20 Strategies For Leveraging LinkedIn To Find Your Dream Job
Is Your LinkedIn Working As Hard As You Are?
LinkedIn is your online resume, your professional network hub, job board, and place to showcase your professional brand. When used effectively, it's a powerful tool that can open doors you didn't even know existed. Here are 20 strategies for leveraging LinkedIn to be seen and remembered by the right people and position yourself for the career opportunities of your dreams.
1. Ask For Testimonials
Ask previous employers and colleagues for recommendations that you can add to your profile as endorsements. These types of testimonials are extremely valuable for building your credibility.
2. Write A Great Headline
The headline is the short, descriptive text next to your name on LinkedIn. A strong headline that goes beyond just your job title adds to your professional brand and grabs attention quickly.
3. Engage With Content
Engaging with content that's relevant to your professional interests on LinkedIn, such as commenting, liking, and sharing posts, increases your visibility. Beyond likes, engaging with content should be insightful, professional, and intentional to build relationships.
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4. Add A Background Photo
Employers don't just want to hire a resume; they're looking to hire a person. Adding a background photo is a great way to show your personality and make a good visual impression.
5. Keep Your Profile Updated
Your LinkedIn profile is your digital resume, so make sure it's up to date. It also helps you stay searchable, builds credibility, and signals that you're active.
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6. Choose A Unique Profile Photo
Your profile photo is the first thing people see on LinkedIn. Choose a clean image that's professional, memorable, and reflects your industry.
7. Write A Great Summary
The LinkedIn summary is a great opportunity to share your professional journey. It can be a compelling narrative that showcases your achievements, experience, skills, and passions.
8. Be Specific About Your Experience
The experience section should be more than just a list of jobs. Be specific about what your accomplishments are at each role.
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9. Quantify Wherever Possible
In your experience section, use numbers wherever possible to demonstrate your results. Quantifying your accomplishments is a crucial part of marketing yourself.
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10. Use Keywords
Think like a recruiter to come up with the best keywords. Sprinkle them into your headline, summary, about, and experience section to help employers find you more easily.
11. Showcase Licenses & Certifications
Your education is more than just your university degree. Showcase any licenses and certifications you've completed to set yourself apart and demonstrate your ambition, drive, and expertise.
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12. Change Your URL
A small detail that many people ignore, but can enhance your personal brand, is your LinkedIn URL. You can customize it in your profile section.
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13. Include Volunteer Experience
Including your volunteer experience is a great way to demonstrate your transferable skills like leadership, teamwork, and communication. It also makes you stand out to employers and showcases your passions.
14. Follow Top Companies
Following your field's top companies is a great way to stay up-to-date with industry trends and news. Engaging with the content demonstrates your enthusiasm and helps grow your visibility.
15. Leverage Alumni Networks
People are more likely to respond to you if they went to the same school or graduated from the same program as you. Reach out to fellow grads for advice or introductions.
16. Don't Accept Connections From People You Don't Know
Don't accept invitations from people you don't know on LinkedIn to avoid noise and spam. Quality is better than quantity for building your reputation.
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17. Utilize The "Open To Work" Feature
LinkedIn's "open to work" feature helps employers see that you're actively looking for opportunities. You can choose to only display this to recruiters or make it visible to all.
18. Network Intentionally
No one's going to respond to messages that seem generic. Send personalized connection requests that demonstrate that you know who you're talking to and what you're talking about.
19. Share Articles & Posts
Sharing articles and posts that are relevant to your industry is a great way to enhance your visibility and demonstrate your enthusiasm. Don't just drop the link, add your own insight, and use a hook to grab attention.
20. Add Relevant Skills
You can add up to 50 skills on your LinkedIn profile, so be thoughtful about it and prioritize your top ones. This is another place to utilize keywords, helping recruiters find you more easily.
