Leveraging LinkedIn: Make your Social Presence Powerful

Liyana Shirin, Content Editor @ Media x Women

(Unsplash: Cover Page)

The pandemic has stirred LinkedIn users from 200 countries to increase their interactions on the platform. This directly points out that, keeping an up-to-date profile is necessary. There are more than 15 million open jobs posted on LinkedIn and three people are hired every minute. 

(Source: LinkedIn: https://news.linkedin.com/about-us#Statistics)

Being mindful of the enhancements required on your profile will help you stand out to companies and recruiters. We have gathered a few strategies that you could make use of before applying for a new job posting:

Polishing Your Profile

Profile Picture

Profiles with a professional photo from the shoulder up and neutral background, receive 21 times more views. Another aspect of a profile photo is the “open to work” frame, making the pipeline for hiring managers to find potential employers easier. You can always edit how your connections see this frame by opting for the “recruiters only” option under your “open to work” job preferences. LinkedIn statistics indicate that around 6 million people are making use of the “open to work” frame.

(Source: LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/liyanashirin/)

Summary

The summary section is your elevator pitch and can be written in multiple ways, depending on different stages of your career. The most sought-after template is to divide your first-person narrative into three sections:

Past: 

The first paragraph sums up your professional qualifications along with your experience in the industry.

Present: 

Your current role and how it impacts the industry. If you are a student, you can always mention the areas you are interested in and the skill set you have gained over time.

Future: 

This section could include the kind of organizations you aspire to be a part of and how you could aid them. Focus on the impact and value you have to add.

A default summary template could be:

A cross-functional content writer, I have been continuously involved in writing copy for digital platforms as well as engaging the audience with interactive content while keeping the branding consistent. In 2015 and 2016, my writings were applauded in a state-wide contest and I was awarded the title of “Best Blogger”. 

I realized my passion for the geography of social media and currently am enrolled in the MS Media Management program at The New School, New York. Modules on ‘Industry Perspectives’ and ‘Competitive Strategies’ have helped me in building my leadership foundations as I look forward to joining the media industry. 

With communications being a constantly evolving niche, I am keen to be involved in social impact roles. I look forward to being a part of departments that revolve around corporate social responsibility and community engagement where I can leverage my copywriting and brand strategy skills.

Keyword Check – Resume

Adding keywords and altering a CV (or resume) to fit a job description is a long process. One way to ease the same is by utilizing the resume set up in our LinkedIn profiles.  Every profile has a “Build a resume” option and re-directs to create a resume from your current profile. Now, by indicating the job you wish to play a role in, the methodology recommends the top keywords that should be a part of your resume.

Engagement on the Platform

(Source: LinkedIn: https://economicgraph.linkedin.com/)

With about 57 million companies on LinkedIn, updates regarding their growth and even job opportunities are continuous.The statistics tell us that with ever-booming content, it becomes necessary to participate in posts to make your profile visible.

Just being another member of the audience is sometimes our default reaction when we walk into a professional setting. But getting your point across in a meeting has always been more engaging. The same applies to the virtual gathering on LinkedIn. It is necessary to engage with your network by acknowledging their posts or even opening discussions on a post or via messaging.

 Coffee Chats

One of the best and easiest ways to evolve in the industry depends primarily on your network. If there are people out there who do roles that you aspire to take up one day, there is always a good chance that they would be willing to talk to you if you ask for help. 

The same would be the case for reaching out to recruiters while enquiring about job roles. In this way, your network is not an idle web of connections but rather a helping aid for your career trajectory. Ensure that when you connect with an individual, always send them personalized invites to stand out in their invitations tab.

A default invite template could be:

Hi (Name),

My name is (Name) and I am currently pursuing (name of a programme if a student /job title if working) at (university/company name). I saw your recent article in (journal name) and wanted to connect to learn more about your industry perspectives.

Best,

(Name)

The template can be tweaked following whom the connection request is sent to. Personalized invites give you higher chances to connect with professionals and a higher potential that this connection could aid to open doors to new opportunities.

LinkedIn Groups

Another way to connect with like-minded people is to engage in groups. Active engagement with your network and content indicates to recruiters that you are active and willing to grow your skill set. 

Pivoting into new career journeys

(Source: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.github.io/career-explorer/)

Chances are you might not be keen to work in the same area that you studied. One way to open new pathways would be to gain additional skills by making use of LinkedIn Learning. Certifications provided by various courses can also aid in making your profile stronger. Another alternative is when there is a higher chance of transferable skills. LinkedIn recently launched the career tool that helps to identify the skills required for roles while transitioning into different industries in multiple areas.

Another option to understand the trending job roles and the companies that hire the most in a particular time frame is to utilize the insights tool indicating the labor market in various geographies.

These are amongst the few tips that can be utilized to trim and keep your profile up to date. With around 40 million people looking for jobs on this platform, LinkedIn proves to be extremely opportunistic if utilized to its full extent. And for this, it is necessary to regularly update your LinkedIn as you proceed through the different stages of your career.