You are here

LinkedIn is the hottest thing in recruitment. Online social media presence and talent branding are the latest buzzwords for recruiters, meaning job seekers need to capitalize on the shift to online social recruitment. Even if you aren't on the hunt, it's important to establish a professional social brand. It doesn't happen overnight and you never know when you may be looking again or when an opportunity may find you.
First thing's first: you need to create an awesome profile. Ensure all sections are filled out in their entirety. That may seem easy to do but you need to be able to use your profile to catch the attention of recruiters. Drop the bullet points and write full sentences when describing your job history. If you have them, add in work samples and links to projects or presentations you have created for each job. LinkedIn allows that functionality and you should make use of it; demonstrating you have actually done what you say you've done is powerful.
Your profile summary is your opportunity to give your resum├® some personality. No one wants to hire a robot so make it sound like you! Talk a little about your job history, education, and experience and make sure to add in something about your interests and hobbies. It allows people to connect with you on a personal level.
Not only do you need to develop a great profile but you should check in with the site regularly and become a content generator of articles, videos, and websites that are in your industry or job. This is how you begin to develop your personal brand. You can post links to content you have come across or share topics other people have posted. If you're on the outside of an industry looking in, this is the perfect way to show your genuine interest.
The best place to find channels, influencers, and publishers that post re-publishable content is LinkedIn Pulse. This section of LinkedIn provides various posts and content relevant to you based on your profile. Take a look in this section and find some influencers or channels that are relevant to your personal brand and follow them.
In addition to generating content for others to read, you should be an active member of the site: write recommendations and endorse skills for people you've worked, volunteered, or attended school with. If you write recommendations and endorse others, they're more likely to return the favor'if you deserve them, of course!
All of this becomes especially crucial if you're job hunting. Researching opportunities with companies you're interested in is instantly simpler by following them on LinkedIn. You can comment on their content and also see the latest job postings. Groups for your industry are also a great tool to connect with like-minded individuals that could turn into valuable leads.
Social media will never replace face-to-face connections, so networking in person is still important. However, a great way to follow up meeting with someone is connecting with them on LinkedIn to continue to facilitate the relationship. As a working professional, keeping an up-to-date LinkedIn profile is now as important as a business card or perfected resum├®. You're creating not only an online professional brand but are also allowing recruiters to find you and hire you.
Photos: phototechno/Thinkstock