LinkedIn Pro-tips for Career Restarters
With more than 600 million members, 20 million companies listed on the site, and 14 million open jobs, LinkedIn is the most powerful resource for job seekers. As over 90% of recruiters are using LinkedIn regularly, it is important that you are recognizable on LinkedIn when you are looking for an opportunity. So if you're planning a return to work, you should embrace LinkedIn and showcase yourself. Simple Steps hosted "LinkedIn Pro-tips" webinars with Stella Cho, Recruiting Researcher at Netflix. Here's Stella's advice for making the best of your LinkedIn.
Research on LinkedIn to set your career path
If you don't know what you could do and where to start, research on LinkedIn can help you find your career directions. Search other LinkedIn members who have skills and experiences that you also have and see what they are doing now. What kind of jobs do they have? Which company are they working for? How did they get their current position? With these questions in your minds, invest your time to research on job postings and profiles.
Deal with gaps in your career
Keep it simple and show them you are ready. You don't need to hide your career gap - prepare to answer honestly in case your interviewer asks about it. If you have been out of the workforce for a long period, identify some experiences from your recent years. This could be volunteering, education, internship, etc. Retell your older experiences with lasted terms. If your past experiences were in other countries, carefully translate the terms to describe your work, and provide context information for better understanding.
Tell a compelling story of career change
Your LinkedIn is not just a history of what you have done so far. When you are planning to change your career, use the summary section to tell your story. A well-written summary section will show your professional journey. Focus on the topic relevant to your current goals. You may not have direct experience in your new career. If you have relevant volunteering experiences and part-time jobs, or you've added skills and knowledge through education, you can use them to highlight your interest and passion.
Network on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the first place to re-build your networks. Once your profile is ready, network on LinkedIn. Find your former coworkers and say hello. Actively reach out to people in your field and send polite messages that explicitly show why you want to connect with them. A simple yes-or-no question can be a great conversation starter.
Please note that this post is edited from Simple Steps Webinar "LinkedIn Pro-tips with a recruiter." Find more events and programs on the Simple Steps website!
Written by Bokyung Kim