For the final installment of our “Making the Most of Your Career Search” series, we’re going to focus on how to make social media work to your advantage. Specifically, how you can maximize your presence and effectiveness on LinkedIn.
Since its inception in 2002, LinkedIn has become a reputable source for job seekers, prospective employers, networkers, and headhunters to communicate and gather information. If you pass the cover letter and resume stages, many hiring managers will look up your social media presence to learn more about your professionalism.
If you’re seeking to move up in your career or even completely attempt a career change, a complete profile on LinkedIn can make a world of difference. You don’t have to include every place you’ve ever worked, but you can tailor your profile to include the experience that appeals to the employers you want to attract. One way to attract these prospective employers is through your brief 100 -300 word description. Similar to cover letter content, be specific about the skills you have that make you excel in your field. If you use keywords in your description that coincide with the career you’re seeking, there’s an increased chance that an employer may bring up your profile based on a keyword search. Please just keep in mind that you should avoid buzzwords as best you can. Words such as: motivated, enthusiastic, creative, passionate, driven, successful are used in excess and detract from the effectiveness of your description.
Once your profile is complete, reach out to friends, families, co-workers, peers and send personalized invitations to connect. The larger you grow your network, the further reaching it will become. You can also ask these connections for two key elements that support your credibility to prospective employers. First, you can ask them to endorse you for skills specific to the career path you’re seeking. More importantly, you can request that they write a recommendation. This is a new spin on an old tradition, the recommendation letter. This gives the people who you are in closest contact with an opportunity to attest to your work ethic, character, disposition, etc.
As beneficial as social media can be, it still helps to always have one on one relationship with people who can help you network and help you promote your talents and skills. Contact RJ Byrd today at 214-343-1700, we’ll help you explore your options for upper level management, information technology, finance and accounting. We look forward to hearing from you!
