120 characters on the desktop—so you’ll need to be creative. But if you input this section using your LinkedIn mobile app, then you get 220 characters. A note of caution: This hack seems to work almost 100% of the time when using an Apple device but inconsistently on non-Apple devices.
For additional help on this critical section of your profile, download my free worksheet The Definitive Worksheet to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile Headline by clicking here.
Skills. LinkedIn members will give you endorsements for your skills, and you’ll want to focus on including the skills you hope to use in your new job.
Completing this profile section correctly is critical, but it can be a bit confusing. Check out my article Have You Taken Advantage of the Changes to LinkedIn Skills? for a detailed discussion.
Accomplishments special profile sections. Options include Publications, Certifications, Patents, Courses, Projects, Honors & Awards, Test Scores, Languages, and Organizations. These are a terrific way to impress readers of your profile and differentiate yourself from other candidates.
Education. In addition to your general educational background, include any specialized courses you’ve completed. Describe them in detail and use lots of keywords.
Recommendations. Outside corroboration of the information on your profile is extremely important. Your two most recent recommendations will be prominently displayed on your profile, so try to get at least two current, impactful recommendations. You probably don’t want to ask your boss for a recommendation, but customers, vendors, and college professors (for recent grads) are great options.
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Be proactive
Once your profile is in tip-top shape, you’re ready to start actively looking for a job.
Jobs Tab. Be sure to set your career interest preferences. Also, use the job search function here to laser focus your search for job postings that fit your desired positions. You can set up to ten job search alerts in the Jobs tab. It’s like having a 24/7 virtual assistant. LinkedIn will alert you when jobs are posted that meet your criteria.
Create search alerts. With a free LinkedIn account, you can create up to three Advanced People Search alerts. Use these for your target companies—the places you’d most like to work.
Alumni. Access this by clicking the name of one of the schools you attended on your profile. Then click the Alumni tab on that university’s LinkedIn page. Use the available filters to find out if any fellow alumni work at the companies where you’re interested in exploring a new opportunity.
“Follow” companies. Go to the company page of your target companies and “follow” them. You’ll then be notified of job postings and employment changes at the company.
If you follow this advice, HR professionals and recruiters will start discovering your profile. But don’t just sit around and wait for a job offer. Be an active part of the almost 600 million member LinkedIn community, and before you know it you’ll have landed the job of your dreams.
If you’d like to have an individualized LinkedIn strategy session with me to discuss your LinkedIn job-seeking activities, along with loads of advice for amping up your LinkedIn ROI, sign up for a one-on-one session with me by clicking here.
This consultation includes a full profile critique and takes place via phone and screen sharing. I typically have time for only four to six of these $197 sessions each week, and there are some weeknight and Saturday time slots. So check out the details and book your session here.