Tag Archive for: #linkedintips

You are here: / / #linkedintips

Posts

#JobSearch : 9 Ways To Update Your LinkedIn Profile For 2024. What Recruiters to Find You in 2024? Read This!

/in /by

2024 is upon us, and it’s time to leverage LinkedIn’s full potential to supercharge your personal brand and career trajectory. Whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder, branching out as an entrepreneur, or planning to polywork, LinkedIn remains an invaluable resource. Here are actionable steps to elevate your personal brand, enhance your LinkedIn presence, and expand your network and thought leadership.

1. Update Your Profile

You likely accomplished a lot in 2023. Ensure your LinkedIn profile accurately reflects these accomplishments. Pay close attention to your Headshot, Headline, and About sections—these elements create your digital first impression and should provide viewers with an authentic, compelling and current story of your personal brand. Before updating your About, measure it’s impact, then refine it to make it more magnetic and memorable.

Like this Article?  Share It!    You can now easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 3.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

Updated NEWS: #BestofFSCBlog – Aug23 we hit Two Milestones: #1– Hit over 1.2 million impressions on our FSC Career Blogs within 7 days on LinkedIn……. #2– Over 3.5 Million participates on our FSC Career Blog page below within three years!  Both the Team/myself want to thank you all for participating! …… Chris G. & Team,www.firstsun.com

Daily FSC Career Blogs/Articles: Articles/blogs on today’s Job Search (Over 8K Daily Readers)- Go to ‘Blog Search’ & type in updated info on resumes, job search, networking, social media job search, etc.

https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

New- FSC LinkedIn Newsletter– Daily articles/blogs on Today’s Job Market & Seach. Subscribe Today!

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fsc-linkedin-network-7081658661743308800

Connect with us on LinkedIn (under Chris G. Laughter) : https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs  @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Searching for ‘the Best Daily Career Search Articles/Blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type (Jobsearch, Resume, Networking, etc) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You Have to be ‘Sharpened‘?

 

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, Llc (FSC) is celebrating over 32 years in delivering corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, the UK, & Mexico!   Visit us @ www.firstsun.com  OR Ask for a Quote for Services at  info@firstsun.com

We here at FSC want to thank each of our corporate partners for the opportunity to serve & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment!

 

Article continued …

2. Align Your Profile With Your Aspirations

Incorporate keywords relevant to your career goals into your profile. This not only enhances your visibility for the right opportunities but also ensures your digital persona is in harmony with your real-world aspirations. Effective personal branding is rooted in authenticity and allows room for aspiration. Consider the aspirational elements as “planned serendipity.”

3. Refresh Your Network

Review your connection requests (your probably have many that are pending) and accept those who meet your criteria. Adopt a broad networking strategy—diverse connections can lead to unexpected and valuable opportunities. Initiate conversations with your new connections to start building relationships.

4. Give And Ask For LinkedIn Recommendations

Endorsements and Recommendations are the currency of credibility on LinkedIn. They validate your skills and professional standing. Request recommendations from colleagues and others whom you met in the past year. Reflect on 2023, and proactively offer unsolicited recommendations to those you’d like to acknowledge.

5. Grow Your Thought Leadership And Content Strategy

Turn on Creator Mode on LinkedIn to amplify your personal brand. Select up to five hashtags that define your areas of expertise (they show up right below your headline), and consider linking to a personal website or another social media profile to guide followers to content that helps bolster your professional identity.

6. Engage With Your Community

Engage with content that aligns with your professional interests. Like, comment, and share to foster connections and demonstrate your engagement with your industry or job function.

7. Curate A Powerful Content Plan

Develop a content strategy for 2024. Aim to share articles, posts, or videos that showcase your expertise and insights. Maintain consistency in your content, ensuring it reflects your point of view. Establish a regular cadence and commit to maintaining that frequency.

If demonstrating thought leadership is a 2024 goal, consider launching a LinkedIn Newsletter (you need Creator Mode turned on). Establish a publication frequency that aligns with your schedule and content capacity—be it daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly. And focus on one topic – something that will be of interest to your audience. Strong personal brands are clear, consistent and constant.

8. Embrace Visual Storytelling

Rich media can dramatically increase engagement and add visual appeal to your profile. Share photos, infographics, short videos, your video bio and visually engaging insights that reflect your professional narrative. Use the Featured element of your profile to host this multimedia content.

9. Track and Measure Your Impact

LinkedIn provides data that can help you refine your communications plan. Use LinkedIn analytics to refine your strategy. Assess the reach and engagement of your content and adapt your approach based on what engages your audience most effectively.

By implementing these nine strategies, you’re setting the stage for a transformative 2024. LinkedIn is not merely a platform, but a vibrant community where your brand can thrive. Harness its power and anticipate the interesting opportunities that come your way this year.

Forbes.com | January 3, 2024 | William Arruda

#JobSearch : The Right (And Wrong) Way To Network On LinkedIn. How Do You Network on LinkedIn?

/in /by

The internet has shaken up how we do business. But in many ways, old-school rules and skills still apply. Networking is one of those skills that will never go away.

Networking is crucial to learn because it opens you up to new relationships that can drive big opportunities down the road. While physical networking events like conferences, seminars, and industry mixers still hold their value, the digital age has introduced a powerful new player in the game: online platforms like LinkedIn. Here’s how to network like a professional, what to avoid, and the right strategy to build life-changing connections.

Do: Personalize Every Message

One of the best features of LinkedIn is that it allows you to add a note along with your connection invitation. This lets you introduce yourself to a potential connection and make a strong first impression, which will greatly increase your chance of being connected.

LinkedIn does limit your note to 300 characters, which means that you will need to be concise yet compelling. If you’re a premium user, you can message people using InMail but upgrading to premium is not necessary for most people.

With these features available, it can be tempting to adopt a shotgun approach where you compose a generic message and send that to as many people as you can. The more people you message, the more chances of people connecting with you, right?

Well, not so much. Most people can sniff spam from miles away, and sending a generic message is a surefire way to get ignored. What you want to do instead is be authentic and personal in your intro message.

And you do that by researching people thoroughly before attempting to connect with them. Find out what you have in common, such as interests, hobbies, affiliations, or even experiences, and point them out. These are excellent conversation starters and likely to pique their attention. Here’s an example you can follow here:

 

Hi Dennis, always great to see other ex-consultants from UCLA here on LinkedIn! I saw you graduated in 2015 and I was just a year before you in 2014, part of the Anderson school too. Let’s stay connected here on LinkedIn. Have a great day!

