Tech Tuesday USING LinkedIn for YOUR JOB SEARCH

Power of LinkedIn More than 300 million members Expands connections/reconnects you Increases your visibility in job market May decrease amount of time to find job Can use to explore job opportunities & research companies

Purpose of LinkedIn Build up contact network Used to find & apply for jobs Used by employers to post jobs Used by employers to search for candidates Review profile of hiring managers Follow companies interested in

Why LinkedIn in Job Search Employers using LinkedIn 70% jobs not posted Helps you identify who you may know in company where applying Can look into hiring manager Enhances research into company

Signing Up/ Building Profile Go to Create complete profile Profile is more than a resume, it’s an online persona Think carefully about what you put in your headline – it appears everywhere Upload professional looking photo

Building Profile Use key words employers looking for in profile, experience and skills sections Think like a search engine using terms that people might be searching for Consider omitting jobs that don’t serve your current career goals Build up to at least 100 connections

Create a Valuable Network The number of connections is not as important as the value of those connections Adding connection is not like trading business cards – they publically connect you Start with current and former colleagues and develop those relationships

How Do I Make the Most of It? Develop a full, robust profile Create a valuable network Use LinkedIn’s Tools Wisely Most of the for-fee memberships aren’t worth it

How to Use for Job Search Make sure profile complete Determine type of job you want Develop list of employers/follow them

Using for Job Search Click on “Jobs” “Search” For Advanced Search look at: *Keyword*Location *Company*Job Function *Industry*Job Title *Experience

Completing Your Profile: Header The header is critical to promote interest Needs to be searchable (identify 3 to 4 key terms someone would use to find candidates with your expertise) Provide enough information to gain interest Add professional looking photo

Completing Your Profile: SUMMARY The summary section is where you can really sell yourself. You should let everyone know exactly who you are, what you do and what you have to offer. Set out the high points of your career and explain how you have made a difference. Make the content interesting to draw viewers in, but keep it short and concise – ideally around 50 words. Write in the first person and make sure you appear confident and impressive but not boastful. Ask someone to review your summary before you make your profile public – it is often easier for others to judge the tone of your summary.

Sample Summary: Marketing Manager I’m the Marketing Manager for XYZ Corp, a software developer focused on middleware for the video game industry. In this role I lead the company’s B2B marketing efforts, overseeing a team of four marketing and sales professionals and managing the annual spend. Our most exciting work to date was creating a social media and online advertising campaign that generated enormous media buzz and was key to the successful launch of the Zwango software in Not only did we have fun creating that campaign, but also we found it rewarding to see the results. Before joining XYZ, I worked for two marketing agencies — XYZ & Partners and Red Dog Marketing –- and was lucky enough to work with amazing clients such as Etrade, Bank of America, Sony Music, and Microsoft. I’m truly passionate about my work and always eager to connect with other marketers. While I enjoy all aspects of my job, I think my favorite stage of a project is working with the client or business unit leader to understand his or her business objectives. As we go through that collaborative process, the ideas start to flow and that’s always the fun part. I have an MBA from New York University and a BA from the University of Southern California. I’m always interested in hearing from former colleagues, managers, or just interesting creative folk, so feel free to contact me if you’d like to connect.

Specialties and Skills You should include all the areas of expertise that you want to promote on LinkedIn. Use keywords related to these specialties/skills, particularly those key skills that employers you are trying to impress are looking for in their ideal candidate to maximize the chances of people finding your profile when they search for the terms.

Experience & Education Consider not including jobs that don’t relate to the job you are looking for, but be cautious of gaps and it must be consistent with your resume If you select dates of education, it WILL show on your LinkedIn Profile

More Information Visit the LinkedIn Learning Center for more information