Tap The LinkedIn Goldmine

Credit to our Guest Blogger-TM for this amazing blog, let us tap LinkedIn and get the Gold

According to LinkedIn, there are 562 million users in a record of over 200 countries. Are you a recent graduate who has been looking for a job to no avail? Well, LinkedIn may be what you need. LinkedIn is a professional social media platform that connects you to potential employers. Most LinkedIn users confess that it is an excellent avenue for networking. Why is networking so important?

It is crucial for career success
Most people who often get hired at a particular company have some networks there
Networking helps you know of available job vacancies

You find that employers post available job vacancies on LinkedIn and will often reach out to potential candidates there.

So how do you go about LinkedIn?

Your profile says a lot about you. In every social media platform, you have to sign up as you give out the necessary information to create your profile. Picture your profile as your online resume. As we know, your ability to express yourself in your resume is what helps the employer decide if you have a shot at their company or not. Give details on your skills and experience.

Have a catchy headline as that is what attracts employers to your profile. Also, include your education over the years and any possible achievements you have made. At times, you may find that you have all sorts of certifications.

What do you plan to pursue, Environmental Science or Economics? You may have a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and as well as have another one in Environmental Science. Be sure to leave out what you don’t plan to pursue so that you get employers of the field you want to pursue.

i. Photo

You know the photos you put up on social media? While at the beach or at KFC in some tees and denim shorts? Well, that doesn’t work on LinkedIn. Your profile photo should be a professional one with 100% clarity. Here’s a sample LinkedIn profile so that you have an idea of how to customize yours.

ii. Professional Headline

Have a powerful headline on your profile. Don’t merely state your job title. Instead, have a description with a keyword on it. A keyword can be one word to three words that once employers search these keywords, you will be among the top profiles that will appear in their searches. For example, if you are a writer, you could incorporate words such as blogger, content writer and so on in your profile.

Connections

Once your profile is up and running, it’s essential to ‘connect’ with people. Identify the type of companies you want to work for and see if you can connect with some of them. Also, you will find that companies are also on LinkedIn as pages, you can like them to get updates on possible job openings. Connecting is not enough; you could start talking to some of the employees there and form some networks. This way, in case of vacancies, they’ll refer you, and you have a higher chance of getting the job. The more connections you make, the higher the chances of getting closer to your dream job.

Keep it active

Your LinkedIn profile should be active. Just as you share new stuff on Facebook and Instagram, do so on LinkedIn. However, since this is a more professional platform, you could share info related to your expertise or just inspirational quotes. You could also share blog posts that you find educational.

Search Jobs

LinkedIn has a search option. You can search for specific jobs in specific countries of interest and follow the application criteria. You can also manually search particular companies and see if they have any openings. LinkedIn is a goldmine people are hesitant to use simply because they are either ignorant or just don’t know how it works. Try signing up and come back with your success story.

Cheers.

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