How to make your LinkedIn work?
So, you’re looking for a job…
Or connections, or friends, or ideas on what to do with your life… Well, whatever you’re looking for, making the LinkedIn algorithm work for you is, not only useful but rather necessary. That is why, to make the most of this unique platform, you have got to take this challenge seriously.
In this article, I will introduce to you a few basic tricks, which, when used well, will improve the outlook of your profile, make the LinkedIn algorithm find your connections for you, and create more opportunities than ever to help you to land that next job interview. When familiarised with it, this platform can be a great tool to do all this. But first, we’ve got to master it…
What are you looking for matters…
The amount of job offers and companies to look up is pretty much impossible to grasp or to sort through. That is why you have to understand what it is you’re looking for. Being specific is critical. Let me first brief you on the way LinkedIn works…
The algorithm takes all of your interactions with the platform seriously. And yes, I mean it, all of them count. It might seem unnecessary and it is to those, who decide to treat this platform like Facebook or Instagram. In other words, if you treat it as a ‘random dump of stuff’ it will become just that. So, with every action taken, while logged in, whether when making a post or looking through the job advertisements, you are alternating your profile’s code and making it more in touch with whatever you throw out there…
Taking this into consideration, take some time and recognise what kind of work you are looking for. Be as particular about your preferences as possible, because unless you decide to ‘go premium’, the algorithm will work towards the goal you’re setting for it with each click.
Tell your story…
Many people approach LinkedIn as if it was a CV online, and to some degree it certainly is. The biggest difference is, is that it is an online community-based job and employee search platform and so its purpose is double-edged. You are both trying to find a job, while someone ‘out there’ is trying to find their new employee. This means, both your needs need to meet in the middle, and the best way to make that happen is to tell your story first.
On a ‘classic’, ‘contemporary’ CV, or a resume, you are likely to put dates, places worked, and experience gained. This is all well, but if you want someone to pay attention for longer than ten seconds, you’ve got to make an effort in entertaining them at the same time. That is why, create your profile, as if you were painting a landscape or telling a great fable. It has to be captivating enough to keep the reader invested and informative enough to highlight your abilities, experience, and personality traits. And there is no better way of expressing oneself, than by telling a good story to a friend…
So, create your profile, as if you were telling a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end yet to come!
Connect, but be mindful of it…
Unlike other social media, such as Facebook or Twitter, more connections on LinkedIn does not necessarily mean a better network. It is easy to fall into the trap of ‘inviting to connect’ or accepting your friend’s invitations without putting much thought into it. The trick is, if you allow this to happen randomly, the algorithm will treat all these links as nodes in the network you’re trying to create, and as much as it is great to have many people around, it can also backfire…
That is why when connecting via LinkedIn you should always refer to your initial goal. What kind of job you’re looking for? What type of people do you want to attract to your network? Which industry are you interested in? Answering these questions will prove invaluable when deciding who to add to your friend’s list. For example, if you want to get into banking, connecting with your friend, who is a physiotherapist might not be the best idea, as it will influence your algorithm’s effort in finding these bankers you’re looking for.
So, do not hesitate to make connections and network, but make sure they align with your LinkedIn goals!
Reach out and stand out…
The last piece of advice I will give you is connected to ‘making connections’. Over the past two years, this has been the biggest part of my and my associate’s experience, when it came to creating the desired network. It is about reaching out to those you want to model and standing out to those you want to attract. Be it a job, a person, or an industry.
Getting in touch via message is a great way of creating opportunities, so become an active initiator for the connections you want to make. But make sure you have something sensible and interesting to say when you make the call. Research the person in advance and ideally ask them a question, that will make them want to answer, without the obligation to hire you. It’s all a part of the process, so be patient.
The second aspect of this is the act of ‘standing out’ from the crowd. Make sure to actively post about things that relate to your aspirations, show your efforts, and help others in their journey. Through this persistent action, you will make your profile more ‘real’ and attract more of the connections you want to find.
So, reach out to those who matter and stay active by performing outstandingly!
Get out there and kill it…
Okay, you now know a little more about this mysterious platform called LinkedIn. This is where our journey ends and yours begins. So, get out there and do your best. If there is one thing it takes is persistence. Persistence, conscious purposeful action, and a bit of patience. Everything else is ‘icing on a cake’…
Choose the goal, tell a compelling story, connect with the right people, and stay active. Your next dream job is just around the corner. The question is who is going to find who first. Will it be you finding the job, or the job finding you…?
What next…
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