image from: http://sociallite.ca/10-ways-you-can-build-your-network-with-linkedin/
LinkedIn is a formidable professional networking platform as well as a powerful job board and search engine. It works like a massive database, and within its gazillions of records are critical elements in your job-search plan and strategy. With a increasing numbers of hiring managers and recruiters who utilizes LinkedIn before make hiring decisions, it is indeed the perfect time for you to use this game-changing platform to land on your next job.
image from: http://chetlohman.blogspot.ca/2014/05/a-great-concise-example-of-how-to-ask.html
Understand where LinkedIn “fits in.”
In order to use it well, it’s important to understand how it fits into the larger context of social media networking. According to Business Insider’s latest survey, 77% of LinkedIn users said that it helped them research people and companies.
This is something that’s very handy before meeting a contact for coffee, when requesting an informational chat with someone, and, especially, as key preparation before a formal job interview. You want to know everything you possibly can about the person who is interviewing you. It will help you ask good questions as well as find points of connection over which you can bond.
image from: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242020
Make yourself standout and find-able
Recruiters use straightforward keyword searching on LinkedIn to find their clients the right individuals, in the right industries, seeking the right jobs, so make it really easy for them to find you. Your LinkedIn headline can give you the opportunity not only to sum up who you are but also what you want, making it more likely you’ll be found through searches. You need to think about how someone is likely to come across your profile – consider what recruiters are likely to search, and fit this into your profile headline.’
Speaking of being find-able, one of the ways of standing out is to be perceived as a solid professional in your field, someone knowledgeable and highly employable. A shareable experience is one where you can provide a status update to highlight your exposure, and shares valuable information with your network of common interest. Examples of shareable experiences include attendance at important conferences and events, access to key industry discussions, and opportunities to provide expertise or feedback.
image from: http://bebusinessed.com/history/history-of-linkedin/
Connect and build your network
Everyone you meet is someone you may end up working for, recruiting, referring, or advising. This is really where you see the magic of LinkedIn; it’s a interactive global village of mentors and mentees, job leads, and business opportunities. It’s an unwritten rule that 50 is the minimum number of contacts needed for a successful LinkedIn profile, though the more connections you’re able to build the more you will start to show up in sidebars and searches.
Family, friends, colleagues and peers are all valuable connections, but don’t just send out a cold call to your inbox, it won’t make you many friends. When requesting to connect, keep it personal instead of sending the standard LinkedIn message; send out friendly and thoughtful networking messages. This way, you establish and build the relationship right from the start. And the receiver will likely appreciate your extra effort and remember you among the sea of people he or she met at any other events.
image from: http://linkedinriches.com/the-new-linkedin-post/
Join groups and engage
There are hundreds of thousands of groups on the platform from retail and finance to fashion and marketing. You will find interests and topics on any business subject imaginable. It is worth noting that the groups feature is one of the top favourites voted by LinkedIn users. LinkedIn Group is where you mingle with like-minded peers, mentors, and industry leaders while you exchange opinions and acquire new information from the industry.
To begin with, you could post useful and interesting content in your groups. This may include articles and blog posts you wrote or read on the internet, a interesting yet work-related video you watched, or a major report on your industry that just hit the news. Secondly, make it easy for others to engage with you. Ask questions that can encourage people to brainstorm, and answer other’s questions while sharing your own experience and thoughts. Last but not least, always engage back. Reply to all comments you receive, it could be as simple as a thank you. In short, you want to share industry insights, communicate with your peers, facilitate professional discussions, and try you best to avoid any possible arguments in LinkedIn groups.
As the largest career college in Canada with 50 campuses across the country, Academy of Learning College attributes the growth in our success to identifying the gap between the formal education available and the realities of the working world. We fulfill the needs of learners by developing customized programs for each student, while meeting the requirements for convenient and effective training at an affordable cost. Browse our program list by province and find the best program that suits your needs!