I soon realized that my chances of getting a job increased exponentially
when I utilized LinkedIn as a tool. The use of LinkedIn may not be the
best course of action for everyone. For example, if you are looking only
at small businesses locally, it may be easier to go into each specific organization
to set up an appointment. However, even with this example, it
is prudent to at least glance at LinkedIn to see if the owner has a profile.
LinkedIn has become so important as a networking tool that business-savvy
individuals pay content experts to assist them in creating the most effective
LinkedIn profile. A friend of mine, Donna Serdula, does this professionally
and has written LinkedIn Makeover: Professional Secrets to a Powerful
LinkedIn Profile, a great reference book to help ensure that your own profile
is the best it can be. If you’re looking for specific strategies for making an
impact on LinkedIn, I recommend checking out Donna’s book.
By going “all-in,” I mean doing more than replicating your résumé.
Use more space to make a visual impact on your LinkedIn profile. You
should make the assumption that recruiters and hiring managers will be
looking for your profile after you have made contact—this assumption is
a pretty good bet for many large employers today. If they don’t find a profile
for you, or find a quickly-put-together profile, that tells them a story.
What story do you want told about you? Among the many candidates
applying for jobs, a quality LinkedIn profile is a must to set yourself apart.
The basic free-service of LinkedIn is a great starting point and is often
sufficient to meet most people’s needs. LinkedIn does have Premium
paid-membership with benefits that include a more advanced search fea-
ture, seeing who has viewed your profile, and allowances to send more
messages. I will leave it up to your individual preferences and needs to
determine if the investment is worth it to you.
Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):
- Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
- Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
- Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
- The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
- From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
- The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood
See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com. Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com