You’ve probably heard about the “hidden” job market. It’s really not some secret place where the jobs are. It’s about the number of jobs that get filled through referrals. And that’s why career professionals talk about networking. Contrary to popular belief, that’s not simply making connections on platforms like LinkedIn, it’s building relationships with people who will think of you when they hear about a job that might interest you. 

While job boards have their place, spending all your time applying to jobs online isn’t practical. Neither is expecting recruiters to contact you, even if your LinkedIn profile and other social media profiles are compelling. .

While 65% of recruiters use Linkedin to source candidates, according to the 2021 Jobvite Recruiter Nation Report other platforms have gained popularity. Facebook came in at 68%, Instagram at 46%, and YouTube at 35%. The report also notes that recruiting on TikTok is on the rise.

The majority of recruiters (53%), however, noted they found the highest quality candidates on LinkedIn. 

Just remember, recruiters don’t work for you; they work for the employer. They are online looking for candidates to fill specific positions. More precisely, they are looking for a square peg to fit into a square hole. If you are a round peg, you’re out of luck.

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Want more people to contact you on LinkedIn? Make it EASY for them.

Many people think that if someone wants to contact them, they’ll simply send an InMail.

Maybe they will; maybe they won’t.

Relying On InMail

When I was a recruiter, I spent hours on LinkedIn searching for candidates to fill open positions.

If I found a candidate who looked like they were perfect for our client’s job, I would send them an InMail and track down their email address just to make sure.

But, not if they were a “maybe.”
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𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲? 𝗜’𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼.

Skeleton profiles are not only filled with missed opportunities to sell yourself to employers or potential clients. They make you look unsavvy. And who wants to hire someone who’s unsavvy?

Robust profiles tell people what you do AND why you do it. On the other hand, Skeleton profiles provide company names, job titles, and little else.

𝗦𝗞𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗢𝗡 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗘

🔹 Headline – LinkedIn’s “default” headline, which is your current position

🔹 About section – A few lines that provide little information might even focus on your employer instead of you.

🔹 Experience – Job titles, maybe a few lines about what you did for your employers or clients.

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After two years of virtual everything, in-person events are back. I’m headed to 2 holiday networking events this week. It’s the first time I’ll be going to a local industry event in over two years. I’m excited and a bit nervous.

Most people I talk to say they hate networking events. They feel awkward and uncomfortable. They are tired of boring conversations. And they feel like they never met anyone anyway.

If that’s you, I’m going to help you change that right now.

CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE

Let’s start with attitude. A lot of people don’t like networking because they think of it as transactional. They are going to an event to ask people for help.

Wrong attitude.

A better attitude, go to events to meet people, and think about how you can help them.

While walking into a room of strangers who seem to all be friends isn’t easy for most of us. There are many ways to make it easier, even fun.

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Most recruiters and hiring managers are sourcing candidates on social media, particularly LinkedIn.  In fact, 53% of recruiters said they found the highest quality candidates on Linkedin when responding to Jobvite’s 2021 Recruiter Nation Survey. This is great news if you have a robust, optimized LinkedIn profile.

As a recruiter I spent hours on LinkedIn sourcing candidates, often scrolling through 500+ possible matches. Some were easily eliminated due to missing or inappropriate photos. My all-time favorite unsuitable photo is the woman wearing a wedding gown, veil, and all.

Potential candidates fell into 2 categories:1) Yes, contact them immediately and 2) they might be a possibility. The one thing that consistently moved candidates from maybe to yes was if it was easy to contact them.

The point is, don’t make the mistake of thinking if recruiters want to contact you they will track you down or use an InMail. Unless they think you are a perfect candidate, they may not. You can increase your odds by making it easy for them by including contact information on your LinkedIn profile.

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Like most of my colleagues, I tell my clients that having a photo on their LinkedIn profile is essential. For one thing, it improves your visibility. Profiles with profile pictures can get up to 21 times more views than profiles without them, according to LinkedIn.

A strong, engaging profile photo can help you get a job or land new clients. It’s the first thing recruiters see when searching LinkedIn for potential candidates. It’s the first thing people who’ve been given your name see when they visit your profile to learn more about you. If you don’t have a photo, most people will wonder why.

Your LinkedIn profile represents you on the business world stage. So, it’s important to post a headshot with a professional yet approachable look. While “professional” varies by industry, smiles are universal.

While I know all this and preach it to my friends and clients, I was surprised at the impact things like a photo’s background had on people’s opinions. Although, I’m not big on sharing photos of myself, I thought providing this example was worth it.

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Despite our seemingly 24/7 business culture, most job seekers think you can’t find a job during the holiday season. Even looking for work from Thanksgiving to January 1st is widely considered a waste of time.

This is a big holiday myth.

HUGE.

I say that from personal experience.

In 2006, when I was still working in corporate, my phone rang just as I arrived home from our company’s holiday party. Although I had applied for a few positions, I was shocked to find that someone from HR at one of them was calling to conduct a screening interview.

The conversation went well and a few days later someone else called to set up a face-to-face interview with the hiring manager. The interview was scheduled during the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

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People like to hire, work with, work for, etc. people they know and like. The best way to have a wide circle of people who can recommend or refer you for whatever is to have a wide circle of people who know, like, and understand the value you bring.

Networking on business and social platforms like LinkedIn and, more recently, Clubhouse is a wonderful way to expand your circle. But as in-person networking resumes, it’s time to start preparing for that as well.

For many, in-person networking events means stepping out of our comfort zone. Stepping into a room full of strangers can be a little scary. If we’re fine with that, we may not be quite sure what to do when we get there.

While reading this may not make you eager to sign up for an association dinner, mastering the following techniques can help you become more comfortable and, as a result, become a better connector.

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Over the years, I’ve talked to hundreds, maybe thousands, of people who are looking for a new job. They want growth opportunities or more money. Some of them hate their boss. The common thread is that they all want a change.

As with most things some are more successful than others. The successful ones are the ones who do the work. They don’t spend all day every day in front of the computer browsing job boards. (While that gives you a feeling of accomplishment, it’s not very effective.)

Successful job seekers develop a multipronged job search plan and work it every day.

Here is a basic job search plan that you can adapt to your needs. It’s broken down into job search preparation (PREP) and continuing activities (ONGOING). If you’re actively looking, as in you really want to find a job, follow A activities. If you’re passively looking, you’re open but not in any hurry, P is for you.

#1 TARGET EMPLOYERS

PREP – Create a list of 10 or so Target Employers, these are the companies where you would love to work for whatever reason.  Set up Google alerts for each of them so you’ll know when they are in the news.

ONGOING

Monitor the career pages on their company sites. A = 2-3X a week. P = 1X a week.

Contact friends, family, colleagues, etc. to see who they might know who works for one of your target employers (or any employer who’s ad piques your interest). FYI, your alumni association may be able to help with this too.  A = 2-3X hours a week. P= 1 hour a week.

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If you’re on Clubhouse and looking for career information and advice look for our new Smarter Career Moves club.

Smarter Career Moves is the place to learn strategies, techniques, and activities that will help you move your  job search forward and advance your career

Join our events to get information and practical advice from career professionals. This is a space to exchange ideas and learn from each other. Come with questions and don’t be afraid to ask.

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