1. LinkedIn: A Strategic and
Practical Approach for Job Search
Carol McCullagh
General Management Executive
with Jacob Alonzo (Information Architect) as
the Recruiter
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2. Disclaimer
• This is not a LinkedIn primer but assumes that
you have a LinkedIn account and are familiar
with the “how to’s”
• LinkedIn is not your resume on-line
• This is how I use LinkedIn and I hope it can
help you
• Decide how/where you want to spend your
time!
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3. Some Typical Job Search Challenges
• Gaining credibility
• Finding and making visible your fan club
• Finding out target company challenges, strong
points, culture, who they hire, etc.
• Finding the hiring manager and info about them
• Finding and developing advocates in your target
companies
• Making it easy for them to buy
• Demonstrating skills
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4. Job Search-isms Summary
• People hire people they know, like and trust
• Make it easy for them to buy; NO SURPRISES!
• Find others and be found
Can LinkedIn Help? Yes, it’s one tool in your
toolbox. How?
• By how you market yourself
• Your network
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5. Profile- Your Marketing Opportunity
• Your on-line identity
• Professional photo
– Your identity
– Helps people remember you
– Puts a face to your resume
• Your personality and how you work (fit and style)
• Your companies/schools (credibility)
– Match your resume
– Allows you to find co-workers using Colleagues function
– Connections from your companies lends credibility that
you worked there and had the roles you say you did
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6. Profile (cont’d)
• Your Interests – fit – a connection
• Other Internet – can point them to your
Twitter, Facebook or ZoomInfo type sites plus
any blogs
• Patents and Publications
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7. Profile (cont’d)
• Endorsements
– Allows others and you to validate what roles you
had; who you interfaced with; something unique
about you that was valued; your values
– Prefer non- recent bosses so that recent ones
have the freedom to address the hiring manager’s
concerns and priorities
– Lends credence to in-transition activities
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8. Your Network
• Connections
– Strong relationships vs. numbers – YES
• Need numbers to be able see names and full profiles
– Diversity is good
• You don’t know who knows who
• Less competition outside your function/industry
• Become known as a connector
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9. Your Network (cont’d)
• How you can use it if it’s robust
– Find other colleagues/friends
– Find the hiring manager
– Find people in your target companies to have info
discussions with them
– Find past employees to have discussions with
– Help others
– Lot’s more ….
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10. Self-marketing and Network
• Groups
– Common interests
– Bring people into your network without linking
– Webinars, articles, meetings – many free
• Companies
– Track hires, promotions, leavings
• Answers
– Establish visible credibility as an expert
• Jobs
– Tells you who in your network works there
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11. Self-marketing and Network
(cont’d)
• Network Activity – Tell your connections
something of value; keeps you in their mind;
caution- don’t overuse
• Books – Addresses the “I know you”
• Events – Where others can find you
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12. LinkedIn Summary
• Is a very powerful tool that allows you to
establish an electronic identity visible to the
world
• Is what you put into it – it’s not just job search
but the rest of your life!
• Allows you to establish relationships globally
• Keep in touch with people over years,
decades, …
• Figure out what you need/want, then find
out how to do it!
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