There’s a number of external job-hunting resources available at our finger tips. All have their pros and cons. Monster, Indeed, Zip Recruiter Glassdoor, Backpage and Career Builder are just a few to mention, but there is one that I am becoming more of a fan of and that’s LinkedIn. I have been a member of LinkedIn for a while now, but never really knew the full potential of using it and networking from it.
Recently I started taking an online course through VirtForce called “How to Get A Virtual Job In 12 Weeks”. The first three weeks of the course are dedicated to teaching Active Duty Military Spouses how to fully utilize LinkedIn to their advantage. This was something I didn’t think I needed. I was one of those college graduates that paid good money to have my resume and LinkedIn profile professionally done when I graduated. But I was wrong! For years, my LinkedIn profile just sat there. I never received a recruiter message or a job lead. Thankfully, How To Get A virtual Job In 12 Weeks immediately helped me develop and utilize my profile as a marketing tool for myself.
I followed the directions in the 12 week course. Julie, the teacher, provided me a formula to help set up my page summary. I never thought about completing the summary, because I always thought employers would just want to see job experience. But, I learned this section actually helps give clarity to your personality so you stand out. Then, Julie taught me how to start connecting with the right people at companies that I target. After I followed her detailed instructions, wouldn’t you know, recruiters started messaging me left and right. I could not believe that changing just these two aspects of my profile could generate such an inflow if people interested in getting to know who I am and what I’m about.
When I compare the way I think about LinkedIn now to how I was treating it just a month ago the difference is startling. I now feel LinkedIn is the most empowering external job-hunting resource available. Yes, I invested time and resources to getting it right, but now I really know how to utilize it and its only a matter of time before I find the right opportunity for me.
By: Amanda Steckel