How to use LinkedIn for YOUR career
Photo by Marc Kleen on Unsplash
Do you have a LinkedIn strategy?
Don’t let LinkedIn marketing overwhelm you. It’s easy to navigate when you know how.
I give all my clients a LinkedIn strategy – something they can work on without me.
Mine is to show up daily to share something helpful or start a conversation about careers, recruitment, work or life.
My strategy is simple, and yours can be too.
A simple strategy:
Set your intention and create a plan around it
Update your profile and align it to your goals
Get involved (posting, engaging, networking, connecting)
If you’re actively looking for your next job:
• Update your LinkedIn profile
• Optimise it by thinking like a recruiter*
• Connect, reconnect and network on LinkedIn
• Get in touch with recruiters
*Recruiters use LinkedIn to find potential candidates using keyword searches that include job functions, job titles, skills, companies, sectors, and locations.
If you’re in the growth phase and building your profile:
• Update your LinkedIn profile
• Create and share content around your expertise and goals
• Engage and network publicly with like-minded people
• Demonstrate your expertise, share your opinions, and give advice if asked
Networking:
LinkedIn is a social platform designed for connecting and networking. In addition to public networking on the newsfeed, you can use your DMs for private conversations.
Keep it simple:
Get very clear on your intention and focus on one thing—for example, finding a job, building your profile and personal brand, or growing a new network. All of that could happen organically, but choose one and go for it!
You can change your focus and re-write your profile whenever you like, but try not to chop and change. Give your strategy enough time to work
Think of LinkedIn as the shop window to your career. Do you want your profile to be like a ‘we sell everything’ hardware store or the very best specialist store?
You don’t need a creator or premium account
Make a commitment to connecting and engaging with others
How can you make it fun, too?
Avoid the moaners!
More LinkedIn reading:
Headhunters hunt for talent on LinkedIn, and hiring managers always check out your profile. All roads from Google lead to LinkedIn, but I’m not convinced that the current version of LinkedIn works for career professionals and job seekers.
How LinkedIn loses job seekers
Here’s a guest blog post I wrote for Edit Her about personal brands.
How to build your personal brand on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the go-to site if you’re job-seeking or want to get headhunted. But simply having a profile isn’t enough.
LinkedIn micro-tips for your career
Whether you’re a consultant or on the corporate ladder – I can’t think of a reason for not using LinkedIn as a channel to market and promote your expertise and brand.
How to get visible on LinkedIn and why you need to
ABOUT ME
I’m Tracy, a Career Consultant and Executive Headhunter. Through 1:1 coaching, I help senior executives and leaders land great jobs and be successful at work. I work with clients around the world from my London-based Zoom office. If you’re ready for help and career guidance, get in touch—let's start the conversation.
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