LinkedIn for Job Seekers

September 18, 2012Bill Bender

What is LinkedIn?

A Professional Networking tool that helps you: Build and Maintain your Network Learn Valuable Information about Companies and People Identify and Connect with Company Inside Connections Join Groups to gain Information and Connect with

Influential Contacts Establish your Expertise and Build Your Credibility

Build your Personal Brand

Why LinkedIn for Job Seeking?

• LinkedIn is a way to Promote Yourself to 175 million people in over 200 countries (45% in the US)

• LinkedIn Members include Executives from all the Fortune 500 companies

• LinkedIn says their Corporate Hiring Solutions are used by 85% of the Fortune 100 companies

• Recruiters and Decision Makers look at LinkedIn profiles before hiring

• LinkedIn is Free and Easy to use

How can LinkedIn Help?

The Best, Most Efficient way to Find a New Job or Change Careers is through your Network.

USA Today - “The Number One Way to Find a Job is through Referrals, and LinkedIn is the biggest referral network out there” - Charlene Li, founder of the research outfit Altimeter Group

LinkedIn is Growing at Two New Users every Minute

LinkedIn Strategy

1. Identify the Job or Career you want

2. Identify “Target Companies” that you want to work for

3. Identify “Target Contacts” that will help you get hired

4. Identify the “Brand” that will help you get that job or career

5. Build your LinkedIn Profile around those Items, Companies, Contacts, and Brand

• As You develop your LinkedIn Profile be sure every aspect Supports Your Strategy and Brand

• Don’t forget Other Social Media must also support that too!

LinkedIn Profile Components

Experience

Past and

Current

Recommendations

Applications

Summary

Skills &

Expertise

Groups

Websites

Associations

InterestsName

Photo

Headline

Intro Info

Presentations

Reading List

Blogs

Files to Share

LinkedIn Profile Basics

• Name – Use Your First & Last Name Only, no additions unless they are common in your field or desired position

• Location – This helps identify you from others with the same name

• Headline – Don’t use a common title, use something that will cause readers to look at your whole profile to learn more about you

• Photo – Use a Professional Head Shot with a neutral background to give your profile and identity a more “Personal” and “Real” appearance

LinkedIn Profile Basics

• Name – Use Your First & Last Name Only, no additions unless they are common in your field or desired position

• Location – This helps identify you from others with the same name (179 vs. 4)

• Headline – Don’t use a common title, use something that will cause readers to look at your whole profile to learn more about you

• Photo – Use a Professional Head Shot with a neutral background to give your profile and identity a more “Personal” and “Real” appearance

LinkedIn Profile Basics

• Name – Use Your First & Last Name Only, no additions unless they are common in your field or desired position

• Location – This helps identify you from others with the same name

• Headline – Don’t use a common title, use something that will cause readers to look at your profile to learn more about you

• Photo – Use a Professional Head Shot with a neutral background to give your profile and identity a more “Personal” and “Real” appearance

LinkedIn Profile Basics

• Name – Use Your First & Last Name Only, no additions unless they are common in your field or desired position

• Location – This helps identify you from others with the same name

• Headline – Don’t use a common title, use something that will cause readers to look at your whole profile to learn more about you

• Photo – Use a Professional Head Shot with a neutral background to give your profile and identity a more “Personal” and “Real” appearance

LinkedIn Profile Basics

• Customized Public Profile URL – Web Address for your LinkedIn Profile. A Custom URL is professional looking, easy to remember and use (http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/billbender)

• Summary – A short resume to highlight your Skills, Expertise, and Accomplishments. Use Key Words to be found in LinkedIn Searches

• Skill Set – A Strong Skill Set Separates you from others

• Positions – List several Past Positions and any Current Positions that are relevant to your brand and desired career

LinkedIn Profile Basics

• Customized Public Profile URL – Web Address for your LinkedIn Profile. A Custom URL is professional looking, easy to remember and use

• Summary – A short resume to highlight your Skills, Expertise, and Accomplishments. Use Key Words to be found in LinkedIn Searches

• Skill Set – A Strong Skill Set Separates you from others

• Positions – List several Past Positions and any Current Positions that are relevant to your brand and desired career

LinkedIn Profile Basics

• Customized Public Profile URL – Web Address for your LinkedIn Profile. A Custom URL is professional looking, easy to remember and use

• Summary – A short resume to highlight your Skills, Expertise, and Accomplishments. Use Key Words to be found in LinkedIn Searches

• Skill Set – A Strong Skill Set Separates you from others

• Positions – List several Past Positions and any Current Positions that are relevant to your brand and desired career

LinkedIn Profile Basics

• Customized Public Profile URL – Web Address for your LinkedIn Profile. A Custom URL is professional looking, easy to remember and use

• Summary – A short resume to highlight your Skills, Expertise, and Accomplishments. Use Key Words to be found in LinkedIn Searches

• Skill Set – A Strong Skill Set Separates you from others

• Positions – List several Past Positions and any Current Positions that are relevant to your brand and desired career

LinkedIn Profile Basics

• Recommendations – A Credible Source helps reinforce your value to prospective employers

• Applications – Several Applications help represent your brand and highlight your interest and values

• Groups – The Groups you join can give you Valuable Information and help you Network with Influential People, as well as indicate your Interest and Values

LinkedIn Profile Basics

• Recommendations – A Credible Source helps reinforce your value to prospective employers

• Applications – Several Applications help represent your brand and highlight your interest and values

• Groups – The Groups you join can give you Valuable Information and help you Network with Influential People, as well as indicate your Interest and Values

LinkedIn Profile Basics

• Recommendations – A Credible Source helps reinforce your value to prospective employers

• Applications – Several Applications help represent your brand and highlight your interest and values

• Groups – The Groups you join can give you Valuable Information and help you Network with Influential People, as well as indicate your Interest and Values

LinkedIn Etiquette

• Sending Invitations – Connect with people you Know that will Enhance your Brand. Personalize Every Invitation with how they will know you or why you want to connect. Thank everyone who accepts your invitation. Connecting with people you don’t know, have nothing in common with, and don’t have your values doesn’t help you.

