5 ways to use LinkedIn to land your first Job.

The #1 question my students ask is “How do I get a Job”. After having this discussion many times, I'm writing down the 5 ways every student should use LinkedIn to get noticed, build credibility and ultimately get hired.

Job hunting today is not a submit your resume and wait for a call back exercise. It is a proactive sales and marketing exercise that requires planning, focus and most importantly, persistence.

Whether you are seeking a full time job after graduation, an internship or summer employment, getting noticed and hired for your dream job is a challenging task. One of your most powerful tools in this journey is LinkedIn. This social media platform is not just for seasoned professionals, it's a goldmine for securing your first job.

Key piece of advice. Through this process, you need to think like a hiring manager.

• What are they looking for?
• How do they know you match what they are looking for?
• What gives them confidence that you can do the job?
• What makes you better then the 100 other applicants?

Here are 5 ways to use LinkedIn to effectively kickstart your career.

NOTE - All 5 steps of this process are required. Steps 1-3 are where you build the foundational elements, then steps 4 and 5 are where the fun starts!

Step 1 -> Decide what role, industry or company you are targeting.

Job hunting today is not a carpet bombing exercise. Blasting out resumes to every opening you find is a lot of effort, and not likely to work in today's competitive landscape.

You will be much more effective if you start by deciding what type of role you are looking for, what industry and companies you are most interested in. If you're not sure start by doing some research on roles and industries that people in your program, or with your interests are getting hired in.

There are many tools on Google, LinkedIn and Indeed to help your search companies and departments to find the job titles for roles in your area of interest. Look for entry level or junior level roles. Search those titles on LinkedIn to see where else they exist (companies / industries).

Once you identify roles, you need to understand what skills or experience those roles requires. You can do this by looking at the skills listed by people with those titles on LinkedIn.

Step 2 -> Create a compelling LinkedIn Profile

Once you know who you are targeting, what skills and experience they are looking for, you can build your profile to match.

Your LinkedIn profile is your online resume. Make sure it's complete and up-to-date. Include a professional profile picture, a catchy headline, a detailed summary of all relevant experiences, including internships, volunteer work, and important projects. Don't forget to list your accomplishments, skills and get endorsements from peers or professors.

Couple of key things for your profile:

• Your profile is your professional Brand - Think about how you want to be seen.
• Highlight Results & Accomplishments - Business is about results. Demonstrate your track record of delivering results as much as you can, including projects or sports teams you've had success with.
• Don't be shy or modest - This is your chance to highlight unique things about you, hobbies, interests that would help you stand out.
• Show your enthusiasm, passion & creativity - In the words, images and content you share.

LinkedIN offers suggestions for profiles, and look at the profiles of successful professionals and model your profile after them. Here is an example:

Step 3 -> Utilize LinkedIn Job Search and Alerts

LinkedIn's job search function is a powerful tool. Set up job alerts for your desired positions, key words and locations. You can Apply directly through LinkedIn, where you can often submit your profile in lieu of a traditional resume.

When you see a role you are interested in, move the to building relationship role in Step 4 below.

Step 4 -> Strategically build your LinkedIn Network

Now that your foundational elements are in place, you can move to the fun part, building your valuable network of professional contacts.

On LinkedIn your want to connect with other professionals. Connecting with them allows you to message and talk to them, and to see who else they are connected to. It is important to grow the number of contacts, but also add people in the industries and companies you are interested in.

How should you connect?

When sending connection requests, add a personalized message to make a good impression. I highly suggest starting with a friendly note complimenting them on something, and highlighting something you have in common as reason you want to connect.

WORD OF CAUTION – Do not solicit or ask for anything in connection request. This is your first touch with people, so focus on shared interests.

Who should you connect with?

I would suggest building your network in 2 phases.

In first phase, connect with people you know or have a natural connection with. Classmates, alumni, professors, family and friends, parents of your friends and other professionals in your field.

In the second phase you will start to target people in the companies, industry and roles you are interested in. Specifically, if you find a job you are interested in using LinkedIn alerts above, search for several people in that company and hiring department. Start to send personalized connections following suggestions below.

Once people accept your connection request as per method above, then you can message them ask if they know the hiring manager for the job, or have a few minutes to share their thoughts on the company. Your goal here is to better understand the company and role, build a relationship with possible influencer inside the company, and ideally get an intro to the hiring manager.

Step 5 -> Actively Build Visibility & Credibility with key People at Hiring Company

Now we get to the best part. This is my #1 tip for using LinkedIn to find a job, with MANY examples of how it worked successfully.

Your goal is to get noticed. Even if a hiring manager or other employees don't accept your connection request, this is a secret and highly effective way to ensure key people see your name (visibility) and for you to demonstrate your knowledge, enthusiam and interest in their role / company (credibility).

Engage with the person's posts to build relationship.

On LinkedIn you can only "message" a connection, but you can engage with their posts even if you are not connected. So, that's the secret.

TIP - When you comment on a person's posts, they are notified by LinkedIN. Most people who are actively sharing, are doing it for a reason, so they are closely monitoring and responding to their LinkedIn comments.

Not everyone is actively sharing. When want to get noticed by a specific company or department and the hiring manager isn't active, search for people at that company or department who are active on LinkedIN (there is usually someone, maybe an executive).

Once you find these people start building a relationship. "Follow" them and regularly check to see when they share a new post. When you see a post from them, or a comment they have made on someone elses posts, you should:

• LIKE it
• READ the shared info and any associated articles it is linked to
• THINK of a positive, intelligent & relevant comment, point or question you could ask
• COMMENT on the post with points above
• maybe RESHARE with your network if appropriate

I would also suggest joining LinkedIn groups related to your field or interests. Participate in discussions, share insights, and connect with group members. This not only helps in growing your network but also in establishing yourself as an engaged, proactive job seeker.

To summarize...

LinkedIn is a dynamic platform that can significantly aid in your job search. By creating a comprehensive profile, networking strategically, leveraging job search tools, engaging in groups, and accumulating endorsements and recommendations, you're setting a strong foundation for your professional journey. Remember, your first job is just a stepping stone in your career path. Make the most of LinkedIn to ensure it's a solid one.?

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