How LinkedIn loses job seekers
Photo by Meghan Hessler on Unsplash
Whilst we were all happy to say goodbye to the old LinkedIn – the dull, dusty, outdated version which was a bit of a CV graveyard, I’m not convinced the current version is working for career professionals and job seekers.
Has LinkedIn lost the plot?
Falling in and out of love with LinkedIn is a regular thing for me. At the moment I’m not feeling the love.
I’m sick of the newsfeed being full of adverts, attention-grabbing polls and the content has gone from stuffy and pompous to off the scale oversharing. I really hope it will balance out again soon. Some people complain that LinkedIn is getting too much like Facebook but, in many respects, it’s worse.
We all have different LinkedIn networks and experiences due to the algorithm and what irritates me may entertain you. One client told me that he finds team celebration posts difficult as he’s been out of work for almost a year and missing getting together with a team.
In this blog, I will point out some of the pitfalls of LinkedIn and how you can use the platform skilfully.
LinkedIn – is it losing you?
If you’re on the market and actively looking for your next role you’ll need a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is where headhunters go hunting for talent and where hiring managers always check out your profile, all roads from Google lead to LinkedIn.
Once you’ve landed a role it’s tempting to switch off the notifications and let your LinkedIn page snooze. LinkedIn may be losing you but you could be losing out too – on opportunities to build your professional brand and stay on the radar for interesting roles.
Are you a LinkedIn lurker?
Don’t worry there are plenty of LinkedIn lurkers but why are you lurking? If it’s because you don’t feel confident about being visible take a look at this:
How to get visible on LinkedIn and why you need to
You don’t have to say something original or ultra-smart for LinkedIn. You can keep your content social, strategic or both.
Your LinkedIn profile
Here’s a quick reminder – keep your profile up-to-date, fill in all the sections and use keywords in your headline so that you can be ‘discovered’ by recruiters when they search for your skills and experience.
Are you going for ultra-minimalist or the smorgasbord look?
When it comes to your profile are you overthinking or overdoing it?
Sound familiar? Aim for a happy medium where your skills, experience and personality take centre stage. Having 5+ potential job titles in your headline could look desperate but if it’s too streamlined you may not show up in the search function.
And do remember – your LinkedIn profile isn’t set in stone and it can be tweaked, changed and improved.
Neither fish nor foul
After sorting out their profile I teach my clients how to use LinkedIn strategically. Why are you using LinkedIn? Make that your focus.
Some coaches teach job seekers how to attract inbound leads by posting and engaging with content. This is a long game and job seekers need quick results to build momentum and motivation.
Work on your profile and strategy first and remember that recruiters are searching the search function to find you, not the newsfeed.
Job boards and rabbit holes
Job seekers always turn to job boards. It feels safe and productive (at least you are looking at actual jobs). The danger is getting lost down rabbit holes, applying for the wrong jobs, not being strategic and investing a lot of time and energy but hearing crickets.
Use job boards, Google searches, LinkedIn learning and social media rabbit holes with extreme caution and discipline.
How to build your personal brand stylishly
Aside from LinkedIn being the ideal platform to network for your career it’s also the perfect place to build your professional profile.
Let’s start with your personal brand.
I wrote this blog for edither an online leadership and style magazine for women. It’s practical and written for people working in fashion.
Looking for inspiration?
If you’re feeling stuck, why not follow some people you admire:
What stands out to you about the way they use and interact on LinkedIn?
How have they written their headlines?
Do you get a sense of the person behind the profile?
Is your LinkedIn profile working for you?
Your CV and LinkedIn account should be working hard for you in helping you to start conversations and open doors. If it’s not let’s talk.
Keep reading:
How to write a CV that a recruiter will want to read
ABOUT ME
I’m Tracy, Career Consultant, former Executive Headhunter and I help senior executives and leaders to land great jobs and be successful at work through 1:1 coaching. I work with clients around the world from my London-based Zoom office.
If you’re ready for straight-talk and career guidance get in touch – let's start the conversation.
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