 

If you’ve been following their work, you can also express appreciation for their work or contributions. Name specific pieces of media, such as books and articles, and let them know your perspective on them and how you can help them in the future. Put yourself in their shoes and think: If I got a message from a stranger, what would I want it to say? And then write that.

 

Like this Article?  Share It!    You can now easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 3.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

Updated NEWS: #BestofFSCBlog – Aug23 we hit Two Milestones: #1– Hit over 1.2 million impressions on our FSC Career Blogs within 7 days on LinkedIn……. #2– Over 3.5 Million participates on our FSC Career Blog page below within three years!  Both the Team/myself want to thank you all for participating! …… Chris G. & Team,www.firstsun.com

Daily FSC Career Blogs/Articles: Articles/blogs on today’s Job Search (Over 8K Daily Readers)- Go to ‘Blog Search’ & type in updated info on resumes, job search, networking, social media job search, etc.

https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

New- FSC LinkedIn Newsletter– Daily articles/blogs on Today’s Job Market & Seach. Subscribe Today!

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fsc-linkedin-network-7081658661743308800

Connect with us on LinkedIn (under Chris G. Laughter) : https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs  @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Searching for ‘the Best Daily Career Search Articles/Blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type (Jobsearch, Resume, Networking, etc) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You Have to be ‘Sharpened‘?

 

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, Llc (FSC) is celebrating over 32 years in delivering corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, the UK, & Mexico!   Visit us @ www.firstsun.com  OR Ask for a Quote for Services at  info@firstsun.com

We here at FSC want to thank each of our corporate partners for the opportunity to serve & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment!

 

Article continued …

 Do: Be Respectful Of Their Time

Once a person accepts your invitation request, then you’re off to the races. Gone is the 300-character limit, and you can drop them a message anytime. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

LinkedIn is best used to build long and fruitful professional relationships, and you do that over the long run. So while it may be tempting to immediately go in for a favor, showcase that you want to support them in other ways first. When you do reach out to connect over a phone call or coffee meeting, send them a note and acknowledge their busy schedule. This simple gesture demonstrates you respect their time and shows the kind of person you are.

Another thing to be wary of is the number of messages you send. Instead of bombarding your connections with numerous messages, focus on sending thoughtful and relevant messages. Moreover, not everyone can respond to messages immediately. So be patient and respectful of response times, and don’t pressure your connections for a quick reply.

Do: Give Without Expectations

The best LinkedIn connections are all about providing value without the expectation of immediate reward. This value can take various forms, such as sharing relevant industry news, making valuable introductions, or providing resources that can help others achieve their goals.

When you freely share your knowledge and resources, you foster goodwill and bolster your network. Most times, this good karma comes back around but even if it doesn’t, that’s okay!

It’s about nurturing these connections with genuine intent, and understanding that meaningful partnerships and opportunities often take time to develop. So be patient and be in it for the long haul.

Don’t: Be Desperate

Just like most things in life, it’s never good to be desperate, especially when networking on LinkedIn. What you want is to keep everything professional and genuine.

Desperation can result in you trying questionable networking tactics, such as unsolicited spam messages or persistent requests, which can damage your reputation and spoil potential valuable connections.

To build strong and lasting relationships on LinkedIn, you will need to exercise patience, be authentic, and a focus on mutual value. Additionally, you want to be strategic with choosing the people you want to connect with and how you write your messages.

Don’t: Reach Out to Inactive Profiles

Networking on LinkedIn is not a numbers game. It doesn’t do you any good to have hundreds of connections if none of them are going to engage with you or connect outside of LinkedIn.

This is why it makes sense for you to limit your connection requests to people who are actually active on LinkedIn. It’s generally pretty easy to figure out when someone is not actually on LinkedIn, even if they have an existing profile. Just go to their profile, scroll down to their Activity section, and see if they’ve posted, shared, or liked anything recently.

There are no hard and fast rules here, but I would focus on people who register any activity at least once a month. These people are most likely to be active on LinkedIn and receptive to your networking efforts.

If the person is inactive but you think there’s still some value to keeping track of their work, you can “follow” them instead.

Don’t: Sound Like a Sales Pitch

While a lot of sales professionals do flock to LinkedIn to expand their client base, the experienced ones understand that this is not the place to directly pitch a product or service, at least not right away.

LinkedIn is primarily a platform for building relationships, establishing credibility, and nurturing trust. Attempting to sell aggressively from the get-go is often an easy route to getting blocked or removed as a connection. As mentioned earlier, the name of the game is to engage in genuine conversations and that often doesn’t happen when you are just trying to sell something.

Key Takeaways

Networking on LinkedIn has the potential to open you up to several golden opportunities, depending on how you use the platform. The key thing to remember is always to be genuine, helpful, and professional. Focus on building long-term relationships, and not on making a quick sale or asking for a one-time favor.

In this case, slow and steady, more often than not, wins the race. Be the tortoise, not the hare. Good luck out there!

 

                                                                                                                                             Forbes.com | October 6, 2023

#JobSearch : LinkedIn Executive Reveals New Features To Get Discovered. Secret: There are Three Things Jobseekers Can Do with Their Profiles. A MUst REad!

/in /by

Donning a black waistcoat and reclining comfortably in a corner chair edged against the floor length window of his San Francisco office, Rohan Rajiv, LinkedIn’s new Director of Product Management and the brains behind the candidate experience on the platform, was ready to spill all the details.

He had just recently released some ground-breaking features on LinkedIn to fast-track jobseekers’ success with the platform and was already witnessing incredible results and feedback. But Rajiv was no stranger to product management in the career development space. He had been in the business of designing and managing job-search-centered optimization products for over 15 years, with a rather brief sprint in between at a boutique management consulting firm.

There are now approximately 61 million job-seekers searching for roles via LinkedIn weekly, with eight offers to candidates every minute; and Rajiv, who leads a team of dedicated product managers focused solely on the job search experience, had tons of advice to share.

 

“Rohan, what tips would you recommend to job-seekers to become more discoverable on the platform?” I asked, leaning intently, to which down-to-earth Rajiv cheekily retorted, “Do you want the 30-second answer or the 3-minute answer?”

 

Well, 3-minute answer it was!  “The way I look at it,” he began, “there are three things jobseekers can do with their profiles.

“First, you need to create an identity so the LinkedIn community knows you exist and can reach out to you for opportunities. Second, you need to open your identity to a world of recruiters who are all using enterprise products to search for candidates. Finally, you can apply for jobs and express your interest tangibly. But it always begins with having a complete profile; that’s essential.”