• Receiving Invitations - Look at the senders profile for things in common, as well as their values and ethics. Read their Summary, Recommendations, and Groups. If you accept, be sure to thank them for inviting you to connect.

• Asking for Recommendations – Best Strategy: Send 2-3 recommendations to your connections every week. When they receive unsolicited recommendations they will be pleased and when LinkedIn asks them if they want to recommend you they will usually do so. Recommendations from your most influential connections are the most powerful. Don’t be afraid to ask for changes, they want to help you.

Make it Personal !

Using LinkedIn Features & Benefits

• LinkedIn Searches You can Search for:

• People

• Companies

• Jobs

• Groups

• Answers

• Inbox

Things to Remember in Searches:

• Click on the desired search Category in the drop down box

• Click on “Advanced” to narrow down a ‘people’ search

• For People Searches select “Current” or “Current & Past” for Titles & Companies

Using LinkedIn Features & Benefits

• LinkedIn Searches You can Search for:

• People

• Companies

• Jobs

• Groups

• Answers

• Inbox

Things to Remember in Searches:

• Click on the desired search Category in the drop down box

• Click on “Advanced” to narrow down a ‘people’ search

• For People Searches select “Current” or “Current & Past” for Titles & Companies

Using LinkedIn Features & Benefits

• LinkedIn Groups –

• Scan Target Connections for Groups of Common Interest to join.

• Follow your Target Connections’ Activity

• Learn about Potential Employers and Hiring Managers before the Interview

• Follow Target Connections’ discussions and contribute to subjects that will highlight your Expertise. Good Posts build Credibility. Frequent Posts Increase your Exposure. After Gaining Credibility you can reply directly and connect.

• Company Pages - • Learn about Company New Hires, Promotions, & Changes

• Identify Common Connections that have past or current positions

LinkedIn Job Searches

• Job Searches –

1. Click on “Find Jobs” under Jobs in the menu bar

2. Enter “Key Words” in the Search Bar

3. Click on “Advanced” to make the search more specific

LinkedIn Job Searches• Job Searches Results• for “Electrical Sales” I found

1888 jobs

• by adding zip & within 50 miles results are reduced to 13 jobs

LI Job Search Tips:

• 1 person can refer me to the hiring manager in 1st job

• I have several direct “Connections” for 1st & 5th jobs

• I have 32 people in my network at the 2nd & 3rd jobs

You can Save Searches for Automatic Notification of New Postings !

LinkedIn Statistics to Check

• Network Updates (Home Page)

What your Connections are doing.• Who’s Viewed Your

Profile(Listed on the Right Side of LI Home Page) Find potential connections

LinkedIn Statistics to Check

• LinkedIn Profile Views (emailed to you by LI)

Number of times your profile is viewed or found in searches Indicates how successful your Profile & Strategy are

• People You May Know(Listed on the Right Side of LI Home Page) Suggested based on Current Connections & Positions

LinkedIn Premium Accounts

• LinkedIn Premium Accounts• When to Consider Upgrading

• Expanded Search Results (100 w/ basic, 300, 500, 700 w/ premium)

• Expanded Profiles (2nd degree w/ basic – All w/ premium)

• Expanded Who’s Viewed Profile (Most Recent 5 w/ basic – All w/ premium)

• InMails - LinkedIn’s premium messaging (None w/ basic, 3, 10, 25 w/ premium)

• Cost Basic: free Premium: $20, 40, 75 /month

Job Seeker Accounts: $20, 30, & 50 / month

Learn More About LinkedIn

• LinkedIn Groups • Linked Strategies, Linked4Ministry, LinkedIn Group Product Forum

• LinkedIn Mobil (iPhone & iPad, Android, BlackBerry)

• Your Career Calling, Jobs 2.0, (search Groups by industry & key words)

• Blogs• Interns Over 40 - http://internsover40.blogspot.com

• Websites• Linked Strategies - http://www.linkedstrategies.com/webinar-registration/

• Windmill Networking - http://windmillnetworking.com

• I’m on LinkedIn, Now What? - http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/

• Linked4Ministry – http://www.Linked4Ministry.org

• Webinars

Learn More About LinkedIn

• LinkedIn Help Center - http://help.linkedin.com/app/home/

Web Search Tools

• Quotation Marks “xx” – search for multiple words like “Vice President”

• Parenthesis – search for multiple things like (“Vice President” OR Director)

• AND / OR – ‘include’ or ‘exclude’ words or word strings in search (use CAPS)

• Plus Marks ‘+’ – include multiple criteria in your search. “Acme Paper” + (“Vice President” OR Director) + Marketing

• Asterisk ‘*’ – wild card, use * if you don’t know the whole name

• E-mail address Formats – find any company e-mail address to get format

• Page cannot be found – find deleted pages by clicking on “Cached”

• Google Show Options – Click on the “More” drop down box in the left hand column

Google Alerts - automatically notifies you of new postings - http://www.Google.com/alerts

LinkedIn Questions ? ?