It’s always a good thing for job seekers to have an online presence, and one of the most powerful tools they can use to land a new job is LinkedIn.
Not only is it a great place to post your work experience and skills for employers to see, it’s also a channel to network and connect with other candidates and employers in your industry of interest.
Jonathan Duncan is the team leader with Agilec in Barrie and he recommends anyone applying for an above entry-level position should have their own profile on LinkedIn.
It’s an effective way to put your best foot forward out into the job market.
“If you’re looking for positions above minimum wage, it’s always good to have,” Duncan said. “Showing that you’re active, that you’re maintaining your account. Sometimes when employers are doing research about you, if you have a positive LinkedIn account, that can only be a positive.”
Depending on the position, the complexity of the job, or the amount of experience required, a LinkedIn profile can be very basic, or it can include thorough examples of previous jobs, as well as your own feed where you can share updates and links.
Simple things like a professional-looking profile photo and a header photo will help employers put a face to a name. Showcasing your relevant work experience, personal growth and achievements over the years provides a snapshot of what you can offer to a potential employer.
Filling out your profile in full is crucial, and according to LinkedIn, All-Star profiles are 40 times more likely to get contacted for job opportunities and 18 times more likely to appear in search results. Becoming an All-Star means detailing out a full LinkedIn profile, including a profile photo, headline, industry and location, experience, skills, a summary, education, and connections.
If users qualify for all those criteria, they’ll be deemed All-Stars by LinkedIn, and suddenly an entire world of opportunities could open for you with a fast-track to many opportunities on this networking platform.
A simple tip when crafting your resume is to include a link to your LinkedIn profile, which could entice an employer to dig further and learn more about you.
“A LinkedIn account is always good for employers to find out a bit more information about you if they’re interested in hiring you,” Duncan said.
LinkedIn is an effective learning resource as well, and an Agilec job coach can assist candidates with registering for LinkedIn Learning programs. One course called “Optimize Your Resume for Applicant Tracking Systems” helps job seekers use the proper keywords in their resumes and applicants to get onto the short list.
If you haven’t created a LinkedIn profile yet, it never hurts to put yourself out there by sharing what makes you an asset to
If you’re starting from scratch with a LinkedIn profile, you’re looking to optimize your existing profile, or to access LinkedIn Learning programs for free, speak with a local Agilec employment coach today.
Find out more at Agilec.ca.