In the world where majority of people are so much glued to their mobile phones for showbiz purposes and many do everything they could to get mere likes and comments on their pictures, a bunch of people are making it careerwise and of course, building their connections to get the best opportunities available.
Few years ago, I discovered LinkedIn as a platform to connect with career men and women all over the world and really, I never took congnisance of it as I was still an undergraduate but few weeks ago, I stumbled on a LinkedIn post by a lady who shared how LinkedIn had been a blessing to her when she lost her job.
She shared how she took advantage of LinkedIn to build connections that shaped the course of her career and yes, she got a new job after a month.
As I read this, I thought, majority of young minds who are in dire need of connections that will enhance their career course are out there not harnessing the positive vibes of LinkedIn.
Whilst being on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram would update you on events ongoing in the world and WhatsApp would enable you to connect with friends and loved ones, have you thought about using LinkedIn to give you an edge in the career world? Perhaps you need a rethink now.
So, you'll wonder, what can LinkedIn do ???
According to Sarah Rycraft, a Personal Career Coach at Renovo, LinkedIn can serve these purposes and in fact, many more...
1. Gain exposure to Hiring Managers and Recruiters
93% of recruiters use LinkedIn to research and recruit candidates. LinkedIn allows you to have an online personal brand which makes you visible to key decision makers and recruiters. This means when your name is put into a search engine such as google, you have an online personal brand and you are appearing in search results. It’s for this reason you need to make sure you treat your LinkedIn profile in a similar way to your CV and you ensure what is on the profile is selling you in the best way possible.
2. Demonstrate your knowledge, credibility and leadership expertise
Having a LinkedIn profile helps build trust with employers and recruiters as they can see your recommendations and connections and evidence of where you have added value.
3. Use LinkedIn as a research tool
Having a LinkedIn account also means that you can use the site to research companies, interviewers, recruiters, and hiring managers — this is helpful before submitting applications and researching who’s interviewing you and conducting interview research.
4. LinkedIn has a great job board
New opportunities exist throughout the LinkedIn site that may not exist on traditional job boards. You can directly apply for roles using LinkedIn apply, save job searches, as well as flagging to recruiters that you are open to hearing about opportunities.
5. You can gain social proof for your skills and talents
Let others recommend and endorse you for your skills and past work. When others recommend or endorse you, anyone who sees your profile can see these and it shows you have other experts backing up your claims to have certain skills. This is very powerful in making connections. You can build your credibility through the endorsements and testimonials that LinkedIn allows your contacts to leave on your profile.
6. Follow Companies
LinkedIn is a brilliant tool for researching organisations and people that work at them. You can use this to target people within your network that work for organisations that you really want to work for.
7. Join LinkedIn Groups
Groups are a brilliant way to meet people with similar professional interests and expand your network from other graduates to professionals already working in your industry. Groups allow you to take part in discussions. This is a great way to exhibit your knowledge on topics related to your industry, ask questions and start conversations with key people in key organisations.
Do you wish to land a dream job and also connect with professionals in your field, why not take advantage of the Career and Professional Platfoms today?
Connect with me and let's explore opportunities together...
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