Communications of the ACM
Using Linkedin to Track Down Your Dream Job
Credit: The Globe and Mail
Your LinkedIn profile is your chance to showcase your skills and talents and help the right people and opportunities find their way to you. Tapping your social network on LinkedIn can be an effective way to embrace a different functional area in your career, especially if your connections know about a job that has not yet been posted or your connection to the hiring manager has already been created. Whether you're using LinkedIn to find a job or to build a network, it's important to have a complete profile. Members with at least one past position listed on their profiles are 12 times more likely to be found by employers, while adding a photo to their profiles increases their chances sevenfold. The more complete your profile, the better the chance that you can hear about new opportunities through indirect connections.
Focus on building your network. Even if you're already employed, having a strong network of people you know and trust is essential. You may be able to use those connections for references and job leads in the future. A good word from those who know your work highlights your strengths, so reach out to past managers and colleagues for references you can include in your profile. Highlight your skills. By adding relevant skills to your profile, you'll come up in search results when employers need someone like you for a project or job. Skills pages will also tell you which groups on LinkedIn you can join to learn more about that skill and jobs that require that ability. Keep tabs on companies. When you follow a company page on LinkedIn, you'll be able to see updates on new hires, promotions and job opportunities.
LinkedIn's job-search engine allows you to hone your search by specific companies, locations, experience levels and job functions. It also lets you see the individuals doing the hiring, as well as anyone in your network who can refer you to those people or to someone else who works at the company. Keep in mind that LinkedIn Answers is a great way to share business knowledge by asking and answering questions on specific subjects. By demonstrating your expertise on LinkedIn, you earn recognition that helps you build your credibility. The "Apply with LinkedIn" button makes it easy to submit your LinkedIn profile and cover letter for job postings. It will also display your professional connections who work at that company, or who can introduce you to someone there, to increase your chances of being hired through a referral.
From The Globe and Mail
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