The LinkedIn director explained that he and his team are focused on helping jobseekers tell the story of their skills, and therefore have made recent improvements that make it easier for these skills to be expressed and noticed.

“We’ve added features such as Top Skills in your ‘About’ section (this highlights 4-5 skills you most want to be known for). You can also add skills to your education, experience, and projects, to provide context.”

Gone are the days of trying to explain your transferable skills to recruiters. LinkedIn has done it all for you. Rajiv added that the new LinkedIn feature would ease customers’ fears about not getting hired. “The next thing is super unique to LinkedIn, and this really changes how you are discovered.”

 

Like this Article?  Share It!    You can now easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 3.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

Updated NEWS: #BestofFSCBlog – Aug23 we hit Two Milestones: #1– Hit over 1.2 million impressions on our FSC Career Blogs within 7 days on LinkedIn……. #2– Over 3.5 Million participates on our FSC Career Blog page below within three years!  Both the Team/myself want to thank you all for participating! …… Chris G. & Team,www.firstsun.com

Daily FSC Career Blogs/Articles: Articles/blogs on today’s Job Search (Over 8K Daily Readers)- Go to ‘Blog Search’ & type in updated info on resumes, job search, networking, social media job search, etc.

https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

New- FSC LinkedIn Newsletter– Daily articles/blogs on Today’s Job Market & Seach. Subscribe Today!

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fsc-linkedin-network-7081658661743308800

Connect with us on LinkedIn (under Chris G. Laughter) : https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs  @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Searching for ‘the Best Daily Career Search Articles/Blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type (Jobsearch, Resume, Networking, etc) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You Have to be ‘Sharpened‘?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, Llc (FSC) is celebrating over 32 years in delivering corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, the UK, & Mexico!   Visit us @ www.firstsun.com  OR Ask for a Quote for Services at  info@firstsun.com

We here at FSC want to thank each of our corporate partners for the opportunity to serve & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment!

 

Article continued …

He then introduced three game-changing tools on LinkedIn that are available to everybody, free of charge:

Open to work

“It’s a bit like raising your hand and shouting out ‘I’m here!’ isn’t it?” We both laughed and said the same thing simultaneously.

“Exactly,” he agreed, “and recruiters find this valuable. This increases your chances of receiving an InMail 2x.”

I had a nagging question I just had to get to the bottom of while chatting with Rajiv. What if one decided to turn the open-to-work frame on to just recruiters only? Will it still be effective?

“The frame adds a sense of urgency and gets the community involved; however the frame is not for everybody. It’s only beneficial if you want to amplify your intent,” he explained.

Resume visibility

“People can switch on a setting that permits them to make the details of their resume available to recruiters when they search for certain keywords,” Rajiv continued. “It will show keywords from both on their profile and resume.”

‘I’m Interested’

Rajiv’s face began to really light up and his eyes sparked as he announced his new product launch called “I’m interested,” initially released six months ago. I could tell this was his favorite feature by far, as he made certain to tell me this was something he was really excited about.

“This feature is for employers who want to grow their employer brand on LI; they have a button called “I’m interested” which allows you as a potential candidate to be in their talent pool. It has completed roll-out in May, and so far, we’re seeing a lot of traction and response from members and influencers on TikTok. It has really caught on, so now recruiters can hear back from people who’ve already expressed interest.”

But that’s not all.

Rajiv announced that there was even more in store for LinkedIn Premium members.

Turbocharge with LinkedIn Premium’s new features

“We have our free offering that is available to everybody and has significant value. But for those who choose our Premium offerings, we have a bunch of stuff that turbocharges success. For example, we now have AI assisted profile descriptions to guide you as you complete your profile.”

“There is also AI-assisted messaging for InMails to recruiters.”

By now my jaw had dropped wide open.

“This is still rolling out so you’re getting it hot off the press, no pun intended,” he added with another good-natured laugh.

Top Choice

“With LinkedIn Premium, you have access to a very unique feature called Top Choice. Top Choice Jobs gives job seekers the ability to mark a job as a top choice when applying through Easy Apply,” Rajiv continued,” signaling to recruiters that you have strong interest in a job they’ve posted and can increase your visibility. In fact – job seekers are 43% more likely to hear back from the recruiter for the jobs they are most interested in when using the Top Choice Jobs feature.”

Actively hiring

This tool is rolling out this month. Rajiv and his team are currently rolling out a new tool to Premium subscribers so you can now filter your people search by those who are “Actively Hiring” in or outside your network.

“But what about when you are about to apply for a job, and it already has 200 or 300 applicants? Are the numbers sometimes flawed? How accurate are those numbers?” I was curious to know.

“There are two kinds of ‘applies’ on LinkedIn; one takes you to a website, and the other is ‘easy apply.’ Easy apply is always accurate but the others may or may not have followed through with their application.”

As the interview wound to a close and Rajiv was within sight of his lunch break, I quizzed, “Is there anything exciting coming up with LinkedIn products that you’re able to leak to the public?”

Full of humor, Rajiv chuckled, “We are rolling out so many features so fast within the past six months alone, so watch this space.” Peering out into the window, the director’s passion for the LinkedIn community, was clear: “It’s a really special thing to come to work knowing we have a shot at helping people find work.”

Who knows what may be on our profiles six months from now?

 

Forbes.com | September 14, 2023 | Rachel Wells

 

#JobSearch : You’ve Been Using LinkedIn Wrong—5 Features You Should Be Using. Advice #1: Never use LinkedIn Only When you Need a Job.

/in /by

LinkedIn is highly regarded as the number one social platform for businesses and professionals alike, for sourcing jobs and business opportunities. But how many professionals are really using it to its full potential?

Over the past few years, LinkedIn has rolled out several new features which go beyond the traditional notion of using the platform for finding jobs when one is unemployed, or generating leads for new business. If fully taken advantage of, these LinkedIn features and resources will help you establish your personal brand, catapult your career and thought leadership within your industry, and bring opportunities your way instead of you chasing them all the time.

Let’s explore some of these features below. But first, a word of caution: 

Never use LinkedIn only when you need a job

LinkedIn is not solely a job board. Its inbuilt job board is only one of several features and usages on this platform. The worst thing you can do to hurt your career is to wait until you’ve been laid off or seeking a new career path, before you start building your profile and actively using LinkedIn. If you wait until then, it will be almost too late and you’ll need to build your personal brand from scratch. It will be much harder to position yourself as an industry expert or talented professional.

Finally, note that a couple of the tools listed below may be currently in beta mode, so they may not be accessible to you at this time, depending on your location.

