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5 Ways to use LinkedIn Groups for Job Search Success

January 23, 2018 By Katherine Burik

LinkedIn Groups are your networking key to the Job Search Kingdom.

(And I heard from someone with a connection to someone on the Inside of LinkedIn that groups are going to soon undergo a new change! You will want to be using this social media channel more and more!)

Until you have explored and joined groups you haven’t fully utilized the networking power of LinkedIn. This article will explain five way ways to use LinkedIn to help you find that job or new career.

Occasionally when I work with a job search candidate having trouble with his/her search, I find they have not fully explored LinkedIn groups.

This network is the biggest one in the world for professionals in all industries. It is a must-use tool in your job search plan.

Here are 5 ways to use LinkedIn Groups in your job search:

Expands contacts. LinkedIn protocol allows you to send an invitation to connect to people who are in groups with you. Being in groups allows you to connect with more people and allows other people in the group to connect with you
Interesting discussions. You can post questions or comment on questions other people post. This raises your visibility and lets people see how you think. Assuming you make a good impression, it makes you more desirable.
Jobs are posted in groups that might not be posted anywhere else. You can respond directly and perhaps get a leg up on the competition who might be looking at Monster. You might also become aware of companies hiring people in your field.
Increases your visibility. The more people who know you are looking for a new position, the more likely you can land that job. Recruiters use LinkedIn as their top choice to find candidates. They look in groups.
Offer more ways to search for people, companies, and jobs. LinkedIn’s search tools are very powerful, even if you do not purchase the expanded services. You can see who is looking at your profile and search for companies in your industry. You can talk to people who already work at those companies and get inside information on who to speak to in your field.

What types of LinkedIn Groups should you join?

It is best to build a mix of them so that you have a well rounded network – the same as you do with people in real life.

Consider joining groups related to:

Education (college alumni association, college interest groups, sorority or fraternity groups)
Previous employment
Special interest groups related to your job, groups related to your industry or the industry you want to work in
Groups related to some special characteristic about you (maybe your age, sex, race). Be careful about groups related to your religion or politics so you don’t inadvertently alienate potential employers.

If you wonder how employers use LinkedIn, read this article to better understand what is happening on the other side fo the job search process.: How Do Employers Use Linkedin.com?

Don’t settle for a mediocre career that you don’t want! LinkedIn offers many ways to find the ideal job or career for you! You can download a FREE copy of the LinkedIn Career Advancement Tips and find the perfect career today.

“How Did You Know I Was Promoted?” Linkedin Secrets For Your Job Search

January 23, 2018 By Katherine Burik

The other day I got a LinkedIn update from Brian M. He got promoted!

Brian worked for me at my last job and I know the promotion was one he really wanted. So I sent him a quick email congratulating him on his promotion.

He responded a little while later saying he appreciate my congratulations. The promotion happened months ago and he enjoyed the new job. He was getting a lot of notes congratulating him on the promotion. He didn’t understand how everyone knew.

I probed a bit because I thought this was a teachable moment. Turns out, as I expected, Brian had just updated his LinkedIn profile with his new job title and responsibilities.

In talking to clients and friends it is clear that, like Brian, many people do not realize that when you update your profile, LinkedIn automatically sends the new information out to all your contacts. These are called “activity broadcasts”.

This has advantages and disadvantages.

It is an easy way to stay in touch and let your friends and colleagues know what is going on in your career.
Make sure you keep your profile updated so you always present the best possible “you” to the LinkedIn world.
You might be connected to your boss and colleagues. They will receive notifications that you are making updates to your profile and they might ask questions. This kind of automatic update can be a problem if you are conducting a confidential job search.

