Read on Twitter
So here goes A LOT but first, I’d like to say that I thought to do this thread because of the three recent tweets i’ve seen regarding LinkedIn. One said it doesn’t work, another said it does, and the last one I said to ‘Revamp your LinkedIn!’ which I think is the way to go. https://twitter.com/_shorshor/status/1266105211887800326
Also, I will like to mention that I am very much aware of my privilege which has allowed me gain exposure in different ways so my reality on there MAY not be the same as yours. I’ll attach some links at the end for those who are already active on LinkedIn.
This was a joint call with Morgan Hammer (LinkedIn), Erin Johnson (The VBA Group) and Hayet Rida who organised it. It was mostly for uni grads but there’s a lot I think anyone could use from it. We’ll start with Erin’s CV tips.
So the first thing was, HAVE A MASTER RESUME where ALL and I mean, ALL of your job and volunteer experiences and education history are listed. Leave NOTHING out. From this Master Resume, you will create multiple ones to suit whatever role you may be applying for.
For Example if you’re looking to work in a school, you may want to make sure you capture your education related activities in your one pager. Note from Hayet- Some recruiters (many, tbh) care more about skill than GPA.
Sometimes, you may have to move the education history to the bottom of the CV because they want to see your experience or skills more. If your GPA is low, don’t feel bad- don’t add it either. There are certain key words that recruiters tend to look for in CVs. Here you go
f you interned, mentioned the specific role you interned as- don’t just say ‘Intern’. Keep your references to yourself until you are asked (yeah it surprised me too but it wasn’t my first time hearing it). When asked for references, do tell the referee before you enlist them.
ALWAYS SEND/UPLOAD CV’s IN PDF. You can also check here for LinkedIn's CV tips https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rosenstein_resume-davidsdiary-studentsoflinkedin-activity-6640270377387859968-2VGd
When you meet people, wherever, try and connect with them on LinkedIn and send thank you messages there. Stay in contact with anybody you meet on there especially once you have communicated via InMail (the messages).
For your LinkedIn Profile, use a nice clean headshot, not a selfie. A smile is always great. For your banner photo, opt for an image that subtly says something about you (interests, hobbies, etc.) that is not your face. Not a vacation photo of you in a bikini either.
Your Tagline should go straight to the point eg. “Enthusiastic about Education” or “2020 University Graduate seeking full-time employment” if you’re job searching i.e because recruiters tend to use a lot of filters when searching on LinkedIn.
For the jobseekers, https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rosenstein_resume-davidsdiary-jobsearch-activity-6635167671946137600-urvn
For your location, if you live in a very small town, choose the closest biggest metropolitan city near you so that you don’t miss out thanks to filters. Next, is the 'About' section of your LinkedIn profile.
See the about section as 30-45 to sell yourself but virtually. ‘Super-flex in 2-3 paragraphs’ she said. First line should be your current state/position. Second paragraph, a little bit about your past plus a bit about yourself that makes you look human.
Third paragraph, Education, involvement, interests, groups you’re part of, etc. Tip: Like, follow and engage with posts from brands/organizations/companies that you are interested in.
Recruiters use engagements to gauge your interests and it’s a plus if they’re hiring for those pages you follow or similar. So it’s not just your profile saying you are interested in something- your activity proves it too! It also allows them to know what groups you are part of.
When you want to connect with someone on LinkedIn, especially someone you don’t know, aim for 7pm-9pm in their timezone- Morgan says that’s LinkedIn’s observed ‘rush hour’. Your recipient is most likely to see it at that time.
Do not add your CVs to LinkedIn first time messages. To find out the kind of people to connect with, you can check here. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rosenstein_davidsdiary-linkedintips-studentsoflinkedin-activity-6656617417759866880-w_5x
Lastly, GO AND SCRUB ALL YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS! Look for old facebook posts that you posted in your childhood and delete them. Same for twitter, instagram, everywhere.
After you’ve done all this, start treating your LinkedIn like you treat your twitter and or Instagram accounts- Browse through daily. Like things, update things, share things, follow brands, pay attention, and APPLY TO AS MANY JOBS AS YOU THINK YOU ARE FIT FOR.
Hayet applied to 96 jobs fresh out of uni. She heard back from only one. That’s the one she got. She did 200 again and heard from less than 10. It does not have to be that way and may not be that way for others but you have to do what you need to do to get what you want.
"If you stay ready, you never have to get ready."
You can choose to invest in an expert or LinkedIn coach to give you custom feedback. Learning LinkedIn takes a LOT of time and energy, and there's lots of BAD advice in the world, so find a specialist who works specifically with students.
You can reach out to Morgan Hammer or David Rosenstein on LinkedIn if you think you need extra resources and help.
You can also find common LinkedIn mistakes here https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rosenstein_davidsdiary-jobsearch-jobsearchtips-activity-6668495685341462528-6BLG
You can also find common LinkedIn mistakes here https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rosenstein_davidsdiary-jobsearch-jobsearchtips-activity-6668495685341462528-6BLG
If you’re already active on LinkedIn, you can use this to measure how well you’re selling yourself. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rosenstein_davidsdiary-linkedin-networking-activity-6671025744992337920-Isgy
