Mingling around in the hundreds of LinkedIn groups is a great way to network, get yourself noticed, and increase your chances of finding a job or getting a new job. Without a doubt, LinkedIn is a huge resource for job seekers. However, there are wrong ways to use LinkedIn. Ways that, without a doubt, will cause more damage to your personal brand then you might ever imagine.
With so many people unemployed or in search of a different job, lots of people are congregating to job search or industry-related groups on LinkedIn. In these groups (and even many other type of groups) people are telling their story. When I read through the content in these groups, I am often shocked at what some people are saying, on a public website, that many employers use to find candidates for their open positions.
I understand it is frustrating to be out of work or in desperate need of a new job, but so many people are displaying their anger and frustration in these LinkedIn groups – a place where hiring managers are also present. In addition, potential employers who Google you may also have access to this content.
Joining a LinkedIn group and participating, is not something to take lightly. The content you put out there should reflect you in a very positive light – one that shows you are a high energy, self-motivated, positive individual who possesses skills and talents that are desired by employers.
While some groups require you to join and subsequently be accepted, that does not mean it is a private group where you are safe to vent amongst your peers. Many recruiters and hiring managers are also members of these groups! Just click on the members tab and you will see who all is reading your content. And many groups are completely open, now for anyone to read. Your posts can be found very easily by anyone who is reading through the group or wants to learn more about you.
People! Employers can’t ask for your birth date and age, so why offer it up and then follow it up with a non-selling statement about yourself? I do not feel any person should mention their age in these groups – especially if you are in an age group that you feel has perceived disadvantages. Yes, in the United States, it is unlawful to discriminate against people based on their age.
Do employers do it?
Yes.
Sadly, some of them do. Even if it’s just a silent notation that a hiring manager makes when coming across your post. I do not believe employers should ever discriminate based on age, but since it can be reality of life, don’t disclose it (and other personal details about your life), no matter what age you are.
Disclosing all the reasons they have heard so far as to why they were not offered a job.
“I have been told I am overqualified so many times."
“I have been told I just don’t have the skills needed."
“I make too much money."
"I have been told I have a lack of focus."
“I am competing against people who have much better experience than I do.”
Statements like these should never be said on LinkedIn! Maybe this is your reality, as there will always be reasons why people don’t get hired. But, if I am hiring and reading something like this that you wrote? You just gave me a reason to pass right by you.
Derogatory statements about HR professionals, recruiters, and hiring managers.
“They don’t make wise decisions."
"They discriminate."
"They don’t even bother reading all the resumes.”
"They just want cheap workers, not skilled ones.”
Aren’t these the people they are trying to target? I would never consider a candidate who wrote something like that on LinkedIn. Not only has that person insulted the very people they are targeting (at minimum that shows really bad judgment!), but they are also coming off as a negative person. And who wants to hire a negative person - a complainer who makes a blanket statement against their target audience?
Some of the very people who made statements like I described above also made statements like, “I have been unemployed for 18 months." It’s not hard to figure out why that might be the case!
There are many job seekers using LinkedIn to their advantage. I have also seen many people state things such as, “I have great skills, I know I have a lot to offer but the job market is very tight. But, I will keep plugging along, I know it’s just a matter of time before I land the right job!” Isn’t that much better?
As frustrating as a job search might be, if you are posting on a public website (especially the biggest business networking website out there!) you must present yourself in a professional manner. You need to make an effort to show that you have all the great qualities that employers seek – every time you start typing.
The facts are, some of the people who are posting on LinkedIn are still unemployed because of what they write on LinkedIn. Use LinkedIn to your advantage – do not sabotage yourself in the process!
If you are reading this and you recognize you might have said some of these things in your groups, please, do yourself a favor and go back to your posts and delete them.
After that is done, start creating some new, fresh, and positive content that sells you and reflects you as the great person you are!
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
Bigstock
Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
Bigstock
Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
Bigstock
Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.