Here are some tips to keep your job search confidential while updating your LinkedIn profile and searching for a job:

Do not say “seeking a new job” or words to that effect in your profile. You can still look for jobs. Make your profile reflect your current role as if you are a competent, talented employee proud of your current role.
Join LinkedIn Groups directly related to the job you currently hold. Post questions or make responses in those groups related to work you are currently performing. In this way you can say that you are using LinkedIn for work. You can point to all sorts of interesting knowledge you are collecting that make you a stronger performer in your current job. This provides cover for your increased LinkedIn activity.
When you join LinkedIn Groups related to your job search, like “Exec Jobs – NE Ohio”, be sure you mark them as “confidential” so these groups do not appear in your public profile. In that Group, click on “More”, then “Settings”, then uncheck the box that says “Display the group logo on your profile”. Now your membership in that group will be more confidential!
You can turn off your activity broadcasts all together, at least while you update your profile. Click on “Settings” under your name on the top right hand side of the profile page. Click “Turn on/off” your activities broadcasts. You find this under “Privacy” in the center of the page. Click to uncheck the box, “Let people know when you change your profile, make recommendations, or follow companies”. Then click “Save”. Then you can proceed to change your profile. When you want to make your new profile public, then you go in and check the box so people will see your regular activity. By then all your changes will be made.

LinkedIn is a very powerful tool to build relationships and network. Learn to use it to share your talents and experience with others in a way that enhances your career.

Learn more about using LinkedIn to boost your career. LinkedIn offers many ways to find the ideal job or career for you! Discover the tactics to using LinkedIn as a critical part of your job search plan. Check out our free training, How to Use LinkedIn to Get the Job You Want.

Create a Strong Foundation for Your Career

January 16, 2018 By Marta Goertzen

A solid foundation is required for anything that needs to be strong, effective and have endurance.

This article is an excerpt from our BizTV video, which can be viewed online, simply click this link.

My dad, an elementary school principal, used to say, “Make a positive impression on teachers in the first week of school and you will have more leeway when you mess up later in the year. Otherwise you will spend the school year pushing a rock uphill trying to recover from a bad first impression.”

His advice gave me a stable foundation in my career. He reminds us that everyone leaves a footprint, an impression based on actions or behavior.

The strong foundation for any career is the impact you make on others. Not just the work you do. Not just the accomplishments. But the impact you have on others.

No one is an island. Networking, building relationships, getting things done through influence are all built on the foundation of the impact you make on others.

A recent client, Don, is disappointed in his career. Since he graduated eight years ago with a marketing degree he has wandered from one inconsequential job to another, uncertain how to get that product marketing job he wants.

Don does not have a strong foundation for his career. He is uncertain of the footprint he leaves in his current role but he is not sure what to do to be more effective or even content in his current role much less how to get the product marketing career he really wants. He thinks he needs to change jobs.

I think Don needs to build a stronger foundation for his career so he has more to offer a new employer as he pursues his ideal job. Growing in place while he builds that foundation will give him confidence as he learns new relationship skills.

Here are some tips to make a positive impression, the strong foundation for success when winds of change shift:

Friendliness breaks down barriers and leaves a good impression.
Be open to new ideas and suggestions from others
Work hard. Do what you say you are going to do and deliver results on time and under budget to build your reputation.
Volunteer for stretch assignments.
Thrive where you are planted. Build some accomplishments that demonstrate your strengths when your foundation supports career growth.

Sometimes it is hardest to see your own imprint. The Interview Doctor can help you evaluate your situation to strengthen your career foundation.

In the meantime, check out this great resource to learn more about your career foundation or to view other videos featuring strategic job search tips and tools from The Interview Doctor click here.

The Stories you Share Build Career (and Job Search) Relationships

January 9, 2018 By Marta Goertzen

We are more similar than different.

Who would have guessed?

This insight unexpectedly popped up at a workshop I led the other day. I have the privilege of conducting a three session workshop with folks who are mentoring 8^th graders in the Cleveland Public Schools. I am very impressed with this program and these wonderful volunteers. They signed up to help 8^th graders figure out the path they want to follow for the rest of their lives, beginning with the important choice of which high school to attend and which career path they want to explore.

This is a big deal. Like the mentors, I had no idea what I was signing up for.

I was asked to present three workshops on how to confidently speak in front of a group. I ended up learning so much more.

Like any public speaker or trainer, I consider the outcome I want to achieve then find exercises, activities and stories to allow the participants to make observations that result in change. But you never know what will happen!