Like this Article?  Share It!You can now easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

Daily FSC Career Blogs/Articles: Articles/blogs on today’s Job Search (Over 6K Daily Readers)- Go to ‘Blog Search’ & type in updated info on resumes, job search, networking, social media job search, etc.

https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

New- FSC LinkedIn Newsletter– Daily articles/blogs on Today’s Job Market & Seach. Subscribe Today!

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fsc-linkedin-network-7081658661743308800

Connect with us on LinkedIn (under Chris G. Laughter) : https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs  @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Searching for ‘the Best Daily Career Search Articles/Blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(Jobsearch, Resume, Networking, etc) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You Have to be ‘Sharpened‘?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, Llc (FSC) is celebrating over 32 years in delivering corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, the UK, & Mexico!   Visit us @ www.firstsun.com  OR Ask for a Quote for Services at  info@firstsun.com

We here at FSC want to thank each of our corporate partners for the opportunity to serve & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment!

 

Article continued …

5 LinkedIn features you should be using

Before thinking about using the following features and tools, you need to evaluate and ask yourself a few critical questions:

“Do I already have a fully completed profile?“, “What is my purpose on this platform?” and “Who is my target audience?”

 

If the answer to the first question is no, start reimagining and reinventing your profile, ensuring it is fully complete and reflects your personal brand identity, in line with the last two questions.

If you’re not yet sure of your purpose or target audience, consider your overall career objective first, and this will inform your answers.

1. Turn on “Creator” mode

You may not realize this, but turning your LinkedIn profile on “Creator” mode is a fantastic way to establish you as an industry leader. This is because it unlocks access to a plethora of tools such as setting up and hosting LinkedIn Live Audio events, LinkedIn Live events (the video version), and launching newsletters. You can also pick five hashtags to feature on your profile under your headline, that tell others what you talk about and are focused on.

“Creator” mode also ensures that when others visit your profile, the first option they have available to them is to follow you, instead of connecting with you. If they really want to be in your 1st degree network, they can click the “More” option on your profile for the dropdown with the “Connect” option to appear. Your following count will then show, and this assists in creating social proof for your brand using numbers.

2. Collaborate on skills-based articles

LinkedIn has rolled out a new feature which enables you to become a LinkedIn Top Voice in your area of expertise, further establishing your credibility on the platform using the LinkedIn Skills Pages.

When you add skills to your profile’s Skills section that are relevant to your role and industry, LinkedIn will suggest AI-generated articles specific to those skills, that you can collaborate with so you can add your own unique perspective.

The more you collaborate, the more you establish yourself as a knowledgeable leader in your field, and if you do it consistently, LinkedIn may award you a gold LinkedIn Top Voice badge, which you can proudly display on your profile.

3. Undertake skills assessments

When you click into the Skills section of your profile, you may notice that a button may appear which says “Take a skills assessment.” This is a fantastic way to show that you are a bona fide professional and a master at your craft.

Currently, LinkedIn skills assessments test technical and design software skills including AdobeADBE +2.4% and MicrosoftMSFT +1.7% packages.

It would be interesting to see if or how LinkedIn would test soft skills such as customer service or leadership scenarios in the future. But in the meantime, if you’d like to proudly display your proficiency and skill set, especially if you’re considering switching careers to a role or industry that uses these key technical skills, undertaking LinkedIn Skills Assessments is a great option.

4. Subscribe to the LinkedIn Learning Blog

LinkedIn’s “LinkedIn Learning Blog” regularly publishes insights about new skills to learn so you can adapt your career to today’s ever-evolving workforce. One of its most insightful articles is it’s list of most in-demand skills, pulled together from LinkedIn’s own data and research team, such as the “LinkedIn 2023 Most In-Demand Skills” below.

If you are serious about propelling your career forward, this report provides you with data and insights on how to achieve this based on what employers and the market is looking for.

5. Check your LinkedIn SSI score

Ever wondered why you’re not attracting enough career-boosting opportunities on LinkedIn? This tool might help you. Commonly used by sales professionals, this is something you can use if you’re serious about building a strong personal brand. SSI (Social Selling Index) is a score LinkedIn assigns to your profile that is calculated based on four key criteria that have an equal weighting of 25. So in essence, if your profile is perfect in meeting all four criteria, you should have a perfect score of 100.

Here is what LinkedIn’s free SSI tool measures you against:

  1. Establish your professional brand
  2. Find the right people
  3. Engage with insights
  4. Build relationships

 

Sign into your LinkedIn account on your browser, then open the below link:

Sales Navigator

Your ideal score should be over 70. Use the insights from this tool to create a LinkedIn strategy to establish your presence as an expert on the platform, network with the right people, and attract more opportunities. This will boost your score over time.

As you can see, LinkedIn is much more than a job board. It is a powerful platform for establishing business connections, sourcing your next career or business opportunity, and developing your personal brand. LinkedIn is continuously rolling out new features, so it’s essential to stay current and be active on the platform so you can be aware of new releases that will help you grow your career. Through using the tools available to LinkedIn Creators, collaborating on skills articles, leveraging your current skills while seeking to learn more, and understanding your current status in the market using the SSI feature, you can take your career to unprecedented heights and open up a world of unlimited possibilities.

Most importantly, don’t wait until you’ve been laid off or are unemployed otherwise, before you start establishing your presence on LinkedIn. Begin today to craft your personal brand here, one that will leave a legacy beyond your job.

 

Forbes.com | August 20, 2023 | Rachel Wells

#BestofFSCBlog : LinkedIn Profile Do’s And Don’ts. First Impressions Matter a Lot, Especially on LinkedIn. A MUst REad!

/in /by

First impressions matter a lot, especially on LinkedIn. So, whether you are looking for a new job or want to create a more influential personal brand, there are some guidelines you need to follow. Step one of career management is to have an outstanding LinkedIn profile. As a career counselor, I see many common mistakes you must avoid. These are outlined below with some recommendations on what you should do to present yourself in the best possible light.

The Do’s

Have a complete profile. This is a critical step. Too many profiles need to be updated. Ensure the info is current, and all the required sections are completed. Don’t leave sections blank.

Work history needs specific details. This section should summarize your experience and be loaded with the results and accomplishments you’ve had in that role. Note your key strengths and relevant work tasks. If you only list your job title, employer name, and dates without additional details, you’ll miss an SEO opportunity and the chance to attract a recruiter’s or potential client’s interest.

