7 LinkedIn Hacks That Will Make Your Job Search 1,000 Times Easier - LinkedIn Advice

by Laura Smith-Proulx

Want to boost your marketability on LinkedIn – without spending hours navigating the site? Trying to get employers to notice your skills or get closer to a key contact?

There are many ways to promote yourself on LinkedIn and use your network wisely. Some require a significant investment in time, while others (like these LinkedIn hacks) are your shortcut to better LinkedIn results.

Here are seven important, simple-to-implement strategies that can give your job search a boost on LinkedIn:

1. Distinguish yourself from all the other John Smiths.

2. Put your desired job title in your Headline.

3. Pursue employers who prefer to hire graduates of your alma mater.

4. Get closer to key contacts – without paying for an upgrade.

See all 7 Hacks, the Insider Hacks, and the complete CareerRealism article

12 Most Little Known Tricks to Use On LinkedIn

by Shelly Kramer

To know me is to know that I love — love — LinkedIn. At 150 million members and growing, LinkedIn is a powerful professional networking tool, and it’s not just for those who are job seeking. Frankly, if you’re in the professional world and not using LinkedIn, I’m not sure what you’re thinking. Our team at V3 uses it for new business development, competitive research and analysis, participating in groups and discussions and engaging with and learning from peers — and, of course, it’s the go-to site for savvy job seekers everywhere.

One of the cool things about LinkedIn is there’s always something new to learn. Sure, the first step is to sign up and create your profile. But once you’ve got the basics covered, there are a number of ways you can customize your experience in order to not only achieve your professional goals, but also to get more personally out of LinkedIn. I do a lot of corporate LinkedIn training and these are some of my favorite tricks and tips. Let’s get started.

1. How to remove a connection

2. Hide your status updates

4. Get a custom URL

5. Make yourself anonymous

Read more about these and all 12 tricks as well as the complete article

LinkedIn: How to network your way to your next job - 7 Steps

by Vibeke Schurch - Business Coach

You’ve heard it all before. If you want to find a job you need to network your way there. The odds of getting a job from applying online though a job board is incredibly small yet many people do just that because they decide networking is not for them.

I recently worked with a client who was let go from her previous job. She had been searching for jobs for a while before coming to me. When I asked her about what she was doing in terms of networking I realized she avoided reaching out to all the key people that would best be able to help her out. She was so worried about what people might say about her because she had been let go. After working with my client on overcoming her fears she decided to reach out to those key people. Within two weeks she found the perfect job working for a great company, all because of one of these contacts. So often we know what we need to do, but somehow we can’t get ourselves to do it.

Networking is the best way to get a job, but how you go about it is critical to get the best results. Below are 7 steps you can take to network your way to your next job using LinkedIn. (Note that this requires that you have completed your LinkedIn profile and that you have expanded your network).
 

1) Know what you want and get clear on your elevator pitch

2) Create a list of target companies you would like to work for.

3) Go to the advanced search on LinkedIn and search for people who could be in a position to hire you at these companies.

4) Use the LinkedIn groups to connect with key people.

5) When you meet with people online, develop relationships.

6) If the person you’re networking with cannot help you out, ask them if they know of someone who could be a good contact for you.

7) Don’t give up.

Read about all 7 steps and the complete Social Hire article

6 LinkedIn Strategies to Prepare for Events, Meetings and Conferences

by Viveka von Rosen

I was talking to a prospective (and somewhat curmudgeonly) client the other day.  He was huffing about this “Damn social media stuff” and how real business was still done the old fashioned way.  Through referrals and face to face.  I’m sure he expected me to huff into denial and/or hang up on him.  But after a moment when I knew I had his attention, I said, “I agree!” More silence.  I continued, “Referrals and face-to-face meetings will always be the best way to land business.  And LinkedIn can help you meet more people and get more referrals.”  After another moment of silence, he answered, “I’m listening.”  So while I love social media and LinkedIn, I agree with Mr. Curmudgeon. Nothing really beats a face-to-face meeting for building camaraderie and developing business relationships.  One of the best ways I know to get those meetings (and referrals) is to combine LinkedIn and networking – with a few strategies I have developed (and will share with you.)

