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Btdubbs, Happy Monday. I almost dumped coffee on someone today, but I didn’t, so I had a better day than I usually do. HA JK. But srsly. Time to learn LinkedIn.
Today I’ll be finishing up this lil’ mini-series by giving you best tips on taking your “networking” a step further and getting to chatting about interviews and applying for jobs.
In case you need a refresher…
Part 1: Making your profile stand out.
And now…
1. Start following brands and companies.
It’s kinda sorta like Twitter. But instead of 140 characters, you’ll get recent updates on the latest industry happenings. Today, I found this awesome article from the Digital Manager at The Body Shop – a brand under L’Oreal – titled, “Growth Hacking is Actually Retention.” Not only is it an interesting read, but it’s got the inside scoop on life as a digital manager with L’Oreal (hint, hint: that’s interview speak, people Seize everything for that diem). Get to following and get to reading. Getting the job all starts with educating yo’self.
2. Start searching for job listings.
Because, did you know that LinkedIn is basically like the yellow pages of the 21st century? First, hit “Jobs” in the upper menu heading. You’ll see that you can first search by job title, keywords, or company name – pretty sweet, eh? BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE. Go on to enter a specific location(s) that you’d like to be. Look to the right sidebar – there, your saved jobs and searches, and applied jobs lie. It’s basically your dashboard to keep track of all of your job activity in one easy little box. The next cool thing about LinkedIn…it knows what postings would probably be of highest value to you. So, below all of this hubbub lies a slue of job openings that may be of specific interest to you.
3. Use your other newly learned skill and get intel on inside jobs.
You’ve now mastered the art of making impactful connections via LinkedIn, so it’s time to take it a step further. They always say that having a connection makes you so much more likely to get an interview, and of course it helps in landing the actual job. They are always right. Since you know the importance of making meaningful connection requests on LinkedIn now, you’re all set to reach out, make a great first impression, and follow-up with a heartfelt direct message or email. Once you’ve taken care to genuinely reach out, don’t be afraid to inquire about the person’s own experiences and career. Try to get to know them a bit, and use that as invaluable intelligence into what life at their company might look like. Show your own interest however you see fit; if you stumble across job postings for their own company, consider asking them if they have any contacts that might prove valuable in getting more information about what the position really entails. What working with them might be like. What working that role for the company might be like. When you take it a step further, people notice. Get noticed, earn respect, and you could find yourself having access to applications that aren’t open to the general public yet. #what.
4. Publish your own writing.
Once upon a time, you needed an invitation to publish on LinkedIn. For better or for worse, anyone can now hit “post” and publish your own professional thoughts for all to read. This works if you’ve already got a good handle on your life, have direction and have reasonably solid musings to share. This does not work if you’re like most of collegiate America and have no clue what you want to bestow upon the world with your liberal arts degree as of yet (which, by the way, isn’t a problem…you’ll figure it out sooner or later. Stay strong and keep pushing those mock interviews and kale juices.).
Welp, I think that’s about it. LinkedIn is this giant abyss of knowledge, so it feels nearly impossible to share every last tidbit with you. But, hopefully you got at least something from this series of sorts and you’re one step closer to your dream gig.
What was your favorite tip from the series? What would you add to it all?Â
And, have you entered this giveaway yet?Â
Did I mention Happy Monday? Today is treat yo’self Monday, which means you all should do I as did and treat yo’self to a fresh strawberry mango smoothie from a fruit truck, because FRUIT.
