How to Use LinkedIn for Your Job Search

How to Use LinkedIn for Your Job Search LinkedIn is far more than just an online resume.

Are you looking for a new job to advance your career? If so, now is the time to learn how to use LinkedIn to your advantage. LinkedIn can pave the way for your next job opportunity.

How It Works

Your LinkedIn profile is different from your resume. They both may convey your current and former roles, but your resume is a formal document used to attract hiring authorities and motivate them to give you a call for an interview.

Your LinkedIn profile, on the other hand, is used for networking, and interacting with hiring managers and applicants alike. Your profile is an important part of your job search process. It can demonstrate your views as a professional and build relationships with people who can impact your job hunt.

To help you better understand LinkedIn’s hidden charms, here are some things you should be doing on the platform:

1. Build Your Network

Building a network is a part of your job hunt process. As you familiarize yourself with LinkedIn, you’ll discover stronger contacts in the process of making connections. The larger your network becomes, the higher the chances of getting a new opportunity.

2. Break the Ice

You can use LinkedIn as an icebreaker. You can use it to show you’ve done your research about a company and the person you’ve emailed regarding a job posting. Read company profiles to learn about a company’s products, services and what it’s like to be a part of the organization. Let the people you contact know that you’ve done your homework to help strengthen your network.

3. Monitor your InMail

You have access to a certain number of InMails every month depending on your level of LinkedIn membership. Your InMail will enable you to reach out and communicate to someone directly, even if you are not connected with that person. Make sure your messages are sincere and demonstrate compelling value.

To demonstrate your professional communication skills, make sure to create messages that are purposeful and well-conceived. If you want to earn a response, it’s best to ask only relevant questions. (Don’t start a dialogue by sharing your professional woes for the sake of conversation.)

Growing your network takes time and effort. If you’re new to LinkedIn, now’s the time to lay the groundwork for a successful networking journey to help move your career forward.

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Alan Carniol

Alan is the creator of Interview Success Formula, a training program that has helped more than 80,000 job seekers to ace their interviews and land the jobs they deserve. Interviewers love asking curveball questions to weed out job seekers. But the truth is, most of these questions are asking about a few key areas. Learn more about how to outsmart tough interviewers by watching this video.