“LinkedIn”
By: Moussa Sidime
Until a few days ago I didn’t think so. I’ve
heard of LinkedIn and even have a partial profile there, but I didn’t realize
the power and great exposure it could provide when looking for a new job or
internship. I thought of it as the Facebook for serious minded people who have
jobs and need business contacts to promote their business. That was the extent of
brainpower I had given it. Since I have
a Facebook account where most of my friends and a few past co-workers are part
of my social contact list, why would I want to subscribe to another website to
keep in touch with the same people? That seemed redundant to me. Therefore, LinkedIn
was never a priority even though I followed their stock price from time to time
because of its growth and compared it to Facebook.
Little did I know, all my friends and business associates who claimed they never had the time to open a Facebook account because they were too busy with their careers, business ventures and higher education were sending me invitations to connect on LinkedIn. I deleted all of those emails and wondered why I ever signed up on that website a few years back? Then a business associate of mine, who is very trendy and savvy, requested that I become one of his friends on LinkedIn. I figured if he sees a value in it, I should sign up. Well, it was one of the best actions I took for my career without even being aware of it. It was like getting a stack of Berkshire Hathaway stocks from your grandfather that had been locked in your safe deposit box for 20 years and not knowing its value until today. I have been contacted about several job opportunities during the past 3 years without realizing why I was being chosen. Today I understand that I was being considered as a passive candidate, an employed professional who is not actively looking for a job, but is open to discuss potential opportunities. Based on a research done, 10 to 20 percent of the job market is made up of passive candidates. All these job offers were due to my network, 2nd degree connections, people who are directly connected to someone in my network, and their endorsements of my skills they knew I had based on past experiences working with me that were detailed in my resume. Four year ago I uploaded my resume without a picture and it took on a life of its own.
Reflecting
back on it, this system makes total sense. If the people I worked with can
attest to my skills, putting their own reputation on the line by endorsing me,
why wouldn’t a head hunter or recruiter not want to hire me or at the least
reach out to see if I would be a great addition to their work force? After all,
I do have a great smile and personality as I am told. Seriously, being endorsed
online helps to take away any suspicion an employer may have about you and removes
the need to ask for employment references. As Schawbel explained, “What you say about
yourself is important, but what others say about you carries more weight”.
Social media sites such as: LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and Facebook have given recruiters a whole new insight
into your strengths and weaknesses as a candidate. This can reinforce their
decision to hire you or to shy away from you. It starts with the comments you
have posted online, the tone of voice others use to speak with you, and last,
but not the least, the pictures you have posted online. How do they represent
you and the new position you are seeking or company you will be working for?
Following are a few tips to help
you make the most of your online job search. Consider taking a professional head shot for your
LinkedIn profile. Do your homework before interviewing with a company. Learn
about your career path. Make sure to like the company or organization you are
interested in working for in the future. Join industry specific groups and participate
in discussion threads. Be open to accepting invitations from new creditable
contacts and make introductions when appropriate; it is good career karma. Make
contacts before you need them. Your co-workers and classmates are a good place
to start. Every one of us will be going somewhere great soon due to promotions
or graduations. But the caveat is to take the conversation offline into the
real world whenever you can. As great as social media is, never forget that it
is made of real people behind those profiles.
