The Pitfalls of Job Searching on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is heavily utilized by recruiters and employers to source candidates for employment, but it can be a waste of time if you’re not using it effectively. It also can be a useful tool for job hunting, career networkingand professional development. However, it's imperative that you properly make use of LinkedIn's tools to reap the benefits. To start, everyone who is seeking a professional position should have a complete LinkedIn profile, connect with everyone they know and join LinkedIn Groups.
Why LinkedIn Could Waste Your Time
Are you getting cheated?: Paying $29.95 per month for a “Job Seeker Premium” moves your application to the top of the list as a "featured applicant." However, the recruiter sees a badge next to your name indicating you paid to be in that position. What does he think of you now? Plus, that's no guarantee of visibility; in fact, sales of premium subscriptions that float your resume to the top of the applicant list were up 68 percent in the second quarter of 2013. In addition, LinkedIn charges the recruiter a fee as well to post; actually matching your talents and qualifications to job opportunities is not really one of their concerns. Rather, it's to LinkedIn's benefit to keep everyone searching, both employers and applicants, so they can keep collecting fees.
LinkedIn is simply a job board: The good news is that social media is used almost universally as a hiring tool.
According to a 2015 article on Adweek.com, 92 percent of recruiters surveyed using it as part of their process and of those, 87 percent use Linkedin compared to 55 percent utilizing Facebook and 47 percent on Twitter. That said, LinkedIn is just like Monster and CareerBuilder--the site warehouses resumes and sells employers access to them.
And according to the article "Ask The Headhunter: Is LinkedIn Cheating Employers and Job Seekers Alike?" on pbs.org, employers reported that just 1.3 percent of their hires came from Monster and 1.2 percent through CareerBuilder.
How to Make LinkedIn Work for You
Start with the basics. LinkedIn is not going to work for you if you don’t identify yourself. Setting up a LinkedIn profile with “Private Profile” or “Human Resources Manager” (if you're seeking applicants) instead of your name and asking someone to connect isn't going to be effective.
People won't have any clue who you are and they won't try to figure it out. LinkedIn is for “real” people to connect which each other – that’s what makes it so successful and such a terrific networking tool.
If confidentiality is a concern, simply be careful. Connect only with people you know well. Be strategic if you’re job searching while employed and don’t announce it to your connections. There are ways you can job search confidentially without jeopardizing your current position.
How to Get the Most Out of LinkedIn
Get Started on LinkedIn
One of the most important parts of LinkedIn is your profile. That's what you use to connect with people in your network and your profile is how you get found on LinkedIn, because it contains information about your skills and experience.
One of the most important parts of LinkedIn is your profile. That's what you use to connect with people in your network and your profile is how you get found on LinkedIn, because it contains information about your skills and experience.
How to Take and Choose a Professional Photo for LinkedIn
Tips and advice for how to take and choose a photo to use in your LinkedIn profile, including what to wear, what type of photo to use, and how to pick a picture that will make a great first impression.
Tips and advice for how to take and choose a photo to use in your LinkedIn profile, including what to wear, what type of photo to use, and how to pick a picture that will make a great first impression.
By Alison Doyle
