I actually know people who are much younger that seem to have this issue so I guess I shouldn’t just pick on us “people of a certain age.” Yet, there are those out there who seem to be “lost in the past” when it comes tojob search. Although job boards have replaced classified ads for locating jobs to apply for, too many people are simply not moving out of that older mode for their job search. It’s time to find someone to kick you in the backside and scream to you that you HAVE to use LinkedIn to get a job.
Let me put it to you this way: If you’re looking for a job and not using LinkedIn, you really aren’t looking for a job. You need to make a choice – you’re either not serious about finding a job or if you are, then you need get on LinkedIn. Now I know by this point, you probably have seen this message in one place or another and you are now officially over saturated hearing about this so let me break it down for you to the basic elements.
Basic Element #1: Try to imagine a recruiter or hiring manager looking for someone like you and sending you an e-mail because they know all about you and want you? How luxurious would that be? Sounds dreamy but it’s happening every day making it a dream come true. Apparently 80% of all recruiters in a recent survey said they always use LinkedIn to find qualified candidate. If you set up your profile and make it rich in the type of information that will sell your brand – you will get found. Good bye classified ads – this is simple.
Basic Element #2: Guess where the recruiters and hiring manager hang out? You guessed it: LinkedIn. You don’t have to wait to be invited into the halls of the Fortune 500 to interact with the hiring mangers. You can find them – tons of them – all over LinkedIn. This is like one big network event and it’s yours to simply take advantage of. Figure out your target companies, grab your keyboard and start searching. You can find them, link with them, have discussions with them, share great resources with them and turn them into your new BFF. People hire people they know, like and trust. That can be you.
