Your Job Search on LinkedIn
LinkedIn has become the leading professional social media platform and should be part of your job search strategy. Here are some of the stats to understand why:
Boasts more than 300 million active users, 40% of users visit daily.
Those users include 90 million senior-level influencers and 63 million decision-makers.
Approximately 77% of all recruiters are on LinkedIn.
More than 20 million jobs have been posted on LinkedIn, this year.
If your industry is on LinkedIn, you should be too.
The “Announcement”
One common trend is to post openly if you lost your job due to the pandemic or economy and share that you are now looking for a job. I like the transparency but have also watched it play out in directions that won’t help the job seeker. Remember, LinkedIn is more than just an online resume, it represents your personal brand. Protect that brand at all costs. It will stay with you long after this pandemic is over.
Pointers for your posting:
Inform your network that you have lost your job as part of cost-saving efforts.
Don’t fault the company. Even if the layoff wasn’t handled well, do not point this out publicly.
Share what you’ll miss--the work, your colleagues, customers or the mission.
Highlight what you offer to potential employers. It’s not what they can do for you, it’s what you can do for them.
One Example
The names and information have been changed but here is one posting I found:
“Hello fellow XXX alumni! I was wondering if anyone here is aware of any companies hiring, specifically in Seattle or along the west coast? I’m a mechanical engineer BS 2015 and MS Engineer 2019 and I have a wide range of interests in consumer products and hardware amongst others. ”
People want to help quality candidates land a job. But that posting is all about what they want and need, not how they are going to help a company. A stronger posting would be:
“Hello fellow XXX alumni! I am excited about a new challenge and would love to hear your ideas and opportunities. I am seeking a product design or process engineering role and have worked in consumer products and hardware design. My experience is broad and flexible and I could easily transition to a new company and quickly become a valuable member of the team. My education includes both MS and BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering. If you know of an opportunity that would be a good fit, please send me a note. Or, better yet, let’s chat for 20 minutes. We can reminisce about our favorite college coffee shop (or bar) and then dive into possible opportunities.”
See the difference? In the second posting, he demonstrated what he would do for the company, not the other way around. He also makes it clear that he would like help but wouldn’t take too much time. Finally, he ended with a positive note, showing that the conversation would be uplifting.
When the job search goes longer than it should
As we have now past nine months since the start of the pandemic shut down in the U.S., I have noticed many on LinkedIn getting frustrated with their job search and desperate in their postings. Let me be clear—I understand. It is scary to not know what your future will look like and wonder if you are going to lose everything that you have worked hard for.
This might come across as cold-hearted, but the simple fact remains. People will hire you for your ability, not because you need a job. Your mortgage payment or kid’s tuition payment is not why they hire you for a professional position. They will hire you if you can solve their problems.
If you are having a tough day in your job search, call a friend, talk to family, take a walk, cry, get angry…do whatever you need to do to work through those emotions. DON’T post on LinkedIn. Telling people that it’s been XX months since you lost your job and you are about to lose your home will not get you a job. It will get you kind comments from some friends and scam offers from strangers.
Take a negative and make it positive
Sometimes you see a posting that you wish you wrote. And this was one of them. One job seeker posted that she had taken a job at Target. This was not her goal job or company. It was a job to pay the bills. But she highlighted the job and showed that she was:
Learning new skills, even if it wasn’t her intended career.
Willing to work hard.
Able to overcome her pride.
Still searching for the right job.
Thankful that she had work, despite the lower pay and responsibilities.
If you haven’t optimized LinkedIn to support your job search, now is the time to get started.
Reach out to learn more about my services.
