At CareerGlider, we’ve been writing a series on how to use LinkedIn as a tool for finding new opportunities and great connections. If you’ve followed the previous posts, you’ve learned how to create a strong profile, and how to build your network. This week, we’re bringing it all together and discussing how to search for a job.
Searching LinkedIn Jobs
LinkedIn Jobs is powerful, but LinkedIn keeps some of the features hard to find. Start by selecting “Jobs” from LinkedIn’s menu bar. If you know the tricks, you can set up a carefully-tailored search and automate a lot of the work.
If you look closely, you’ll see a blue “Advanced Search” option beneath the “Search” button. That opens up a wider range of options, but don’t be satisfied with those. You’ll see another blue Search button, and next to that, faint gray text that says “More options.” This is where the good stuff is hidden.
Say I want to look for a job in social media in Los Angeles. I search for “social media” in keywords, and narrow it down:
Date posted: I’ll prioritize jobs posted within the last week, as older listings are more likely to be stale;
Location: I’ll search “Greater Los Angeles Area” rather than zip code;
Experience level: this is a really useful filter, because it brings up only jobs at or around your seniority. I’ll set it to Associate;
Job function: I’ve checked any that I think might be relevant.
Notice I haven’t touched the “Industry” filter—all kinds of companies need social media experts, and I don’t want to exclude any results.
Filter your results by Relevance—the filter’s not perfect, but it’s the best way to search. Finally, you can save this search (top right-hand corner of results) and have the results emailed to you.
Introductions & Follow-up
Don’t just send in your CV and hope for the best. Find someone you can reach out to in the company, to learn more about the work environment or the job, or to keep yourself front of mind. This is where having a good network comes in.
Groups are incredibly valuable here. Before you start applying for jobs, find people in your industry and see what groups they’re part of. Join any that are appropriate. That gives you the ability to send messages to members of the group who aren’t connections (here’s how). It will make your message more effective, of course, if you’re visible as a genuine contributor to groups.
If one of your connections knows someone at a company that interests you, ask for an LinkedIn introduction—introductions are a powerful tool. If you have no other option and you’re feeling brave, you can also make a connection request to the person directly—but be aware of the consequences of the person saying they don’t know you. Whatever you do, make sure you personalize your message.
Groups
Not everyone realizes that LinkedIn Groups have their own jobs pages. Go to the group’s page and click on “Jobs” under the banner. Jobs posted in groups give you three big advantages: you’re seeing postings others might miss, your group membership shows a demonstrated interest in the position, and you have an ‘in’ when you apply.
Make yourself visible
If you’re actively looking for work, you want to be able to see who’s viewed your LinkedIn profile. In your Settings, click on “Select what others see when you’ve viewed their profile.” Set it so that others can see who you are. That’s the only way for you to see who’s viewing your profile, which is important.
Remember—your activity on Jobs is private, but other things you do on LinkedIn are public, so if you have a job, don’t advertise that you’re looking for another one.
We hope these tips are useful—and good luck in your search!
from Darlene Milligan http://ift.tt/1LMp30u via sme marketing
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