How to Boost Your Job Search on LinkedIn
Boost your job search and increase your chances of finding the right opportunity with this LinkedIn tip.
Hi everyone,
This newsletter will be a little bit longer than usual for one simple reason; I finished a test I had been doing for a year, and I want to share those results with all of you!
Why? Not only because sharing is caring, but I also believe this can help you with your job search now or in the future!
Learn the Little Secret to Outperform Your Competition
We all know LinkedIn is a powerful tool for job seekers as it allows them to connect with potential employers and showcase their professional brand not only via their LinkedIn profiles but also via every activity they do on the platform.
Being active on LinkedIn is more important than you can think, as it can greatly increase your chances of being noticed by recruiters and hiring managers!
Staying Active on LinkedIn Increases Job Visibility for Candidates
I conduct multiple tests every year to identify successful and unsuccessful strategies for both job seekers and recruiters in order to gain deeper insights into the job market and enhance my understanding of our industry. Some of these tests can be completed within a few days, while others may take several months or even a whole year. For instance, I conducted such a test during the previous year.
I devoted my research efforts to uncovering the correlation between the activity levels of job candidates and the number of InMails and connection requests received from recruiters. This curiosity was sparked while I was writing a book, Job Search Guide: Be Your Own Career Coach, and trying to comprehend the impact of a candidate's activity on job search visibility and success on LinkedIn.
To gather data for my research, I created several fictitious candidates, each with a different level of activity, and monitored closely how that affected the number of InMails and connection requests they received.
What I found was eye-opening, allowing me to better understand the job market and equip employees with better tools and information to find a new job.
I conducted a study comparing the activity levels of two developer candidates with similar profiles in the same location, both of them started with hundred people in their network. The only difference was that the first candidate was consistently active (2 posts every week) on LinkedIn, accepting invitations, resharing, commenting, etc., while the second one only accepted invitations, and posted content every three to four weeks with no further activity. The results revealed that the active candidate received 7.9 times more InMails and connection requests than the less active counterpart.
Of course, you can say that "Developers are getting more job offers, as there is a high demand!" That is why I simultaneously run a similar test with two marketing professionals.
Again, similar profiles, same location. The active candidate received 6.7 times more InMails and connection requests than their less active counterpart.
These results clearly indicate that staying active on LinkedIn significantly enhances a candidate's visibility, regardless of their industry or profession.
Note: I also had a third group (from the finance field), but because one of the profiles was removed, I was unable to complete the test for the third group.
It Is Important to be Active!
If you're on the job hunt, start being active on LinkedIn. It's a powerful tool designed to put you in the driver's seat and make your career dreams a reality. Here, you can share current achievements and relevant qualifications and showcase your professional brand to recruiters.
Plus, with increased visibility comes more opportunities - so being proactive will surely pay off. You'll be amazed at how many InMails start arriving when your profile is up-to-date and engaging! Powerful networking just got easier, so this is definitely the way to go if you're serious about finding your dream job.
How to Increase Your Visibility Through Active Engagement
Everyone always has a million excuses as to why they are not active, and while I understand that, my answer is still the same - you don't need to necessarily be active but it really pays off in the long run. I'm speaking from first-hand experience here, and I've done the tests for myself and seen the results of my customers who asked me to be their ghostwriter for their LinkedIn posts.
If you want to reap the rewards of being active, though, you've got to be prepared to invest your time and maybe even spend some money on such tools as SheildApp that track activity levels on LinkedIn. Or invest money that will help you with content creation. My tips for these tools are in the text that follows.
Here are the common excuses that people may use for not being active on LinkedIn, and some suggestions for addressing them:
Reason 1: I don't have time.
Being active on LinkedIn doesn't have to take a lot of time. Even a few minutes a day can make a big difference in your visibility to recruiters. Consider scheduling time each day to check your LinkedIn notifications, respond to messages, and post updates. You can literally write 2-3 posts in one hour for the entire week.
At the beginning of 2022, there was no ChatGTP as we know it now, so I was using Jasper AI for those fictitious profiles to get content ideas and posts. Jasper AI is a paid tool like many others on the market, and I decided to use this tool for three reasons. First, it provided the best results from those I tested and was the only one that generated posts for those LinkedIn profiles that passed AI detection tools and appeared human-written content. Last but not least, I used those tools for this test to save time.
I used it once to generate one of my LinkedIn posts to test the results and got 300K+ views, but I admitted that to my audience the next day (as this was the right thing to do), but the feedback was negative when people found out about it. People don't want to be deceived by content you didn't create.
So, if you are not an old schooler like me, who still writes his stuff in the current AI world, at least try to put your personality into those posts. Do not just copy and paste without reading and editing them. But if you want to use the AI tools, give Jasper AI or ChatGTP a try. You might be surprised with your results, and who knows, they might help you to start writing.
Reason 2: I am happy with my current job; I don't need to be active on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn has become the go-to spot if you want to network with other professionals in your field. Not only is it great for job seekers trying to make a name for themselves, but it's also extremely advantageous for the already employed.
Staying actively connected on LinkedIn helps build your professional brand and maintain relationships with contacts that can provide networking opportunities and even advance your career.
