Fast-track your career path with our tailored LinkedIn strategy

When it comes to job hunting, LinkedIn is not merely a professional networking platform. With over 1 billion (yes, billion!) users worldwide, LinkedIn is to careers as sunlight is to plants. For individuals poised to take their next step up the ladder, understanding how to harness LinkedIn's potential is a must. Let’s explore the art and science of leveraging LinkedIn to land your next job effortlessly.

Crafting a compelling LinkedIn profile

The art of the first impression

Your LinkedIn profile is the digital equivalent of a first handshake – it needs to be firm, confident, and memorable. To achieve this, every element of your profile must be carefully crafted:

• Your profile picture: Choose a high-resolution image that communicates approachability and professionalism. Your face should take up approximately 60% of the frame, while a subdued background ensures the focus remains on you. Make sure there are no other people or pets in the frame. Another good tip is to dress for the job you want, which you can back up with an industry-related cover photo.
• Your headline: Your headline is shown just below your name on your profile, and it is visible when your updates appear in other people’s feeds as well. Instead of merely listing your current position, think of your headline like a value proposition. Use it to encapsulate your expertise, the results you achieve, and your career aspirations in 120 characters. Be descriptive yet concise, using keywords relevant to your industry to improve visibility.
• Your summary: Just above your employment history is your ‘About’ section. This is a great place to put your Executive Summary. Narrate your professional journey, achievements, and the unique blend of skills you bring to the table. Incorporate vibrant, illustrative language to vividly depict your career goals and transform your summary into a narrative that is both enlightening and captivating, forging a connection with your audience. You can use up to 2,600 characters in this section, and using keywords will again help your profile get found by recruiters/hiring teams.

Demonstrate your expertise through experience and skills

• Experience section: Detail your past roles and employers, focusing on achievements and outcomes rather than merely responsibilities. Use actionable verbs and quantify your accomplishments to provide a clear picture of your impact in each role.
• Skills & endorsements: Curate a list of skills that showcase the competencies pertinent to your career goals. You can list a wide range of skills and connect each one to a particular role, or roles, you have had. Connections can endorse your different skills, enhancing your credibility through third-party validation.
• Recommendations from colleagues and managers: You can also feature personal recommendations on your profile. These serve as a tangible confirmation of your professional capabilities, character, and achievements from those who have witnessed your work ethic and contributions first-hand. When you ask for these, prioritise colleagues, supervisors, or mentors who can provide specific examples of your contributions and impact.

When requesting a recommendation, reach out with a tailored message expressing how the endorsement would be valuable to you, and offer guidance on what aspects of your professional relationship you'd like the person to highlight to ensure the recommendation is relevant and impactful. Afterwards, follow up with a sincere thank you, regardless of their response, and reciprocate by offering to provide a recommendation in return.

Build and nurture your LinkedIn network

The strategy of connection

On LinkedIn, the depth and breadth of your network can significantly sway your career opportunities. However, building a network is not simply about amassing a huge number of connections. It’s better to focus on meaningful relationships.

• Connecting with people: Look for individuals who are not just in your field but also those who inspire you or where there is a mutual benefit in connecting. When you send connection requests, you can personalise your message to establish a genuine rapport. Whatever you do, don’t connect with people and then immediately ask them for something; build the relationship first.
• Engaging with connections: Regularly check in on your timeline to engage with your network's content through likes, comments, and shares. This not only keeps you visible but also demonstrates your interest and investment in your connections' professional lives.

Thought leadership on LinkedIn

Position yourself as an industry thought leader by sharing insights, writing articles, and contributing to discussions. This will amplify your visibility but also showcases your expertise, making you a magnet for opportunities. All content on LinkedIn is searchable, so when you contribute on popular topics, you increase the chances that people will find you through search even where you have no connections in common.

Video and text-only posts get the highest engagement on LinkedIn. But you can also upload photos, create carousels (images or documents like PDT and PPT), announce career milestones, ask questions, and share links to media articles. For those truly dedicated to building their personal brand, LinkedIn’s newsletter feature could be worth a try as well.

As with any content strategy, the key to success in this area is consistency. Decide what is a reasonable level of activity given your existing commitments, and then stick to it to achieve results.

Engage in relevant groups

Depending on your sector, LinkedIn groups can offer a lot of opportunities for networking, learning, and sharing industry insights. Search for groups that align with your professional interests, industry, or career aspirations (alumni networks, industry-specific forums, or groups centred around particular skills or professional development topics).

Having joined, active participation is crucial to truly benefit from what these communities have to offer. Engage in discussions by sharing your insights, asking questions, and providing constructive feedback. Regularly contributing valuable content and perspectives can establish you as a thought leader within the group.

Groups are not just platforms for discussion but also for networking. Engage with other members' posts, reach out with personalised connection requests, and take the conversation beyond the group when relevant. This proactive approach can significantly broaden your professional network and open up new avenues for career opportunities.

Use LinkedIn features for job hunting

Job alerts and the jobs section

LinkedIn's Jobs section is a treasure trove of opportunities. Set up job alerts based on your preferred criteria to ensure you never miss out on relevant openings. Tailor your job search with filters such as location, industry, and level of experience to find matches that resonate with your career aspirations.

LinkedIn Learning

Invest in your professional development with LinkedIn Learning. It has an impressive range of courses designed to enhance your skills – making you more marketable as well as demonstrating your commitment to continuous learning to prospective employers. If you’re not sure which skills to work on, they have various ways to search through the content to narrow down the most relevant courses (by role, by skills, by topic) and there are certifications for some courses.

LinkedIn Premium

If you're in active job search mode, consider upgrading to LinkedIn Premium. Features like InMail messages to recruiters, resumé insights, access to detailed information on job postings, and interview preparation tools can give you a competitive edge. LinkedIn claims that Premium members are 2.6x more likely to get hired on average.

Pricing for Premium, which also gives you access to Learning, is currently €40.65 /month after a 1-month free trial.

The career journey ahead

Using LinkedIn for your career advancement is not a one-time endeavour but an ongoing process. Be prepared to learn how the platform works (including how to leverage the algorithm for maximum engagement) and put effort into networking (just like you would do in person). LinkedIn has become an integral part of the professional journey. Participate authentically, be strategic in your actions, and remain patient and persistent. The connections you make, the knowledge you share, and the visibility you create for yourself on LinkedIn could make all the difference.

Are you looking for a new challenge? Engaging with a recruiter who specialises in your industry can save you a lot of time and make you more targeted in your applications. If you’re looking to change jobs, take a look at our open roles and get in touch with us for a completely confidential discussion.