 

Like this Article?  Share It!    You can now easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

Daily FSC Career Blogs/Articles: Articles/blogs on today’s Job Search (Over 6K Daily Readers)- Go to ‘Blog Search’ & type in updated info on resumes, job search, networking, social media job search, etc.

https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

New- FSC LinkedIn Newsletter– Daily articles/blogs on Today’s Job Market & Seach. Subscribe Today!

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fsc-linkedin-network-7081658661743308800

Connect with us on LinkedIn (under Chris G. Laughter) : https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs  @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Searching for ‘the Best Daily Career Search Articles/Blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type (Jobsearch, Resume, Networking, etc) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You Have to be ‘Sharpened‘?

 

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, Llc (FSC) is celebrating over 32 years in delivering corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, the UK, & Mexico!   Visit us @ www.firstsun.com  OR Ask for a Quote for Services at  info@firstsun.com

We here at FSC want to thank each of our corporate partners for the opportunity to serve & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment!

 

Article continued …

Customize your headline. The headline section is the most searched part of LinkedIn. And by default, LinkedIn will create one, simply listing your current job title. You will appear in more LinkedIn searches by using strategic keywords in your headline, listing the appropriate job titles considering your current and future roles. You could also include your industry, such as fintech or healthcare.

Tell your story in the “About” section. Personalize this section so that it shows your personality and is authentic and genuine. It is written in the first person. Share some reasons why you like your work and what you feel you are good at and mention a couple of work tasks you enjoy. If you are a manager, describe your style and note how important the team is. Avoid resume speak, so don’t just pull off your resume or a bio about yourself.

Use a great photo. A smiling, engaging, current headshot is what you want to use. It doesn’t need to be a professional picture; the camera on your smartphone allows you to get a perfect photo. Be sure you have a plain background, good light that shows your whole face with no dark sides or shadows. A solid-colored top works best. And most important, smile!

Point out your top skills. LinkedIn added a new feature called “Top Skills,” which sits right under your “About” section in the profile. You can highlight your top five skills. These impactful, searchable keywords improve your chances of capturing attention and enhancing your profile.

Have recommendations. Everyone looks at these when they check out your profile. These references are powerful and influential. They attest to how good you are at that job and that colleague’s impression of working with you. More is better when it comes to having recommendations on your profile. If yours aren’t current, ask some people to write one.

 

The Don’ts

Do not just describe what your company does. Your profile is about you, not your employer, even if you are the CEO. Emphasize what you have done. Note the results and outcomes you have made in your job roles. Create a personalized “about” section that talks about you and may include what you do for the employer, but this needs to be focused on who you are.

Do not list just job titles, employers and dates of employment. It’s a big mistake when there are not enough work experience details. Give a full description and point out a few key accomplishments, responsibilities, and results you have achieved in that job.

Do not include every job you have ever held. Since careers typically are progressive, it’s unnecessary to detail or even list what you did 20 years ago, as that role has little impact on where you are now and your next career position, so keep the profile to the last 10-15 years. If you are over 50, going back too far puts an emphasis on your age, which is not what you want here.

Never post anything negative. Too many people have sunk their ship complaining about a former employer or boss and posting these thoughts on LinkedIn. Prospective employers read your posts; a negative comment will make them think less of you. Many recruiters say negative comments make them move on to another candidate.

Do not be inactive on LinkedIn. You need to interact and respond to comments. The more you post on LinkedIn, the better you will do with the algorithm that controls the website. Remember that posting is not the same as commenting or liking something. Posting is creating original content, asking a question of your network, taking a poll, or sharing an article that you think is of value to other connections.

Do not have only a few connections. The number of connections makes a difference in your visibility on this platform. People who have connections under 75 are at an extreme disadvantage. Your goal should be to have at least 200-300 connections for a solid network. Add friends, bosses, coworkers, and recruiters.

 

Forbes.com | August 8, 2023 | Robin Ryan

 

#JobSearch : One LinkedIn Trick That Enables Recruiters To Find You. Here’s How to Set up #Opentowork Tag, so Only Recruiters See it.

/in /by

People were skeptical when LinkedIn added the #OpenToWork feature a few years ago. Many job hunters worried that this tag surrounding their profile gave off an “I’m desperate” vibe. At that time, recruiters said it had no effect on them and that they ignored it. Fast forward to now. Things have changed a great deal because of the labor shortage. As we start seeing more layoffs and many people quietly job hunting, more people have been using this tag. But is there a better way to get recruiters’ attention without telling the universe you are job hunting?

Theresa Chow, Senior Recruiting Manager for Clark Nuber, shared her insight. “The #OpenToWork tag on a candidate’s photo doesn’t impact me. However, candidates seem unaware they can use that tag so only recruiters see it. Marking their profile as ‘Open to Work for recruiters’ makes it a searchable item for recruiters. I consider those candidates first as they are looking to leave versus those that are passive candidates. Usually, I start my search with the skillset and get hundreds of names. I can sort those so I see #OpenToWork candidates and contact them first. Only once I get through those individuals do I look at the passive candidates,” she says.

Another Senior HR recruiter said, “I like the tag because there is a higher chance that an individual might actually write us back! In today’s marketplace, we get ignored—a lot.”

Matthew Warzel, president of MJW Careers, noted that whether or not to use this feature is a personal decision involving your comfort level with publicly declaring that you are looking for a new job. Some job seekers may prefer to keep their job search private.

 

Like this Article?  Share It!    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, Llc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, the UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of our corporate partners for the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment!

Article continued …

LinkedIn has reported that members who have added the “open to work” tag to their profiles are more likely to receive relevant job recommendations and more messages from recruiters. However, there is no guarantee that using this feature will lead to more interest. Numerous other search techniques, such as networking, should always be a part of any candidate’s strategy.

I had not been recommending using the #OpenToWork tag with my career counseling clients. But considering several recent conversations with HR people who explained that their talent search has changed due to this tight labor market, I now recommend that people use the Open To Work tag but make it only visible to recruiters. After all, those are the people whose attention you are trying to get.

Here’s how to set up #opentowork tag, so only recruiters see it. In the LinkedIn Recruiter help section they explain precisely how to use this feature to share with Recruiter privately they are job hunting. Only recruiters who aren’t affiliated with your current or related companies can view this tag.

To activate this feature, follow these steps on your Profile page.

Below your picture and headline, you’ll see the blue button “Open to.” Click on it and select “Finding a new job.”

Complete all the information requested. Note titles, locations, type of work—remote, in-person, hybrid.

Select Onsite location—identify where you live (select the city name if you are in a suburb).

In the Remote section, you can pick five locations to appear in searches. This makes locations a searchable item for recruiters so everyone should use it.

