How to use LinkedIn effectively

As I write this blog post we are currently experiencing wonderful load shedding, can you tell how much I love load shedding. Bleh, But one upside that I am experiencing is unplugged time, no distractions, no tv, no social media, and just silence to think. I’ve got my scented candles burning and I am sitting in our warm bedroom because it's cold in South Africa.

Today’s blog post is about a very specific powerhouse…… tool that I encourage and assist my clients to use when transitioning into their dream job after being in a soul-sucking job. This tool is so powerful it has helped so many clients land jobs at dream companies all through networking 

Okay, it’s time to let the cat out of the bag, I am talking about Linkedin. She’s a real powerhouse! But yet I still see sooooo many people doing Linkedin very wrong and then giving up. Maybe that's how you feel or maybe you just want to learn more about how to maximize your impact on Linkedin so what are some main takeaways you would love your audience to have? let's dive in, shall we?

Tip number 1: Connect with intent - I am always preaching this to my clients, Linkedin is not just a once-off use of your network to get a job and that’s it. Linkedin is a platform where everyone (except the bots) are human beings with very real needs and they don’t just want to get a generic message saying hey please send my CV out to your network. When I was doing recruitment I got that ALOT and I still get it which means people aren’t reading my profile and they’re batch messaging (Ew David as Alexis would say in Schitt's creek). I want you to actually read the person’s profile first and find a similarity that you can use in your personalized greeting, make that person feel special, and ask them how are you doing today?

Tip number 2: Linkedin is another social media platform, yes more professional but yet the idea is to be social with others. So yes that means you need to engage, post, comment, and be SOCIAL. Proper engagement is not just likes and quick responses, go deeper and actually engage with other people's posts. I have a golden rule for Linkedin, for every post you make, you have to leave 4 meaningful comments on someone else’s posts. The rule here is to engage!

Tip number 3: Make sure that you are optimizing your Linkedin profile, so that recruiters and hiring managers can find you. Most hiring managers prefer to go to Linkedin first before going to agencies or job portals. Make sure your profile showcases your personal brand, compliments your CV, and don't just copy and paste your CV to Linkedin. Use Linkedin to paint a story about your career, passions, and experience = this will make you magnetic to hiring managers. Also another important tip: make sure your headline actually represents your job title and not some fancy magic unicorn, hiring managers aren’t actually typing magic unicorns into their search. Lastly, make sure your skills section reflects your skills and abilities and if you can get endorsed for those even better.

I’m going to say it again: Linkedin is a powerhouse when done right. It is worth the time investment to be on Linkedin especially as a millennial woman who cares about her career. Linkedin has helped me land jobs that weren’t even advertised, helped me find job talent, and vice versa.

One last point I want to make is that you should showcase your true personal brand and personality on Linkedin, obs within reason ( don't post drunk picture on your socials)

Linkedin is a very pivotal pillar in my 1:1 coaching with is now open for enrollment you can check it out https://msconsulting.ck.page/ef75a16a91

I have a freebie for you on how exactly to optimize your LinkedIn profile to make you a magnet for hiring managers and you can grab it here https://msconsulting.ck.page/3eb8eb5d27

I trust you will have a wonderful week gorgeous and please know I am always cheering you on;) 

Melanie