By HiroProtagonist
The Practical Stuff
So how do you go about putting all this stuff into practice? For someone new to Linkedin, there is a fairly definitive sequence of steps to take initially. The bullets in Part One largely follow that order, and ideally you would want to complete each step before moving on. If that's not your style though, or if you're already halfway through them coming in to the thread, then feel free to ignore the order.
However, in simple terms, those steps are as follows:
1. Complete your profile to 100%. Linkedin will tell you when you get there.
2. Search for groups relevant to the field(s) you're interested in.
3. As you join groups, send connection requests to people who seem to be relatively active in each one, as well as every single recruiter who is a member of each group.
4. Review the Jobs board for each group, sending connection requests to every person posting a listing, and applying for any open listings that seem attractive to you.
5. Post a short notice in each group explaining that you're interested in open opportunities and inviting them to connect with you.
6. Get your resume to every recruiter connection that you have. Don't spam them with Linkedin messages, all that's required is a short note inviting them to email you for it and offering to discuss any open opportunities they have.
7. Once you've established a good working relationship with a recruiter, politely request that they write you a recommendation on your Linkedin profile. Be sure to reciprocate.
8. Get hired! Remember that, all other considerations aside, you dictate the terms of each offer. Don't feel the need to rush through the process with one position if you're currently engaged in several others--you might get a better offer from one of them.
9. Enjoy getting cold calls every week from recruiters even after you've been hired on.
10. When you'd like to move on, repeat steps 4-6 one to two months before you anticipate giving your notice.
That's it.
Linkedin Tools
Linkedin provides several tools to assist you with a job search. Many of them were added recently, even within the last year, when the entire site was overhauled in a major redesign.
With very few exceptions, I think these additions are a massive improvement. The job search function is ridiculously easy to use, and will by default show jobs from the groups you're a member of in the Home view. This is automatic, and will occasionally even find job postings you might have missed.
The profile organizer allows you to customize and redesign your profile to flow more smoothly or logically. Or, if you're so inclined, or just like pressing butans, you can stuff every category of irrelevant bullshit into it that your heart desires, as some people have don't do this holy poo poo.
Parting Words
I'm aware this is a very wordy OP--I tried to condense it as much as I could, but it's still an infodump, at best. Ask any questions you'd like, and I (or a helpful goon) will probably be able to give you a coherent answer.
Remember: do not post your Linkedin profile unless you want to have your SA name attached to it.
If there's enough interest, I may start a Google group or Facebook group to share individual profiles for feedback. Please PM me if you're interested, or email me: hiro.protagonist.sa@gmail.com
Note: I don't subscribe to any of the Linkedin "premium" features, so I can't offer any real comment on them. If others have had positive experiences with them (or otherwise), please weigh in.
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