13 ways you can use your LinkedIn profile to get your dream job

[Mariam Bibi]

13 ways you can use your LinkedIn profile to get your dream job 

1. Treat it like more than a paper CV

Last year, the words ‘responsible’, followed by ‘strategic’ and ‘effective’ topped LinkedIn’s annual list of most overused words in UK members’ profiles. Remember that your LinkedIn profile can do much more than a paper CV, so avoid the clichés and get creative.

2. Make it easy for them to find you

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.

3.  Start as you mean to go on

LinkedIn profiles have sections for a reason. You wouldn’t deliver a clipped answer in an interview when you thought you’d had enough.
‘Completed profiles are seven times more likely to be viewed, and eleven times more likely when they include a photo.

4. Hand pick the right skills

Be specific about the skills you have that make you good at your job. Your connections can now endorse these skills (proving to a reader that you are trustworthy) and previous employers can also reference them in recommendations that they give on your profile.

5. Follow your dream companies

Pursuing a dream profession and starting from scratch is a daunting prospect, especially when you have a lot to learn, but LinkedIn is a hub of business information that you could be using to your advantage.

6. Tailor your profile to a new career

Carving out a new career when you’ve spent years in an unrelated industry can make it seem like your skill set will never be relevant. With LinkedIn’s Job Search tool you can construct a profile that’s right up a job advertiser’s street.

7. Do a little detective work

No matter how long you’ve had to prepare for a meeting, you can never anticipate the questions. But now at least, you can find your common ground with a potential employer before you’ve even met.

8. Build your network

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.

9. Open Your Own Opportunity Doors

If you’re without a job, it’s easy to feel like you’re invisible. One great feature of LinkedIn is ‘Groups’. Groups exist in a number of guises including industry specific, entry level specific and job type specific, and the more involved you are, the more your visibility improves because recruiters are quite often carefully following Group discussions.

10. Show You’re A Highly Motivated Job Seeker

Get the key to the vast LinkedIn world with the Job Seeker facility. A free 30-day trial will grant you a ‘Job Seeker Badge’ on your profile, which gives potential employers an immediate indication that you’re looking for new opportunities and will also enable you to see who’s been viewing your profile.

11. Use LinkedIn’s Connected App

LinkedIn’s dedicated app gives you relevant and timely reasons to reach out and keep in touch with people in your network so there are no awkward dry exchanges between you and your former colleagues.

12. Self-Publish On The Site

LinkedIn’s self-publishing platform gives you a platform to share and comment on industry trends. It’s a great way to showcase your professional knowledge and position yourself as a though leader within your industry. You can also use it to highlight some work you’ve done.

13. Don’t Use Buzzwords

LinkedIn recently analysed the profile summaries of its about 50 million members in the world – and found that people were using the same buzzwords over and over again, rendering them less effective. They recommend avoiding them if you want to truly stand out from the crowd.They are: Motivated, Creative, Enthusiastic, Track record, Passionate, Successful, Driven, Leadership, Strategic and Extensive experience. Now go through your profile – and make sure you’re not using any of those words. They just sound redundant once you see them again and again.

Source - http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/life/work/10-ways-you-can-use-your-linkedin-profile-to-get-your-dream-job-98464