LinkedIn. It is - are you?

Used properly LinkedIn is an incredibly powerful professional networking tool that can significantly improve your ability to find a fitting employer, and for them to find you. But, like social-media it’s only as good as the effort you put in. Do you keep it as up to date as you should? Do you simply go on occasionally and congratulate peers who are securing the jobs you wish you had?

Despite the growing popularity of LinkedIn, with almost 13 million users in Australia, numerous professionals remain unfamiliar with the platform or haven't taken the time to complete their profiles. This is especially true for individuals who have been employed for an extended period, as they may not have considered the potential benefits of utilising LinkedIn in the past 5-10 years. A well written and presented LinkedIn profile could work career miracles for you.

The temptation may be to create a comprehensive biography that encompasses all aspects of your current job as well as the one you aspire to have, or to showcase a wide range of skills, industries, or roles. However, such an approach will only confuse your readers and drive them towards other LinkedIn profiles.

Instead, it’s sensible to concentrate on your intended career path and tailor your profile, just as you would customise your resume for specific job applications. In both cases, the focus should be on highlighting your most relevant experiences while minimising or excluding the ones that are less applicable.

How else can you maximise the potential of your LinkedIn profile? Here at Gramerci, the experts in showcasing your career to prospective employers, we believe that even if you are content in your job, you should always be keeping abreast of your industry trends, the jobs those in your sector are securing and making sure that people who are in a position to influence your career are aware of your achievements.

LinkedIn fulfils all these criteria and once you get into the habit of visiting the site regularly, you will find it an invaluable resource and part of your armoury of career-enhancing tools. There are various ways to utilise the site to suit your requirements. A good tip is to see who views your profile. This is a great way to see how you are positioning yourself in the marketplace and may give you impetus to look at industry sectors you had not previously explored.

Reaching out and connecting with industry peers would seem an obvious and worthwhile endeavour but many people are content to accept contact invitations rather than make them. This one change in your LinkedIn habits could be transformative, sparking conversation that could lead in exciting new directions.

Equally though, as in life, size isn’t everything and this isn’t Facebook – building a colossal number of contacts is not the name of the game. Be strategic, do some homework, and once you have made contact, begin industry-related conversations. These can end up being merely informative but one thing can lead to another and be potentially life-changing.

Not everyone is required to showcase their value solely through LinkedIn metrics. It's not necessary for every hiring manager across all industries to review your LinkedIn profile, and even among those who do, not all of them will be bothered about how many connections you have. But an increasing number of recruiters are using LinkedIn to discover or evaluate potential candidates. The significance of your profile depends on the hiring manager's personal judgment.

While there are no fixed guidelines to follow, these suggestions aim to assist you in creating and enhancing your LinkedIn profile to effectively highlight your professional skills and experience. Additionally, they can help you avoid the inconvenience of spam messages flooding your inbox with exaggerated discount offers.

So. remember, Gramerci will prepare your cover letter and resume, and if need be, your key selection criteria, but remember to keep networking. Speak with our consultants about maintain a proactive engagement on LinkedIn. Like us, it’s there to help you.?