Using Social Media in Job Search – LinkedIn

LinkedIn Logo. Photo: technmarketing.com

Twitter? LinkedIn? Facebook? Blogging? YouTube? This feels like “Lions, tigers, bears – oh my!”, doesn’t it?

Well, relax and enjoy the walk along the yellow brick road. Social media doesn’t have to be difficult when it comes to job search. Here are a few pointers about LinkedIn:

Be there. 76% (and growing) of recruiters are using LinkedIn to find candidates. If you’re not on LinkedIn, you’re missing out on some valuable internet real estate.

If you are going to be on LinkedIn, make sure that you pay attention to a few do’s:

• Do have a professional head shot. Save the pictures with the kids for Facebook.
• Do fill out your entire LinkedIn profile. Make sure you’re at 100% completion. It’s not that much work and will earn you points from others who view your profile and see all the wonderful juicy information about you.
• Do include a great header. Use this as a place for your branding tagline. It’s the first chance you’ll have to capture the viewer’s attention. So, be creative!

… and don’ts of LinkedIn:

• Don’t put something like “Unemployed at No-Where” for your most recent job. That is lame. Don’t waste my brain time with nonsense.
• Don’t allow poorly written recommendations. It will look bad on you and for the person who wrote it. Don’t be embarrassed to ask them to edit. They’ll appreciate your attention to detail.
• Don’t make lame comments on discussion boards. Keep your thoughts meaningful and relevant. LinkedIn is not a place for personal rants. Show me you’re smart.

LinkedIn is a great tool for reconnecting with old connections and developing deeper relationships with current contacts. Can’t recommend it enough! How have you had success with LinkedIn in your job search?