Select Immediately for the start date.

Select the Type of Work you desire—full-time, contract, etc.

On the bottom tab is a drop-down menu. Check the Recruiters only tab and they will be the only people who see the tag. (If you wish to make your search public, so anyone on LinkedIn can see this tag with its green label around your profile picture, click that option.)

Hit save.

 

Forbes.com Author: Robin Ryan  Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.

 

Forbes.com | March 8, 2023

 

#JobSearch : The 8 Biggest Mistakes People Make With Their LinkedIn Profile And How To Avoid Them. Reading this Headline on LinkedIn? MUst REad!

/in /by

With membership approaching one billion, LinkedIn is the most important personal branding resource. And despite LinkedIn being around for two decades, many professionals have not mastered this essential career management platform and they’re missing an opportunity to deliver an on-brand first impression.

Here are the most egregious LinkedIn profile mistakes to avoid.

1. Not Including Keywords In Your Headline

To help your profile show up prominently in the results, you need to include the words you want to be associated with in your headline. The first duty of your headline is to provide relevance. “Is this a person I need to know?”

 

Like this Article?  Share It!    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, Llc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, the UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of our corporate partners for the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment!

 

Article continued …

2. An Anemic About

Your LinkedIn “About” section will be the most-read version of your bio, so you need to tell your story in a compelling way. And here’s the catch: When people look at your LinkedIn profile, they only get to see the first few lines of your About. Use those valuable words to grab your reader’s attention so they will click “see more” to get the whole story. Don’t repeat what you told us about yourself in your headline.

3. Ignoring The Featured Section

This valuable piece of digital branding real estate shows up toward the top of your profile and gives you a place to showcase your accomplishments, passions, and causes. And because you can include images, video and other rich media, it makes your profile more interesting to look at and more differentiated too.

4. Not Using Creator Mode

Creator mode is a relatively new feature that allows you to identify the top five hashtags with which you want to be associated. These hashtags show up right below your headline and reinforce the topics for which you want to be known. Even if you have no intention of creating content for your LinkedIn blog, turn Creator mode on and select your five hashtags.

5. Keeping The Boring LinkedIn-Issued Background

The best way to make your profile stand out is to include a one-of-a-kind, on-brand, copyright-cleared background (it sits behind your headshot and headline). It’s the first thing people see when they’re checking you out. When you incorporate an image that helps you tell your story, you automatically stand out from your peers and deliver a relevant first impression.

6. Using A Photo That’s Not A True Headshot

No photo. A logo. A full body shot. A picture where you cropped someone’s body out of the shot, but their arm is still dangling from your shoulder. These are all examples of what you should never do with your LinkedIn headshot. Your headshot makes you real, and it makes it more likely that someone will accept a connection request from you. Make sure your headshot is professionally done, reflects your personality and is cropped so that your very human face occupies 60-80% of the space. When someone is looking at your profile on their phone, your headshot is the size of a button. Make sure people can look you in the eye.

7. Not Reordering Their Skills

LinkedIn displays your skills in order, based on the number of endorsements each skill has (from highest to lowest). When someone checks out your profile, LinkedIn only shows the top three. That’s a signal to the reader that those are the things you are best at. Yet for many of us, those may not be the things we want to be known for or the things that make us relevant for where we want to go next. Reorder your skills to showcase the three most important ones at the top.

8. Using Words Without Rich Media

It’s hard to create a visceral emotional experience when you’re limiting yourself to the 26 letters of the alphabet, but when you augment your prose with images, infographics and videos, you can truly dazzle your audience with your brilliance. Your profile is replete with places where you can leverage rich media to tell your story: your Featured artifacts, your Background image, in your Experience and Education sections, your Video Cover Story, etc. It’s hard to inspire people online, but using multimedia is sure to deliver more YAY and less YAWN to your readers.

 

Forbes.com Author: William Arruda is a keynote speaker, and co-founder of CareerBlast.TV and co-creator of the Personal Brand Power Audit – a complimentary quiz that helps you measure the strength of personal brand.

Forbes.com | February 8, 2023

#BestofFSCBlog : Over 14K Reads! 5 Secrets To A LinkedIn Profile That Can Compete In The 2023 Job Market. Great REad!

/in /by

The new year has arrived, and for the career-oriented go-getters, so has another list of professional goals to tackle.  Double the size of your professional network, promote your organization externally, find a new job after getting laid off, increase your annual salary, get a mentor…

Would you believe me if I said you could check any of these items off your to-do list just by giving your LinkedIn page a facelift? It sounds shallow, but it’s true: the likelihood you’ll receive a job interview or have a career-changing conversation within the next year rely heavily on the caliber of your LinkedIn profile.

You may as well shove those high heels back in the closet and forget about ironing that shirt because you can propel your career forward just by laying down on your couch with a laptop while wearing yesterday’s sweats. It may not be a professional nor ergonomic look, but in today’s age, it works. The phrase “getting your foot in the door” has never stood further away from its literal meaning.

 

Like this Article?  Share It!    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, Llc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, the UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of our corporate partners for the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment!

 

Article continued …

Shiny LinkedIn profiles will dominate the 2023 job market

If the thought of rewriting your LinkedIn bio or brainstorming a catchy headline makes you want to run in the opposite direction, trust me when I say you should think again. With more than 875 million users worldwide, LinkedIn’s role in the hiring process is nothing short of massive. Jobvite’s 2020 Recruiter Nation Survey reported that 72% of recruiters use LinkedIn to hire new candidates. Every second, 101 job applications are submitted through the platform. Eight people get hired every minute.

But don’t be deceived – the prevalence of job listings does not equate to a surplus of work. According to LinkedIn’s December 2022 Workforce Report, hiring across all industries fell 4.9% from October to November and is 20.5% lower than it was during November of last year. Even more concerning, current hiring has fallen 11.9% below pre-pandemic levels – a clear indicator that the job market is entering a shift we haven’t experienced in years.

Job hunters looking to work from home face an especially competitive battle. Remote work makes up only fifteen percent of the jobs listed on LinkedIn, but receives 50% of the platform’s applications. The Washington Post dubs the growing clash between employees’ interest in remote work and the employers who are willing to allow it “the great mismatch.”

In a job market saturated with candidates, those with sleek shiny LinkedIn profiles rise to the top.

