Yes.
Period.
And if you're curious why, keep reading 🙂
In the past, people (myself included) literally had to go door to door to sell their services or find a job. They carried their CVs from employer to employer and waited...
Today, it's not like that.
Traditional hiring methods no longer apply!!!
Statistics show that today more than 70% of jobs are filled through networking.
And social networks wouldn't be called that if they didn't serve exactly that purpose!
Social networks, led by LinkedIn, have become a cheap, transparent, fast, and efficient channel for hiring!
1. LINKEDIN IS FULL OF RECRUITERS AND EMPLOYERS
If you know a recruiter who doesn't have a LinkedIn profile, I'll give you €100.
I'm not joking – I know that's simply impossible!
Or that recruiter isn't a real recruiter 🙂
Research conducted by the company Jobvite – Job Seeker Nation Study showed that in 2017, as many as 92% of recruiters in America used LinkedIn to search for candidates! (the number is slightly lower for European countries, but we're close).
On the other hand, the same research indicates that only 36% of job seekers had a LinkedIn profile that year! 😲
2. A LINKEDIN PROFILE IS A TOOL FOR YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION.
Reputation is what people say about you when you close the door.
Online reputation is the same thing, except it's online.
It is also known as a personal brand.
How you network (who you know) and how you brand yourself (what people know about you) are of great importance, and LinkedIn is still the most well-known and useful tool for that. Building a strong personal brand NOW will help you when you develop your business TOMORROW, for the simple reason that YOU will be the face of that business.
If you've ever heard the phrase "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have," then you'll understand its meaning in the context of LinkedIn as well:
Optimise your LinkedIn profile za buduće prilike, ne za one koje si već iskoristio.
3. YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE AFFECTS WHAT GOOGLE HAS TO SAY ABOUT YOU
Have you ever tried "Google-ing" yourself?
If you've ever applied for a job online, there's a good chance the employer searched your name on Google Search.
In fact, that likelihood is greater than 80%!
And, you know what?
Your LinkedIn profile has the highest chance of appearing among the top results.
Here, I "Googled" myself a bit:
My LinkedIn profile is the first result in the search!
That means I have optimised my LinkedIn profile and my future clients can easily find me.
4. ON LINKEDIN, YOU CAN REQUEST AND RECEIVE RECOMMENDATIONS!
A fantastic feature that this network offers is that your connections can endorse the skills you list on your profile, and people you have worked or collaborated with can give you recommendations. It looks like this:
Even if you're not currently job hunting, use LinkedIn NOW to gather recommendations and endorsements that could be very useful to you later.
5. USE LINKEDIN SEARCH WISELY
Play detective 🙂
Follow the company you're targeting; this way, you'll have insight into the latest developments within the company and can use that information when you go for a job interview or business meeting.
Another great thing is that you can also search for open positions or job listings there.
Take advantage of being able to discover who is employed in that company, and then network with those people. This way, you are one step closer to the job because by observing them, you can conclude what the organizational culture and climate of the company are like. Additionally, it's always OK to reach out to those people and ask them to refer you to someone in charge of hiring.
Visit their LinkedIn profiles, look at the key skills they possess, and compare them with yours.
How do I network on the LinkedIn platform?
If I have a meeting with a potential client, I immediately look them up on LinkedIn.
- I look at the ABOUT section to get an insight into who they are, how they think, what they consider their key strengths, etc.
- Then, I research their background: what school they attended and where, how long they've been with the company, where they worked before, etc.
- I look at their activities: what they've liked, shared, commented on... I simply want to know how the person thinks, and there's nothing wrong with that!
- I research the company page they work for – how many employees they have, the latest developments, the trends they follow, and the content they share.
No need to explain how much more prepared I was for the meeting!
INSTEAD OF A CONCLUSION:
What do people who successfully find a job or client through LinkedIn do differently?
- Their LinkedIn profile isn't empty, meaning – it attracts attention.
- Their experience clearly shows what THEY KNOW how to work and what results they are capable of achieving!
- They actively engage in discussions and comment meaningfully.
- They write engaging texts that boost their ratings.
- They learn from their connections and network wisely.
- They use and follow relevant hashtags.
- They are not afraid of judgment!
And you?
What is holding you back from taking your LinkedIn profile to the next level?
Write us … 😎
