I am fortunate to have had an opportunity to change multiple roles over the last few years – in the best and worst economies. As much as I am grateful for this, over the years I have ‘tried and tested’ this formula to reach out to mentors and pioneers in the industry on LinkedIn to seek guidance, and it has worked for me every single time 🙂 , all thanks to the kind people in my LinkedIn connections who are always ready to help and guide someone in need!
Here are a few things one should take note while trying to get hired via LinkedIn:
Get your intentions right :
Though LinkedIn is becoming more of a social platform for ‘anything and everything’, rather than just ‘professional’, it is still a fact that most posts and conversations are largely around professional success, viewpoints, career growth or job hunt. You can post highlights of your career and academics, views on upcoming trends related to the domains and industries you are passionate about and reaching out for professional guidance, to gain visibility. Many recruiters and hiring managers are looking for your interests and career aspirations through your posts, engagements and groups that you are a part/active member of.
Work on your profile :
Your profile page is the first thing that can pass algorithms or potentially impress a hiring manager. Keep your profile picture latest and ‘professional’. Update all sections on the profile, which will reflect how meticulous and serious you are about your career aspirations. It is a chance to display your skill-set that outshines you from other candidates for your future role. Let recruiters know you are open and looking for jobs, set up a job alert for the roles you are looking for. Display all the badges and stars that you have accumulated over the years!
Ask for career advice, rather that a job :
Not all your connections are always hiring. There may be no vacancies in their companies or they may not be in a position to hire you at the moment. Instead of outrightly asking for a job from every new contact in your connections (which can be rude sometimes), ask for genuine career advice and prospects, tips to make your profile better, or simply ask for connecting you to the hiring manager. DO NOT ask for a referral right away, unless you have professionally or personally known someone. There is a feature on LinkedIn to seek career advice – in which there are auto recommendations for significantly successful people you can contact who can ‘mentor’ you.
Never burn the bridges :
More often than not, your network will help you in your job search. There are times when things are not in one’s control and your connections may not be able to get an interview for your dream job right away. Be understanding of their situation! In such cases, leave a thank you note for acknowledging your messages and keep in touch. You never know when they could help you in the future or when you may cross paths. The world is small, and I have worked time and again with so many ex-colleagues along the way. If someone did help you get an interview or a job, do return your gratitude for their help! 🙂 Just a small gesture for the kindness they extended.
You don’t need a premium account to get hired :
A premium LinkedIn account does give you some level of visibility and access to LinkedIn Inmails to recruiters and hiring managers, it’s definitely not a must to get hired. Recruiters will usually search for you – based on your skillset, title and summary on your page. The more active you are, the more visible is your profile. All you need is persistence, courage and willingness to ask for advice on how you can reach your career goals and develop yourself for your dream job.
Share your ‘mantras’ on how to land a job in the comment section 🙂 ! Happy job hunting in the meanwhile! Check out other articles on Mindful living here.
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