The fact that nearly 70% of jobs are found through networking and 45% of hiring managers use social networking sites makes it pretty clear that establishing an online presence is a good idea when you’re on the job hunt- or anytime for that matter. So where do you start? Almost all of us have a facebook- which can break or make your chance of being hired, but creating a LinkedIn account may prove to be even more beneficial.
LinkedIn is a network of over 50 million members- it’s like a professional version of Facebook that cuts out the extra noise of spring break photos and “farmville” applications. Your profile is a short summary of your career aspirations and has information about jobs and internships that you have held. The social networking site serves as a platform to get connected with past professors, advisers, supervisors, peers, co-workers, and future employers. One of the best parts about LinkedIn is that it ranks very high in search engine results, so it’s the perfect place to promote your accomplishments, skills, and qualifications to a potential employer that may “google” your name.
Simple Steps to Create your Linkedin:
Although you don’t have to complete all parts of your profile, LinkedIn says that a profile that is 100% complete is 40 times more likely to be seen by employers than one that is just 90% complete. Check out the LinkedIn Grad Guide for a step-by-step tutorial.
Helpful Features:
Get connected with classmates and colleagues from past jobs, and your email contacts that have LinkedIn accounts.
If you land an interview, you can do a little research on LinkedIn to learn more about your recruiters’ or interviewers’ backgrounds to gain an edge over the other candidates applying.
Search for jobs that are posted on LinkedIn as well as jobs that are posted on external sites.
If you find a job that you want to apply for, obtaining a referral can help you get a foot in the door. Just click “Request Referral” to see if there is anyone in your network connected to the person who posted the job opening.
Download the job insider toolbar, so that when you search jobs on an external site, you can see any “inside connections” you have with a company.
If you come across a job that you think would be perfect for one of your connections, you can click the “Email this job to a friend” button to help them out, and then they might just return the favor!
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