Here are 6 LinkedIn Strategies you can implement right away to prepare for the next business or networking event you will attend (Like the Social Media Marketing World in San Diego!)

1. Discover who in your network lives where you are going
2. Join the Association’s LinkedIn Group
3. Get strategic introductions
4. Keep track of your contacts and relationships prior to and after the event
5. Track down other participants with Hereon.Biz
6. Manage those pesky business cards

Find out more about all six and read the complete SteamFeed article

15 Smoking Hot Ways to Use LinkedIn for Job Search

by Karalyn Brown

LinkedIn is a game changer for job seekers as well. It can put the power back into the hands of candidates and out of the hands of recruitment consultants. There are plenty of ways you can be proactive, rather than reactive in your job search. Here are my 15 top LinkedIn job hunting tips, in no particular order.

There is no point being half-hearted

Find a role model networker who is working in your desired area

Look to see who has viewed your profile

Start a group around your area of interest and expertise 

Find out what a job really requires

Read more about these 5 ways, all 15 ways and the complete Undercover Recruiter article

21 Steps to Create an Awesome LinkedIn Profile

by Jeff Bullas

LinkedIn has redefined the online version of a resume and having a well organised LinkedIn profile is now essential. Melonie Dodaro is sometimes described as “Canada’s #1 LinkedIn Expert” and knows her stuff about LinkedIn.

Here are her 21 steps to making your LinkedIn profile awesome.

1. Your name should only contain your name
2. Your headline should be catchy and have keywords and phrases that you would want to turn up in Google search results
3. Photo should be taken by a professional
4. Social proof is important online, so make sure you have at least 500 connections. This leads to credibility and authority on the web.
5. Add all relevant contact information

See all 21 steps and the complete article

5 Things You Should Be Doing on LinkedIn (Even if You’re Not Job Searching) - LinkedInAdvice

by Lea McLeod+

It happened again (actually, it’s been happening a lot lately): I got an email from someone a solid three weeks after I’d reached out to her on LinkedIn. The story is always the same: “Oh, you should really use my office email. Ever since I got a job, I stopped checking my LinkedIn profile.”

Say what?

Unfortunately, it seems that many professionals have forgotten the number one rule of networking—and for that matter, one of the most important guidelines for your entire career: The best time to build a network is before you need one.

You see, the stronger your career support system, the more prepared you’ll be to transition when the right opportunity comes along—and you’ll be ready to roll if you receive unfortunate news (like layoffs or closure) from the organization you’re in.

So, even if you have a job that you don’t see yourself leaving anytime soon, I beg you to make this one commitment to your career in 2014: Stay engaged in networking. And since LinkedIn is one of the easiest ways to do that, here are five easy ways to keep that online presence vibrant, vocal, and visible. 

1. Punch Up Your Headline

2. Request One LinkedIn Recommendation a Month

3. Join a LinkedIn Group and Engage

4. Post One News Update on Your Feed Each Week

5. Direct LinkedIn Email to Your Inbox 

Read more about each of the 5 things and the complete article

9 LinkedIn must-haves for job seekers - LinkedIn Advice

If you’ve been in today’s job market for more than five minutes, you know that it’s a complex, competitive, even cutthroat environment that’s difficult to navigate.

Not only is the market overflowing with highly qualified individuals, but to complicate matters, the job search and application functions of yesteryear are no longer valid. Updating a résumé and (e)mailing it off to a hiring manager isn’t enough. You need to take your job search on the social media road.

But even then, says social media strategy consultant Neal Schaffer, there are numerous rules to follow. And the most important place of all to cross your t’s and dot your i’s is your LinkedIn profile.

Schaffer, author of “Maximize Your Social: A One-Stop Guide to Building a Social Media Strategy for Marketing and Business Success,” suggests these LinkedIn profile must-haves:

A serious photo.

A professional name.

A headline that reinforces your professional brand.

An optimized location.

An optimized industry.

A customized profile URL.

Strong status updates.

A compelling Professional Summary.

A window into your past.

Find out more about each of the 9 must-haves and the complete Omaha.com article 

Get Visible with Recruiters: 12 LinkedIn Groups for Job Seekers - LinkedIn Advice

LinkedIn Groups are the "happy hunting ground" for recruiters. Many recruiters join groups for the specific professions and industries that are relevant for their clients or employers. They also join the groups that cover job hunting in general.

