In my work as a Career Coach, clients regularly ask me whether they really need to have a LinkedIn profile. Usually, these clients are anti-social media and are not completely comfortable having all their business available for public consumption. I appreciate that many people feel the need to protect their privacy, but unless you have safety concerns then I do believe that LinkedIn is an absolute must for anyone looking to future proof their career.
If you need a reason to get on LinkedIn, then here are 8 of them:
- Get discovered by recruiters and talent acquisition managers
Recruiters and talent acquisition managers (internal recruiters) use LinkedIn extensively to source candidates either via advertising positions on LinkedIn or by actively searching for suitable candidates using keywords. If you have a keyword optimised profile, then you will greatly increase your chances of being ‘discovered’ by a recruiter in your industry. For those who are unfamiliar with the phrase ‘keyword optimisation’, this basically means having keywords in your LinkedIn profile that would match the keywords in the advertisement or position description of your ideal next role.
In addition, over 90% of recruiters check to see if you have a LinkedIn profile as part of the recruitment screening process. Therefore, having a professional LinkedIn profile with a professional but friendly photo, a strong network and a profile highlighting your key strengths and expertise will also greatly increase your chances of being approached by a recruiter.
- To implement an ‘active’ job search strategy
In the current job market, it is going to be more important than ever for jobseekers to implement an ‘active’ job search strategy. This means applying direct where possible rather than relying on the more traditional or ‘passive’ job search strategies – applying only to advertised roles and going through recruiters. Post Covid-19, there is going to be a very high volume of applicants in the market, so you will greatly increase your chance of securing a new role if you use your networks and go direct when you can. LinkedIn is the platform that enables this.
- Networking
LinkedIn is known as the world’s largest professional networking platform and as of January 2020 has 16 million Australian users. This provides amazing networking capability, even more, important in the current day 2020 where networking has been greatly curtailed or eliminated altogether.
LinkedIn provides a fantastic opportunity to network one-on-one, and it is an ideal tool particularly for the introverts amongst us. In my experience, it is far easier to send a LinkedIn request as an initial point of contact rather than putting in a cold call to someone who may or may not remember you. By establishing contact via LinkedIn as a first step, allows the person to at least try and remember you before you make that first call.
When you create a LinkedIn profile it also allows you to re-connect with friends, colleagues, ex-colleagues, old bosses, clients and other individuals working in your field. If you have experienced a sudden redundancy or job loss as the result of this pandemic, then it is these relationships that will be crucial to helping you secure your next role.
- Research capability
Another great reason for being on LinkedIn is its incredible research capability. It doesn’t matter if you are self-employed, a freelancer, a small business owner or a professional in corporate; LinkedIn is fabulous for researching potential employers, and better still, finding mutual connections who can set up an introduction for you.
LinkedIn Premium is an added feature that you can pay to use on a monthly basis. It offers greater search capability that can be very handy if you are using LinkedIn to find, or research, customers on a regular basis. If you think LinkedIn Premium may be useful, you can complete a free 1-month trial which I highly recommend.
- Personal branding
In the future job market, the candidates who have a ‘personal brand’ will be the ones that stand out from the competition. A ‘personal brand’ simply means that a candidate is self-aware and can communicate what they are good at, what they are interested in, and what they can offer. Once you know your personal brand, the next step is to be able to articulate and weave that story into your resume, cover letter and most importantly your LinkedIn profile. In addition, LinkedIn also allows you to publish your own articles, videos or showcase some of your work to spark the interest of potential employers or hiring managers.
- Commercial acumen
LinkedIn also provides a simple way to stay up to date in your own industry or an industry that you are interested in transitioning into. By following key organisations and key people in those organisations, you will be privy to regular and up-to-date information which will enhance both your business and industry knowledge.
- Industry networking
Another feature of LinkedIn is the ability to join groups with like-minded individuals who are in a similar occupation or share a particular interest. This can also be helpful to build networks outside of your current organisation and is particularly important if you have been with one employer for a considerable amount of time. There is the opportunity to join up to 50 groups or you can even start your own!
- LinkedIn Learning
The premium option also provides members with the opportunity to complete LinkedIn Learning courses covering a vast range of topics. If you are experiencing some downtime as a result of the pandemic, you may like to use this time to upskill in certain areas and LinkedIn Learning is a great place to start.
LinkedIn is now the world’s largest professional network with over 200 million members globally and an unlimited opportunity to build your network and your personal brand. If you are looking to future-proof your career, then it is an absolute no-brainer.
If you need some assistance developing a keyword optimised profile or would like a coaching session to ensure that you are getting the most out of LinkedIn, then contact Leah Lambart at Relaunch Me to discuss your options.
Phone: 0413 558 758
Email: leah@relaunchme.com.au