5 steps to glam-up your LinkedIn profile

1. Structure your profile around your career goals

Whether you partake in New Year’s resolutions or not, the beginning of a new year comes with the inevitable urge to imagine the future that lies ahead. Use this time to think about the career goals you have for the upcoming year. Doing this before you dive into a full-on LinkedIn makeover will help you structure the changes you do make around a specific purpose. A cohesive profile gives recruiters a clear message about who you are and what you have to offer.

Here are a few questions you can help you define the career goals you have for the new year:

  • Where would you like to see yourself by the end of the year?
  • What skill set are you primarily using in your career this year– and what key words reflect those skills when used on your profile (remember! Recruiters search by key words)?
  • How would you like your brand to change over the next year?
  • Think of a dream company you’d love to work for. What impression would you want to give in a conversation with a recruiter?
  • What topics and skills would be beneficial for you to learn and develop?

2. Revamp the details

A sparse or crusty LinkedIn profile gives recruiters little faith someone will perform at a high standard in the workplace. It’s just a fact of life: aesthetics matter, and this is especially true in the job market. Take the time to make sure the details of your LinkedIn profile are all straightened out. Photo lighting, punctuation, job descriptions – these may seem like small things, but recruiters notice when they’re done sloppily.

Look at the content you already have on your page and see how it can be improved or updated:

  • Profile Picture
  • Use a photo that closely resembles your current appearance
  • Avoid using photos with poor lighting or additional people you need to cut out
  • Wear business-casual attire, take the photo from the chest up in front of a plain background
  • Headline
  • Avoid the default headline that shows your job title under your name
  • Instead, give a wide scope of who you are by including skills, certifications, future goals, and your own interpretation of what it means to do the work you do
  • Use your headline to explain where you want to go. If you’re in tech, transitioning into communications, lead with what you want to go into.
  • About info
  • Make sure your bio is written in the first person (use the words “I” and “my”)
  • Double check for grammatical mistakes and punctuation errors
  • Avoid casual language, fragmented sentences, and an excessive use of emojis
  • Background photo
  • Make your profile pop by adding a background photo in the space above your profile picture
  • Avoid personal photos and group photos
  • Consider using a subtle image related to your career
  • New accomplishments
  • Add the jobs, awards, or major achievements you’ve had since last updating your profile
  • Previous work experience
  • Treat this section of your LinkedIn Page like your resume by describing the work you did with a few bullets led by strong action verbs
  • Format text consistently across all job entries

3. Reassess your keywords

This is the part where strategy comes into play. You can create the most aesthetically pleasing profile LinkedIn has ever seen, but it won’t be seen by recruiters if you don’t leverage keywords correctly. Keywords are terminology commonly used in a specific industry. Recruiters hiring for job candidates through LinkedIn will often filter results by entering keywords that relate to the position or industry into the platform’s search feature. The more keywords you include in your profile, the better chance you have at being approached by a recruiter looking to hire someone in that related field.

Think about some keywords that relate to the goals you brainstormed in step 1. If you’re looking to change jobs, you can probably benefit by rewording your profile’s “about” section and previous job descriptions to better reflect the skills sought after in your preferred job or industry. But make sure you avoid using keywords that stretch the truth – you may think this gives you an edge over candidates, but it will only be a detriment to your credibility later on.

4. Expand your network with LinkedIn groups

Scrolling through a seemingly infinite reel of LinkedIn posts makes it easy to forget that the platform, at its core, is a network of professionals. Passively consuming posts from college peers will rarely be enough to propel your career forward. Instead, you need to use LinkedIn to actively seek out professionals with valuable connections and opportunities in your field of work, and the finding right LinkedIn group is a total gem.

The easiest way to do this? Join more LinkedIn groups and take note of which one has like minded professionals and positive engagement. There’s a LinkedIn group related to just about every occupational field and professional development topic out there, including several for job seekers. You can read more about which ones I recommend here.

5. Become more active and explore creator mode

Your posts, comments, likes, and shares all play a role in shaping a hiring manager’s impression of you. In essence, they’re part of your personal brand. While some people may think it’s safer to avoid leaving a trail of activity, this path can be even more detrimental. A lack of engagement on LinkedIn reads as a lack of interest in professional development and few, if any, achievements in the workplace. Of course, this may very well also not be the case, but it doesn’t change the fact that a recruiter has no reasons to believe otherwise.

If you’re anxious about engaging with other professionals on LinkedIn, dip your toe into the water by liking and commenting on posts that come up in your feed. Keep in mind that comments that prompt a follow-up answer will spur more engagement than comments that just affirm the post.

You don’t need to make your own LinkedIn posts overly complicated. A quick update on a team project or a post highlighting your company’s community involvement is a short but positive contribution to people’s timelines. Do your best to remain active and consistent on the platform. Consider giving yourself a certain number of posts to aim every week or month.

Above all else, make sure the content you do contribute to LinkedIn stays classy and avoids conflict. There are better places you can go if you’re looking for tension, namely Facebook and Twitter.

 

Forbes.com | January 9, 2023 | Ashley Stahl

#JobSearch : How To Quickly Rebound From A Layoff. Networking Is The Top Job Search Strategy. A MUst REad!

/in /by

Losing your job is one of life’s most stressful events. Unfortunately, most people are unprepared for this life-changing news. Last year employers let go 321,970 people, reports Challenger, Gray, & Christmas, Inc. For the first six months of 2022, 179,506 became unemployed. Ellen was the HR Manager at a midsize company. Distraught, she called asking for career help, saying she’d just been laid off from her employer of 12 years. Ellen was shocked, having a hard time trying to accept this had happened to her. “I am a dedicated employee,” she said. “I worked long hours through the pandemic, and now I realize my loyalty means nothing. I feel so betrayed. I’ve become depressed. I am 59 years old, so I’m worried my age will prevent me from finding a new job, and I need to work,” she said with panic in her voice.

When the job ends like that, you need some time to process this loss. You’re likely to experience a complete range of feelings: fear, isolation, loss of identity and confidence, depression, and some trepidation. Try writing out the emotions and give yourself a few days to recover. There is one mistake you must not make. Be very careful you do not burn any bridges with your boss or former employer, no matter how angry you are. Avoid complaining on social media. One VP of Recruiting shared she was ready to make a job offer and went to see a candidate’s LinkedIn profile. She read recent posts he’d made, and several were very critical of his former employer. Because of that, he lost the high-paying job she was about to offer him.

As a career counselor with decades of experience, I shared something with Ellen that helped reassure her. If you are suddenly unemployed, now is the best time for that to happen. Why? It’s a job hunter’s mecca. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks the time unemployed people remain out of work. The average unemployment duration was 7.5 weeks between leaving a job and obtaining a new one. That is significant when you consider what it was a few years ago, when it took at least five to six months to land a new position. So, reframe your thinking and focus on this opportunity to land a better, higher-paying job.

