iStock_000000114178XSmallOne skill that many job seekers struggle with is using the internet effectively for their job hunting and search efforts. There are so many platforms, subscriptions and methods it can get confusing. If you don’t do anything else, learn about LinkedIn. Kathy Marcus shares her job hunting lessons with us.

Days 5 & 6 – Technology is our friend

We job seekers understand the power of networking and the direct impact it has on the time-frame of our transition period. Fortunately, we have many tools via social media to assist not only with building our network but to also find job postings.

LinkedIn

If you only have time to master one tool, this is the one. Most people in our network know this but new job seekers may not completely understand the power of LinkedIn. This tool not only allows you to build your network of connections quickly and efficiently, it also enables you to be found by recruiters and follow your target companies to receive job postings and real-time updates.

There are many free workshops/seminars offered locally and, as mentioned in an earlier post and several blogs you can turn to for information. Job seekers can also leverage each other for knowledge. In other words – no excuses for not becoming a proficient user of LinkedIn!

To get you started, here’s a quick checklist:Kathy Marcus

Profile Picture: No profile picture = old-fashioned, out of touch and possibly hiding something. Get a clear head shot and post it with pride.

Current Position: We job seekers know that recruiters may find employed candidates more appealing for their openings than ones in transition. It may not seem fair but it’s a fact of life. It’s important that the current positions in LinkedIn profiles are filled in with something. There are many ways to do this. Check out profiles of people in transition to see what they’ve done, take some workshops to hear from the experts and then decide what works best for you.

Key Words: Recruiters search by key words in LinkedIn. It’s vital that your profile is complete with your work history, including responsibilities and quantifiable accomplishments and that this information is chock full of key words that recruiters will be using. How do you know which key words to use? Leverage the job descriptions for positions that fit your experience and skill set, even if they’re out-of-town and aren’t something you’ve applied to. You’re just looking for key words at this point. There are tools like wordle that can help you pull out key words from the job descriptions very quickly.

The Rest: Solicit recommendations from former managers, colleagues, vendors and customers. Follow your target companies, join the same groups the target hiring managers belong to pave the way to connections. Post updates to your status to drive traffic to your profile connections. Again, these actions are all taught in the various workshops held each month around town.

Twitter, Branchout and Google +

These are great tools to follow target companies with to view job postings, gain insight and make connections. Don’t discount them! There are plenty of tutorials out there if you just Google them.

Today’s job seeker needs to leverage social media tools at our disposal to connect to people quickly and efficiently and to gain insight into our target companies.  Sign up for a class today!