How I used LinkedIn, to Get a Job at LinkedIn

It was 5:00 AM in Tucson, Arizona, AND MY PHONE WOULD NOT STOP VIBRATING! As a college student, every nanosecond of sleep matters, yet my “alarm” was going off one hour early. I woke up to thousands of notifications from my email, missed calls, and you guessed it…LinkedIn notifications. A few days before, I posted a video resume titled: Calling All Recruiters, Meet Niah J. Curry! I had no expectation of the video going viral. To date, the first video has received 263,000+ views. With those analytics, I acted quickly to produce a follow-up video. The second video received over 327,000+ views. And now the audience is wondering…How?

Now that I have caught your attention, let me share my story. In August of 2017, I began my senior year at the University of Arizona. I was and am, so excited to graduate college, but there was one goal I had yet to accomplish: secure a full-time job. In business school, we are taught to get a great summer internship at the end of junior year and then if you work hard, that internship will lead to an offer! What was left out was, that narrative doesn’t work for everyone. And furthermore, I was not a student who enjoyed career fairs. Typically, because the kinds of companies I saw myself growing around, weren’t coming to Tucson. So, I began senior year brainstorming how I was going to get a full-time job before I even graduated.

I applied to hundreds of positions! I knew I had a strong resume and work-ethic, BUT WHO REALLY READS YOUR RESUME! I was literally thinking: how can I make recruiters hire me, all I really need is 10 seconds to capture their attention. Then it hit me: Video Resume. Now, I can’t take credit for creating the video resume, I have seen it done before. I just decided to make it better and leverage a broader network. Studies show you have about 20 seconds to capture online viewers’ attention (www.fastcompay.com). I created a 59-second video, highlighting a few, key experiences and then using strong and confident adjectives that illustrated who I am and why I should be hired. By creating an improved video resume, recruiters and people around the globe got to meet me virtually, and if they liked me…we went straight to next steps.

I only had a few hours to execute. I reached out to Tyler Downey Photography. The company had never done video resumes, but I persuaded that mine should be the first. The day of recording, I didn’t have much time, to prepare, so I hustled. I wrote my script on a paper napkin after leaving a scholarship brunch. I rehearsed it on the drive to the studio and 10 takes later I had my video resume.

Next, I posted the video on all of my social media outlets. I received views, but not from recruiters. A day went by and I reached out to a friend with a substantial network, Tyrone Jacobs, to repost. What happens next? VIRAL. It was reposted again, and again, views increasing by the second and my phone ringing off the hook. What really made it go viral was a comment from the CEO of LinkedIn, Jeff Weiner. With his endorsement, everyone on LinkedIn had the opportunity to view this video. Who doesn’t follow the CEO of LinkedIn…on LinkedIn? I was receiving calls and emails from Fortune 500 companies around the world. I was confused as to how they got my number. Even more so, I was filled with a hunger to execute in the job market. My next play was CRUCIAL. I had to pivot this whole story so that I could accomplish my goal that I set at the very beginning. I did the unthinkable. I reached out to LinkedIn.

Shortly after, I went through the interview process like every candidate does. My recruiter, Pedro Ba?uelos, was amazing! Pedro walked me through the entire process, was patient, and genuinely wanted me to succeed. It was such a blessing! I was challenged beyond measure and in the best way possible. As a confident woman, I was nervous during each interview. However, the more I spoke with LinkedIn associates, the more comfortable I became. They encouraged me to be myself during the entire process! Of course, I took their advice. When you are going through the recruiting process at LinkedIn or any company, I highly suggest that you remain confident, humble and true to yourself. If the job is meant for you, no one can stand in your way.

I learned more about LinkedIn than I knew before. LinkedIn is more than a social network, it’s about creating economic opportunity for working professionals around the world! LinkedIn literally connects recruiters to talent and talent to recruiters. I am a testimony of that. To work for a company that is helping others and creating a positive light in the world is not only a blessing, but a dream come true.

In July of 2018, I will begin my career with LinkedIn in the Business Leadership Program. I made a video to get noticed, but before I created it, I put effort into my profile on a daily basis. I understood the future value of this amazing platform. I knew from the first day I signed up as an assignment for one of my business classes, that this platform would help me achieve my long-term goals. I was consistent and dedicated, improving my profile for over two years. This is no overnight success story. I posted articles, I engaged with my audience, I reached out to companies that I wanted to work for and I was passionate when I was not seeing results. I even had a side hustle of helping my classmates with their LinkedIn profiles! Being over enthusiastic about my future career goals led me to where I am now. I am excited to take on a new journey, as an employee at LinkedIn.

Key Takeaways for Executing on LinkedIn

• ·        Update your summary and describe who you really are as a person and why a company should hire you or why you are at your current role
• ·        Engage with your network! You can do this by writing articles, posts, or simply commenting on other people’s posts
• ·        Be passionate! This is your brand, show everyone why you are unique