For job seekers, LinkedIn Groups are a two-fer: you get information and you become more visible to recruiters.

The good news is that you can join up to 50 groups, and you can very easily leave a group that isn't working for you (or after you've found a job). This way, you can test different groups to see which ones work best for you. This list will get you started, but don't stop with these groups. Join LinkedIn Groups for job searching and also for your profession, industry, college, grad school, current/former employer, location, hobby and any other interests.

See all 12 groups and the complete Mashable article 

How to Entice Recruiters via LinkedIn - LinkedIn Advice

By Nancy Perkins

If you do a quick search on LinkedIn, it won’t be surprising to see the names of some of the most established professionals in the world today. In fact, Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, is on the networking site. Now, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone in the working world that isn’t on it. 

You’ll see company profiles complete with their history and updates on what they’re currently working on, too. Strangely enough, more and more people are using it as a way to find employment. This trend doesn’t come as a surprise seeing as how recruiters are using the site to find top talent as well. If you’re one of the individuals looking for work with the help of the internet, here are the things that recruiters want to find on your profile.

Indicators of performance should be the focal point of your profile. One of the most discouraging things that recruiters see on LinkedIn profiles is a description that is either uninspired or far too brief. There are some words that you may want to use when listing down what you’ve done and by making people who have actually worked with make endorsements.

Read the full original article to find out more ways to entice recruiters

LinkedIn Advice

10 of The Best LinkedIn Features For Your Business

LinkedIn may not be the most exciting or fun social network out there, but it’s an amazing tool for businesses – if you master it and make

full use of its features you can really help your business in the long run. I personally use LinkedIn quite often for business reasons (what else, after all?) and I found it has lots of amazing benefits. LinkedIn is great for:

- Networking

- Lead generation

- Promotional purposes  (paid and un-paid)

The trick with LinkedIn is to know all the little secrets so you can make full use of the popular social network. It has lots of interesting features that not everybody knows about and they launch new ones at a very rapid rate, probably due to their perpetually increasing number of users, so it can be very hard to keep up and know which features to use to get the most out of LinkedIn. This has been bugging me lately so I decided to make a to-the-point list with LinkedIn’s most relevant features for businesses.

1. Mentions

2. LinkedIn Search 

3. Company Pages 

4. Get Introduced

5. LinkedIn Signal 

See all 10, read more about each of them and read the complete Socialable article

Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn in Your Job Search - LinkedIn Advice

By Liz Ryan

1. Write a Compelling Profile

2. Tell Us Your Story

3. Mind Your Settings

4. Show Us Your Mug

5. Get Connected

6. Add More Contacts

7. Join Groups

8. Now Start Searching

9. Organize Your Contacts

10. Get Introduced

Find out more about how to use these 10 ways and the complete BusinessWeek article

4 Steps When Contacting A Stranger On LinkedIn

by Joshua Waldman

Last week, I received an info interview request from a stranger as a direct message on LinkedIn. 

Despite my very busy schedule, I decided to take his call.

Over the weekend, I asked myself, “Why did I agree?”

Let’s take his email apart and put it into four essential elements so you can use them in your own LinkedIn networking communications. Networking with strangers on LinkedIn can give you great results if you’re deliberate in the process.


First, here’s the email I got over LinkedIn from J.:  See the email and the 4 steps

Advice and How-Tos - The Top 25 Recruiting Trends, Problems, and Opportunities for 2014 - LinkedIn Advice

Dr. John Sullivan

Section 1: The Hottest Recruiting Opportunities for 2014

The eight top opportunities that will dominate strategic corporate recruiting during 2014 include:

1. The competition for top talent intensifies
2. A metric-driven employee referral program  becomes the dominant hiring source 
3. Predictive metrics and the use of big data move from interesting to essential
4. - 8

Section 2: Currently Impactful Trends That Will Continue to Remain Important

Six major corporate recruiting trends that have been prominent during the last year will continue to be significant corporate recruiting trends during the next year.

1. The mobile platform continues to be a critical tool
2. A data-driven approach to operations continues to be the benchmark standard
3. Live video interviewing steadily grows in acceptance
4. - 6  

Read the full ERE article