On
line job boards have been around over 15 years. CareerBuilder and Monster went
live in 1994. HotJobs followed in 1996. However, fewer than 3% of jobs were
found through this new medium. Ten years ago, I didn't know anyone who'd gotten
a job or even an interview through an on line site.
Things
began to change in 2002 when LinkedIn created a new paradigm by introducing
social networking to on line job searches. Today, LinkedIn has 80 million
registered users, and is growing at the rate of one new user per second. It's
available in over 200 countries and in six languages.
People
are now using LinkedIn to network, get interviews and land jobs. More
importantly, employers are now using LinkedIn to find new employees. Gone are
the days when companies were limited to merely posting static job descriptions
on line, and then sorting through countless unqualified applicants. Employers
can proactively conduct key word searches to find qualified candidates without
ever posting a position. They can screen employment history, professional
qualifications and educational credentials. They can also check references. All
this is done at a fraction of traditional recruitment costs.
It
is therefore vital that today's job seekers make it as easy as possible for
employers to find them on LinkedIn. This article presents three suggestions
LinkedIn users can implement themselves, at no cost, that will do just that;
make it easier for employers to find you. The suggestions
are:
1.
Optimize your LinkedIn profile by performing a key word
review;
2.
Personalize your LinkedIn profile (URL) address, and;
3.
Promote your brand.
As
a LinkedIn user, you should periodically optimize your profile by
performing a key word review. Simply put, make sure you're including all
the right words in all the right places! This will improve your rankings when
employers search for someone with your qualifications and experience.
The
questions are where and how to perform this multifaceted process. I got 443 hits
on Amazon for the word LinkedIn, offering books and
videos up to $299.95. "Cut me a break, I'm unemployed," you say? Then I suppose
hiring a professional consultant is out of the question.
The good news
is there are recognized LinkedIn experts who share their knowledge and resources
for free. My favorite is David Lanners, a Harvard MBA and a very engaging public
speaker. Visit Dave's web site at: http://www.leaderhelper.com/resources.htm for links to numerous
documents, presentations, videos, seminars etc. If you do nothing else, download
his color-coded one page summary called LinkedIn
KEY (to Higher Rankings). Pay particular attention to sections highlighted
in green, as these are the areas that affect your LinkedIn
rankings.
While you're
at it, take a look at Dave's LinkedIn profile, http://www.linkedin.com/in/leaderhelper. It probably
bears little resemblance to yours, but you can't argue with success! It also
demonstrates suggestion #2; personalize your LinkedIn profile (URL)
address.
Do
not settle for the address automatically assigned when you registered on
LinkedIn. Mine was: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dale-r-schmeltzle/6/4a1/303.
People often misspell my name under the best of circumstances. Having to enter
55 characters, the last 10 of which are gibberish, doesn't help. Remember, your
goal is to make it as easy as possible for employers to find you.
On
the other hand, the name Schmeltzle has one advantage. Only 9 users worldwide
share my name. That includes a cousin with three profiles. By simply adding
Dale, I claimed a little corner of the Web all for myself. But what if you're
one of the 1,227 David Bakers, or the 3,373 William Smiths, or the 4,080 Robert
Jones I found? I rarely search a name that doesn't generate multiple hits unless
I enter additional screening criteria (location, past employer, etc.).
Unfortunately, sometimes I only have a name. At that point, I can either guess
or move on. Do you really want to put a prospective employer in that
situation?
Address challenges are easily
overcome. LinkedIn lets you personalize your profile address and abbreviate it
in the process. My address is now: http://www.linkedin.com/in/dschmeltzle.
The benefits are
obvious, including that it's 17 characters shorter. And wouldn't an address that
simply ended with DPBakerCPA go a long way in distinguishing you from the other
1,226 David Bakers?
Yet 60% of my 500+
LinkedIn connections apparently don't know you can easily change your address.
Simply go into your profile and click the edit button in the Public Profile
section. Another page will open. Click edit next to "Your Public Profile URL"
and your problems are solved.
By following these two
suggestions, you've enhanced your profile and provided a shorter, more
identifiable URL address. You've done exactly what any marketing executive would
tell you to do; you've improved your personal brand. It follows there's one more
critical step in your job marketing campaign.
Suggestion #3
is simple; promote your brand. Prominently display your LinkedIn
URL address on your resume, business cards and out-going email signature. You
might also consider adding it to personal web sites, blogs and other appropriate
social media.
Why is
suggestion #3 necessary? Not everyone will locate you on LinkedIn. Your resume
will also find its way to prospective employers through traditional job boards,
networking, job fairs and snail mail. But even if an employer didn't find you on
LinkedIn, it's highly likely they'll want to review your profile before
extending an interview. By affording them easy access to your LinkedIn profile,
you also provide access to your references, published papers, articles,
presentations, professional discussions, etc., none of which are available
through hard copy resumes or cover letters.
I'll close
with an unsettling statistic. There are currently 7 applicants for every open
job in the U.S. Hopefully, these suggestions, which cost nothing except your
time, will improve the odds of finding your next position and separate you from
your six competitors.
Feel free to
contact me if you have questions on these suggestions. I wish you good luck and
best wishes in your efforts.