3 Reasons Why LinkedIn is NOT the Only Way to Get a Job

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Joshua Waldman

Of late, there have been more and more stories of people finding work through LinkedIn. In fact, most recruiters I talk to say they are actively seeking candidates through keyword searches on LinkedIn.

So why would a job seeker look anywhere else for their online networking? I think there are 3 reasons why it is a bad idea to corner yourself, as a job seeker, to just LinkedIn.

But first let me preface this by saying I LOVE LinkedIn and have used it for years. I’m not saying not to use it, but that it can be limiting for the unique needs of a job seeker if that’s the only tool.

Reason 1: The 1 Resume Problem

It is common knowledge that when applying for a job, the candidate should customize their resume to that position.

I’ve blogged about the importance of keywords before. Basically, if you want Google to return your name when a recruiter searches a keyword, you need to have chosen the right ones to put in your profile.

When going for a job, the hiring manager will look to see if your resume is generic, or if you have really addressed the organization’s concerns.

But wait!

LinkedIn only gives you one resume.

And to make matter’s worse, people are actually uploading a traditional resume to be downloaded from their LinkedIn profile. Once someone get’s control of that document, you have no idea where it will end up. And if you haven’t’ customized it, you could be written off completely.

I have several clients who are testing the waters in 2 or more different industries. There is no way for them to cover all bases with just LinkedIn alone. If you are looking to have multiple online resumes, I highly recommend an online resume service called VisualCV.

Reason 2: The Boring Personality Problem

The first thing I teach clients is to have a very clearly defined personal brand before writing your online profiles. And then when crafting their value statements, to make sure to take yourself from commodity and into personality.

There is always going to be someone smarter, more educated and more qualified than you. Especially these days. (Don’t worry, you are still the prettiest/handsomest person ever.) So the sooner you can take yourself out of simply listing your skills and into demonstrating your value, the better.

LinkedIn’s framework is limiting. Yes there are now ways of uploading videos and slide-shows. Xing.com offers users many more application features, such as mind mapping, document sharing (free), car-pooling, Wall Street Journal and more. These combine to create much more personality online then ever before.

Reason 3: The Unwritten Rules of LinkedIn

There are some unwritten rules that make networking with large numbers of people difficult.

For example, if you decide to add someone to your network that you’ve never met, they are perfectly encouraged to say, “I don’t know you” and ignore your request. If this happens too many times, you get a polite wrist slap from LinkedIn.

In response to this, LinkedIn Open Networking was created.

I would encourage you to join this group and take advantage of thousands of people willing to accept your invitations and help you get out there and meet possible job opportunities.

The Best Social Media Training Available

After months of presenting these and other powerful job-seeking tips, I’ve been asked to put everything in one place. Finally, I’ve been able to get everything video taped, and I will be making a really big announcement in the next couple of weeks.

If you would like to get early access to this exclusive training (and all the great free stuff I’m going to give away along the way), then you should definitely check out this video called, “The Top 7 Mistakes Job Seekers Make Online”.

CareerEnlightenment.net has been featured on sites like CAREEREALISM.com, LocalJobNetwork.com and MediaBistro.com. For more information, please contact Joshua at Joshua@careerenlightenment.net. Learn the 7 top mistakes job seekers make online…click here.

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