Great News: Your new job will likely come with a pay hike—and a big one. The most significant salary jumps almost always come from leaving a job and taking a new one. CNBC reports that the typical increase is now about 10%. Yet when you talk to recruiters who are in the trenches trying to hire new employees, they all complain that it’s taking a major salary increase to get people to accept their job offers. They report that when the average professional switches jobs today, they will likely get a pay increase between 15-35%. Unfortunately, the accurate figures of what employers are paying today aren’t incorporated into the salary data available on the internet. Whether you are a Baby Boomer, Millennial, Xer, or GenZer, HR managers report that people at all levels are starting with better salaries than they left. Being unemployed seems to have no impact on the salary offered.

 

Like this Article?  Share It!    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

Article continued …

Know Your Real Value

You have marketability talents other employers would be interested in. Do a self-assessment of what your accomplishments are, the knowledge you have acquired, and most of all, the accomplishments and results you have achieved in past roles. To begin your job search, define your actual worth as an employee performing your type of job. You may worry that you were overpaid, only to learn you were underpaid. For example, a laid-off Boeing engineer stated he didn’t know what his skills were worth to other employers. He researched the subject and uncovered salary surveys and in-depth salary data on Payscale.com that were enlightening. As a result, he landed a new position at Hewlett-Packard that paid $20,000 more than his prior salary.

Networking Is The Top Job Search Strategy

Connections are key. Ensure you are using LinkedIn to connect to all former managers, colleagues, vendors, customers, friends, clients, etc. They are vital sources of insider information and knowledge about job opportunities. LinkedIn has made networking easy, allowing you to reach out and send a personal message. A terrific strategy includes asking a colleague for a referral to their employer by passing your resume on to the hiring manager. Referred applicants always get heightened attention. For more specifics, read the Forbes.com article “Here Is A LinkedIn Secret Weapon To Land A Job.”

One of the country’s top job search strategists, Hannah Morgan, who writes a newsletter and blog, offered her best advice on getting hired.

“Uncover the hidden job market via LinkedIn,” says Morgan. “An impressive LinkedIn profile is where you start. Ensure that recruiters find you by creating a more compelling headline instead of the default that lists your current job title. Customize your headline to spell out the type of roles you are looking for and note any special expertise. As you craft your profile, use the LinkedIn “About” section to tell your story. Include the kind of information you’d use in a cover letter or how you’d answer this question, Tell me about yourself? Write the “About” section in first person, which means use “I” throughout this section.”

Morgan continued, “Sell yourself effectively when you write about your work experience on LinkedIn. Take credit where credit is due. Be specific on how the employer benefited. Did you save time or money? Did you create something new? Don’t just list the job title, employer name, and dates of employment. Be sure you outline the results you achieved working at your current and previous positions.” For additional guidance, read “How to Write an Impressive LinkedIn Work Experience Section.”

Keep a positive attitude and be able to describe in an interview why you are right for the job. Demonstrate the value you’d bring with specific details of the past results you delivered and how that prospective employer would benefit if they hired you.

 

Forbes.com | October 18, 2022 | Robin Ryan

#JobSearch : How To Write Networking Emails That Get Opened. Networking to Connect with Decision Makers. Great REad!

/in /by

Building strong relationships is an essential part of your career, but they don’t always happen organically. As with any other aspect of your career, creating close and meaningful connections takes time and work.

And every new relationship has to start with an introduction.

There are lots of ways you can meet new people and expand your network in a professional capacity. For example, attending industry events, through your current job, or online using networking sites like LinkedIn.

But how do you go about turning these brief encounters into solid working relationships?

Well, the best place to start is with an introductory email. But it can be tricky to know how to word this correctly. Especially when you’re targeting other busy professionals. After all, you’ve probably sent a few emails straight to your junk folder in your time.

However, there is a way around this. Here’s how to write networking emails that get opened.

Do your research on the recipient

First and foremost, you need to do as much research on the recipient as possible before you even consider sending that email. You need to be able to prove to them that you’re reaching out for a valid reason, that you can add value, and that you have something in common. If you don’t know enough about them or their current position, that is going to be much harder.

So before you begin, carefully check out their online presence using tools like LinkedIn and their company website to ensure you know who you’re conversing with.

That way, when you come to write the email, you can create something that is engaging are more likely to get opened. You also increase your chances of getting a response as you prove to the recipient that you’ve done your research and have something to offer them.

 

Like this Article?  Share It!    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

Article continued …

Create a captivating subject line

Subject lines can make or break an email.

Think about it; this will be the first thing your recipient reads and will determine whether they choose to open the email at all, let alone read it. Therefore, you need to create a compelling subject line that is going to implore them to click on it.

This can be tricky if you don’t have much experience with email marketing or networking. However, there are some simple steps you can take for success.

You must ensure that your subject line is short and attention-grabbing, ideally around three to five words that will immediately garner their interest. It’s also important to make these personal, for example ‘nice to meet you, {their name}’ or ‘following up from {event name}’.

Remember, you don’t want your subject line to get cut off in the preview, so keep it as concise and engaging as possible. This will increase the chances of them opening your email in the first place.

Keep your introduction concise

OK, so the subject line has got you through the door, and they’ve opened you’re email; you don’t want them immediately sending it to junk because they lose interest.

Therefore, it’s not just your subject line that needs to be short and sweet. In the body of the email, you need to give a quick introduction that gets straight to the point. At this stage, you should briefly state who you are and where you work and clarify to them why you’re reaching out.

Although you might have lots you want to talk to them about, save this for a follow-up call or meeting. Everyone is busy, and you don’t want to immediately put them off by jumping in with huge rambling paragraphs.

Mention common ground

Although your email shouldn’t be too long, you should take this opportunity to mention some of the things you have in common aside from your field of work. For example, did you attend the same college, or are you from the same hometown? This increases your chances of them replying and, once again, shows you did your research.

You could also take this chance to complement any of their impressive work, especially if they were part of a project you particularly enjoyed or admired.

Let’s caveat this: don’t be creepy or come across as if you’re brown-nosing. Make sure you are always genuine and the tone is professional but conversational.

End with a strong CTA

Finally, you need to make sure you end your email with a strong CTA (call to action) that will encourage them to get in touch. This might be asking them to look at your resume or arrange to meet for a coffee, but whatever the case may be, ensure you provide them with your preferred contact details in the email.

 

Forbes.com | October 13, 2022 | Andrew Fennell