2. Agenda
• What is LinkedIn?
– Definition
– Role of LinkedIn in your job search
• Why use LinkedIn?
– Brief statistics
• Make your profile
– Step by step guide
• Next steps
– Use while networking
– Staying relevant
3. Agenda
• What is LinkedIn?
– Definition
– Role of LinkedIn in your job search
• Why use LinkedIn?
– Brief statistics
• Make your profile
– Step by step guide
• Next steps
– Use while networking
– Staying relevant
4. What is LinkedIn?
• Social networking site for professionals
– Each profile is a short, professional biography
• Used by working professionals primarily to
connect with each other
• Used by job-seekers primarily to connect with
HR professionals
5. Role of LinkedIn
• Supports your networking efforts and job
application
• Helps you connect with other professionals
– Provides additional (relevant) information
– Allows for appropriate followup
6. Agenda
• What is LinkedIn?
– Definition
– Role of LinkedIn in your job search
• Why use LinkedIn?
– Brief statistics
• Make your profile
– Step by step guide
• Next steps
– Use while networking
– Staying relevant
7. LinkedIn statistics
• LinkedIn has ~180 million members
– 2 new subscribers every second
• 93% of companies use (or plan to use)
LinkedIn for recruiting
• 86% of recruiters are likely to look at social
profiles before hiring candidates
Source: Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey 2012
8. LinkedIn statistics (continued)
• Personal referrals remain recruiters’ #1 source
of top talent
• 65% of companies compensate employees for
referrals
Source: Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey 2012
9. Summary
• LinkedIn is important in the job search process
• Target audience is hiring managers and
referring professionals (eg potentially anyone)
10. Agenda
• What is LinkedIn?
– Definition
– Role of LinkedIn in your job search
• Why use LinkedIn?
– Brief statistics
• Make your profile
– Step by step guide
• Next steps
– Use while networking
– Staying relevant
11. More about LinkedIn profiles
• LinkedIn profiles are personal movie trailers
– Goal is to get people who’ve already met you to
want to work with you in the future
• Make your profile short enough to skim, but
long enough to be interesting
– Include only relevant details
– In general, less is more
12. And now for something completely
different…
Let’s take a break!
• Index cards coming around, pair off into 2s
– ~10-15 minutes
13. Fill in index cards as below
Unlined side Colored side
• List single words to describe yourself • Pick the two or three words (from
previous side) that you feel most
• Single words only comfortable discussing in an interview
• What you enjoy doing
• What your friends think of you • Each word should be something
• What your happiest memories are that is easy to defend with stories
• What your proudest moments are
• Can be related to fun, work, • Each word should imply something
hobbies valued by employers
• Ideally there should be 10-15 • The sum of the words should produce
a rounded picture of who you are
Colored side has only 2-3 words
14. Your 2-3 competencies could look
something like this…
• Warm, professional, mentor
• Responsible, humble, friendly
• Self-starter, aggressive, resourceful
• Artistic, well-dressed, imaginative
15. These competencies are the basis of
your job application strategy
• Write them down, refer to them often
• Every line in your profile (and resume) should
either:
– Explain a position
– Support one of your competencies
• Do not include more than 3 competencies –
potential recruiters will be overwhelmed
16. Make your LinkedIn profile
• LinkedIn profiles are personal movie trailers
– Goal is to get people who’ve already met you to
want to work with you in the future
• Make your profile short enough to skim, but
long enough to be interesting
– Include only relevant details
– In general, less is more
17. Keep in mind
• Movie trailer
– Short enough to skim, long enough to be
interesting
• 2-3 competencies
• Less is more
18. Make a basic profile
• Go to http://linkedin.com
Fill in the fields
Click Join Now!
20. Basic profile screen 1
• Fill in the fields as required
• You are currently employed or a student
– More attractive to potential recruiters
21. Basic profile screen 1
• Select ‘employed’ or ‘student’
Fill in the fields
Create your profile
22. Basic profile screen 2
• Enter your e-mail
– If you have multiple e-mail addresses, use the one
more likely to have professional contacts
23. Basic profile screen 3
• LinkedIn finds your e-mail contacts who already have
profiles
Click ‘Add
Connections’
24. Basic profile screen 4
• Some of your friends might not have LinkedIn
profiles. For now, invite your good friends only
These people aren’t
on LinkedIn yet. Add
them only if you
know them well
25. Basic profile screen 5
• It says you’re finished! But this is only the
beginning…
Your name
goes here
Share your profile if
you want to
26. Choose the basic (free) version
• Over 90% of LinkedIn members are on the
basic plan
Choose the
basic plan
27. Back to the profile
Click the yellow button
Text goes in here
to save
31. How to convey experience
• Generally speaking, 1-2 sentences explaining
the company and / or role
• Include only relevant information regarding:
– Your 2-3 core competencies OR
– Requirements for ideal job
• Always include numbers if possible
32. A note about dates…
• In your LinkedIn profile, slight gaps are
acceptable
– Years are (generally) required
– Months are not required
• Never list ‘unemployed’ with a time period
33. Skills
• Add between 5 and 10 skills (no more)
• General rule of thumb: list only those skills
you would feel comfortable getting paid for
35. Complete your full profile
• Edit your summary
– The summary should be 1-2 lines and only include
2-3 core competencies
Edit
summary
here
36. Add groups, awards, interests, leave
personal information blank
Interests make you more personable
– include relevant individual words
Groups can provide an opportunity to
connect with professionals
Honors / awards should be relevant
37. Getting recommendations
• In the vast majority of cases, 1-2 per previous job
is enough
• Recommenders should be chosen from your
strongest supporters, recommendations should
support core competencies
– When in doubt, contact direct supervisors
• When asking for recommendations, include
personal note rather than LinkedIn’s generic
request
38. Time for a drawing
Johann?
• 2 people, making LI profile in real-time
41. Second job page
Apply now!
Company
Description
Responsibilities
& requirements
42. Agenda
• What is LinkedIn?
– Definition
– Role of LinkedIn in your job search
• Why use LinkedIn?
– Brief statistics
• Make your profile
– Step by step guide
• Next steps
– Use while networking
– Staying relevant
43. Use while networking
• LinkedIn supports other networking efforts
– LinkedIn is generally used to follow up with a person
you’ve already met in person
• Always connect when you get a card via conventional
networking
– Your network allows you to view other people’s
profiles (three degrees away)
– LinkedIn can be used to get introduced to a
connection through a mutual contact
46. Add new contacts at regular intervals
• Keeps your name at the top of contacts’ news
feeds
• Do not post ‘looking for work’ status updates
more than once a week
• List availability date after Dress for Success
program completion
– Companies will request you to start earlier if required
47. Summary
• LinkedIn is important in the job search process
• Target audience is hiring managers and
referring professionals (eg potentially anyone)
• After making your profile, use LinkedIn to
connect with (and impress!) people you have
already met in person