The room was loud with laughter and conversation as these folks learned from each other, sharing life stories that will influence their relationships with the young people they mentor. Many people continued to talk long after the session ended even though these volunteers had already worked all day. The enthusiasm was contagious!

Here are some observations from the participants:

Importance of story and being personal
Learned speaking from the heart is the best method
We are all similar
Communicate with passion and relatable stories fetch the best attention
Sometimes you have to go with the flow of the audience
Even in a group of diverse people, we all have similar stories
Not everyone hears the same things the same way because we have different perspectives driven by different experiences.
Experiences are all relatable despite everyone taking their own unique path

I share this experience because I see strong similarities with folks seeking to advance their careers or find a new job. We are most successful when we are relatable. The stories you tell from the heart, with passion get attention. Realize that even diverse groups of people have similar stories and you have the power to connect with other people. It is that connection that moves you forward in your career or in your job search.

Be brave. Share your stories with passion so you can relate to other people. Relationships build careers. Use this information to your advantage!

Are you struggling with your co-workers? Grow your career through the relationships that you make at work. Get your free copy of the “10 Be’s to Career Growth” list.

What is the Worst Question to Ask while Networking?

December 27, 2017 By Marta Goertzen

There are some questions you just don’t ask when you’re networking.

Riddle me this, Batman? “Do you know about any jobs in Human Resources?” This question is a deadly conversation killer. It is time to look at networking as something other than a desperate attempt to find a job.

In my recent article, “Let’s have coffee and set career goals to get ahead”, I shared my “coffee currency” theory that it takes about 4 or 5 emails / IM exchanges in LinkedIn before a contact is comfortable enough with you to agree to have coffee.

Tom reached out to me on LinkedIn with a nice note. I responded. After about 3 or 4 exchanges (I am easy!) we arranged a phone conversation, virtual coffee for long distance networkers.

After a little small talk, I asked Tom what I could do for him. He asked me the deadly question, “Do you know about any jobs in (fill in the blank – it could be anything)?”

What did I say? What do you say? What does anyone say to this question? NO, the answer is almost always NO. Nothing happens after NO. The conversation is over. Tom just wasted an interaction that could have led to a relationship by asking a dead end question. What a shame.

A networking opportunity over coffee is a terrible thing to waste.

Let’s figure out what Tom could have said. Looking at my LinkedIn profile, Tom could have asked me any of these questions to capture my attention:

How has job search changed over the last five years?
What advice do you give people to expand their use of LinkedIn for networking?
Do you have any tips for folks searching for a job at year-end? Should I just take the month off and wait until January?
I am also a boater. What kind of boating do you do? What is your favorite place to boat?

I don’t know which companies have open positions (I am not a recruiter) but I can talk for hours about these other topics. I would be excited to meet anyone who wants to talk about what I want to talk about. If you are that person, I will open my resources to you.

Networking is about building relationships. Here are some tips to avoid deadly questions and turn networking into relationship building:

Find common ground. If networking is about building relationships then talk about something that is interesting to the other person, something other than your immediate needs. Frankly, no one else cares about your immediate needs, except maybe me!
Ask questions that will get the other person to talk. The more the other person talks, the more they will like you. It just works that way.
Treat the other person as an equal. Asking about open jobs puts you in a subservient, less valued position, almost like begging. It makes you look sad. Talk professional to professional about professional issues that are important to you and the other person to keep yourself on equal footing.
Share your knowledge. Offer others the benefit of your experience and encourage them to do the same.

Eventually the conversation will turn to you. Asking questions that make the other person talk makes the other person comfortable with you. The conversation eventually turns to you. The other person will ask, “What is your story?” This gives you a chance to talk about your needs.

When it is your turn to talk, be sure to frame your comments in specific requests, something like this:

“I recently left XYZ Company. I am looking for opportunities in Supply Chain. I am specifically interested in ABC Company or EZ Inc. What do you know about those companies?”

Very specific, so the other person knows exactly how they can help you.

Are you frustrated with little success trying to find a new job or career? Do you feel isolated because everyone you know is working and you have no one to share your struggles with? You are NOT alone! Join a group of people who face similar career issues as you do with the 5 Day Resume and Job Search Challenge to get your career search jump started today!