Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Linkedin Tips and Tricks for Post Grads

Social media can be a great tool to use on your job hunt and Linkedin is the star. Using Linkedin to your advantage is a great way to make your mark as a post grad. Here are some tips and tricks on using Linkedin to help you land a fabulous job:

1. Review. Make sure your profile is top-notch. Fill it out completely using your resume as a resource. Add all of your past experiences, jobs, education and special skills. Make sure your photo is professional and appropriate. Make the heading of your profile interesting, not just stating "recent graduate". Say what you're looking for or showcase an amazing skill.

2. Participate. Join groups that relate to your career field and participate in discussions regularly. You never know who you may find in these groups to network with.

3. Connect. Link up with past employers, professors and people you meet in your real life job search as well as people from groups on Linkedin. You can have these people write recommendations for you or message them directly to find out about potential jobs.

4. Research. When you have an interview coming up, don't just research using Google. Find the company's profile on Linkedin and see what type of presence they have on the website. You may learn something unique that can give you an edge in the interview you wouldn't learn from their website.

5. Spark a conversation using status updates on your profile. Remember, this isn't Facebook, only use it to share professional updates or ask questions from other professionals.

6. When connecting with someone, be sure to complete the message portion of the invitation. Explain why you'd like to connect with them, but don't be obvious by saying something like, "I want you to help me find a job". Instead say something like, "I admire your work in (desired field). I would love to connect with you." Keep it short and sweet.

Linkedin can be a great tool to use for recent graduates if you put the time in to use it to your advantage.

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