Impacted by Covid-19? Here are three easy tips to make LinkedIn work!

In the recent times, I have seen a huge upsurge in job seekers reaching out for potential opportunities. Since the current situation has been extremely challenging for some of us, here are few of my personal suggestions on how you can use LinkedIn effectively to propel your career forward. Some of these tips are relevant even in a world without Covid-19, which, of course, is a distant reality now.

Let me get this straight, your LinkedIn profile is not just a resume. It is your story. Make sure you tell it right.    

Be specific, when you reach out!

It is important that you do your homework before you reach out to someone on LinkedIn. First, do a thorough scan of the careers website of the organization or LinkedIn jobs section to look for an opportunity that absolutely fits your experience and passion. When you reach out to someone, I would suggest you share your resume with a specific job code. It helps the receiver act on it. The more clear you are, better are your chances.

What you should avoid: Hi, attached is my resume. It would be great if you can look for an opportunity that fits my role. Think about it - Will the receiver or even the recruiter have the time to scan through all the positions and match your resume to a specific role?

Use keywords that a recruiter would love to see

If you are looking for a job in the specific area, be extremely careful to use relevant keywords from that area of your work in your profile starting from the summary section. Your summary section is by far the most important real estate for the keywords. With over 100 words worth of space, you can’t afford not to miss this section. It is where your story should begin and not end. 

What you should avoid: Avoid plain designations like Vice President, IT Infrastructure. Use something like - “Technology leader who loves to dabble with machine learning.”

Use every ounce of the features – all free, of course

Even though you all see me extremely active on LinkedIn, I am yet to pay a single penny to LinkedIn – not even when I was actively searching for a job. Go ahead, and squeeze every bit in order to make the platform work for you. That means optimize your profile with an appropriate banner to support a cause that you are passionate about. We are all familiar with the dull head-shots. If you want to take your brand seriously, use a professional picture. LinkedIn also has multiple features like – causes you care about, certifications, and volunteer experience. If you have a point in any of these categories, make sure you use it. 

What you should avoid: I have seen some people using only a few bullet points in the about section. It should be concise, focused and written with a purpose. Get your message across – more around how you can make a difference to the organization you join.

Finally, like everything else in LinkedIn job search too is a discipline game. You have to be at it one day at a time. Form the habit of sharing content, like I just did. I would like wish you all the very best in your job search. Stay safe, stay healthy and stay resilient.