LinkedIn Benefits for Executive Job Seekers

LinkedIn carries a lot of weight and packs a big punch (of benefits) for executives looking to engage in a job search.

If you are not signed up with LinkedIn you need to be. It’s often said that not being on LinkedIn is like not existing at all.

What exactly is LinkedIn?

• The top social networking tool with over 526 million registered users as of August 2018, spanning 200 countries.
• Over 3 million users share content on it weekly.
• LinkedIn is the most-used social media platform amongst Fortune 500 companies.

Job seeking?  Here’s how the site can help:

• Recruiters regularly search for, and vet, candidates on LinkedIn at all levels. According to JobVite’s Recruiter Nation Survey 2018: “LinkedIn is the most used channel for recruiting efforts”.
• Over 20,000 US companies use LinkedIn to recruit and there are over 11 million job postings on the site.
• The company says that over 61 million users are senior-level influencers with 40 million sitting in decision-making positions.
• You can leverage the power of your network on LinkedIn— the people you know, and the people those people know — to help you connect to the person (or people) who are in a position to offer you a job.

To be effective on this networking site:

• Ensure your profile is fully completed, positioning you as a strong candidate of choice. Remember that a lot of people will have access to this information. All content should directly support your value and brand.
• Brand yourself for the type and level of position you covet – not the current job you have. Align all content, keywords, and offerings with your target audience to attract the attention of those you desire to connect with.
• Craft a compelling LinkedIn headline. Don’t let this major piece of real estate simply default to your current company position! Take control of this space to share who you are and what you are known for.
• Use a professional headshot for your profile photo.
• Engage with the site and your connections regularly; don’t just “set it and forget it” hoping results will generate on their own.
• Position yourself as a thought leader in your area of expertise, share content, and aim to increase your visibility.

Professional networking opportunities can benefit the gainfully employed as well:

• Establish a solid network to have it ready for when you need it, or as Harvey MacKay put it: “Dig your well before you’re thirsty”.
• Discover new opportunities through your LinkedIn network that you would not have located otherwise.
• Generate a hundred strategic contacts and get access to millions of potential people (2nd and 3rd degree connections).
• Get all the benefits of networking in person, with less of the hassle. LinkedIn provides a platform for you to easily search, connect, and engage with hundreds of thousands of resources to support your business, your career, or your eventual job search.

Overall, the ability to identify, research, contact, follow-up, engage, and maintain your contacts in one place is the power of LinkedIn. Its ability to facilitate business networking is unmatched by any other social network. Essentially, your LinkedIn profile is a resume, business card, and elevator speech all rolled up into one. Make it count!