Keeping up with colleagues, recruiters, and employers on the platform allows you to stay ahead of industry changes so that when the time comes to make a move or accept a new job offer, you're ahead of the game.
So, make sure that you're not just networking when job searching – use LinkedIn throughout your entire professional journey!
Reason 3: I don't know what to post.
Creating content for social media can be a challenging task, but if you're stuck for ideas, then consider posting about your industry, events, and professional experiences. Not only can you include articles or resources that seem valuable to you, but you can also add some insights into what precisely you're working on. Sharing an article you've just read and your thoughts about it can spark an interesting discussion.
You don't necessarily need to be an expert to speak your truth - just point out trends in the industry or share updates about your company that may spark dialogue and even a broader pool of knowledge. Your followers/network will appreciate posts showcasing your progress as well as related thoughts and opinion pieces. Who knows — it could become a conversation starter for something bigger!
Sharing our personal experiences is an effective way to get attention to our posts and profiles. It's easy to see why – it often brings us closer to others and allows us to learn from their insights and journeys. However, it is important to remind ourselves to be humble in what we share and post so that we create meaningful connections rather than simply getting attention.
Also, if you ever feel stuck on what to share, there are plenty of tools available out there, such as ChatGPT, Jasper AI, or any other tool that can provide ideas for the topics to use in your posts– so don't worry if you're ever short on inspiration!
Reason 4: I don't want to be active.
In today's job market, being active on LinkedIn is a necessity. It's not only a want, but also a need! If you are not active on LinkedIn, chances are recruiters will overlook you.
LinkedIn is more of a business-oriented platform that focuses on personal branding, networking, and making connections with professionals around the world. If used wisely and consistently, it can lead to potential career opportunities.
Bear in mind that you do not need to be super active; you can start commenting on others' posts before deciding to start posting. But again, you do not need to start posting on LinkedIn if you are not comfortable with it.
And if you want to be more active, you can use tools, like Taplio, to generate the posts for you from your internet browser.
Reason 5: I don't know who to connect with.
Being active is not only connected with sharing articles and your thoughts via LinkedIn posts, but it is also about building your professional network! And this doesn't have to be difficult.
Start with your existing contacts, such as colleagues, classmates, and friends. Then, consider reaching out to industry professionals or people you've interacted with at networking events.
You don't necessarily need a ton of connections either; the power of networking lies in quality over quantity. Make sure to reach out to people working at companies or within industries that interest you, as well as those you meet at networking events. Such interactions can help strengthen your professional network; thus, don't shy away from being proactive!
Staying Active is Important!
Staying active on the platform requires a bit of effort, but it is absolutely worth it in terms of building your online presence and professional development. Not only can appearing engaged on the platform prove beneficial to your current job situation, but it also increases exposure to potential employers, creating exciting opportunities that may have otherwise been unavailable.
Investing a little time in perfecting your profile and staying active on LinkedIn can pay off in the long run - be sure to take full advantage of what this incredible platform has to offer!
How Often Should You be Active On LinkedIn?
It's important to keep your LinkedIn presence active without being overwhelming. Posting too much can be counterproductive. I would suggest posting two to three times per week, focusing on creating quality content that will add value to your audience, instead of chattering away endlessly.
Be authentic and consistent! That way, people who follow you will come back again and again, which is particularly beneficial when it comes to branding oneself online.
Last but Not Least, Your Activity Is Not about Likes!
Let me ask you, “If a tree falls in the woods, does it produce a sound?” What I'm suggesting is that if posts don't get enough views or likes in the world of social media, do they actually exist at all?
Yes, they do! Sure, it feels great to have a hefty number of 30+ million impressions and 360K engagements on LinkedIn under your belt for 2022. But let me tell you, these numbers mean nothing; having impressive stats might make a great headline, but without content that sticks, posts quickly become forgotten.
Investing time and effort into creating content (with AI or without it) that adds real value will help your voice resonate out there (the forest of social media). With this insight in mind, take off those rose-colored glasses and make sure you focus on crafting quality content instead of obsessing over your numbers.
If you focus on numbers and numbers only, you will start creating content like "I hired a person whom nobody wanted to hire, and guess what, they're the best hire ever." You know, all those stories that never happen but still get thousands of likes from people.
Instead of focusing on becoming the next LinkedIn (replace it with another social site) influencer or getting a lot of impressions and engagements, prioritize creating high-quality content. Not only content that people want to read but also one that will bring VALUE to them.
Even if only 11 people will like your post, it doesn't matter. If creating content that brings value is your priority, everything else – the numbers and reactions – will naturally follow suit. So, forget about influencer status, impressions, and engagements and focus on providing something valuable instead!
Have I said "value" too many times? I think I did. But you got the point. :)
Oh, and before you go, I want to reward those who finish reading the entire newsletter issue.
Here Is one more tip for you: If you're looking to make sure your next post gets seen by someone in your network, a great trick is to go and check out their profile. Visiting their profile and reacting to one of their last posts can increase the chances that your next post will show up on their timeline. This tactic is likely more effective than simply tagging them. Give it a try and see what happens!
Good luck with your job search!
Jan
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