The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper print
operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The Standard Group is recognized as a
leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and international interest.
A few months ago, I bumped into a friend who was approached by a recruiter via LinkedIn. Three weeks later, she was going through the interview process and eventually got the role. I found this interesting - before I heard of from someone I knew, I would have considered a job offer from social media the professional equivalent of the Nigerian money scams and pyramid scams.
One of the first things we do when we meet new contacts at meetings, networking events and conference is connect with them via social media - usually LinkedIn. So it makes sense that recruiters would use this medium to reach out to people who they consider a good fit for their organisations.
If you’re looking for new opportunities, it makes sense to give your professional profiles as much attention as the process of sending out application letters.
Completeness
Treat your profile as you would a resume - it needs to be complete, succinct and free of grammatical errors. Ensure that a moment’s glance gives the person looking at it a clear idea of who you are and what your expertise is, as well as what kind of opportunities you are looking into.
Attract recruiters
LinkedIn has no rules regarding what you should or should not include on your profile and summary. What aspects of your resume would make a potential recruiter pay more attention to you as a candidate? Do not shy away from using numbers and stats to quantify your achievements in the same way you do on your resume - establish credibility by highlighting past results in your summary. Show what you did, how you did it and who it impacted.
Personality
While you should showcase your best self in your professional profile as you do on a resume, social media gives you more leeway to let your personality shine through and can be more conversational. Show the causes you’re involved in and let your passions and values shine through by highlighting volunteer work, projects, speaking engagements etc - that way someone reading your profile leaves with a clearer impression of you as an individual not just as an employee.
Endorsements and recommendations
While you can only include references on your resume, you can ask for recommendations on LinkedIn. Use this feature especially when someone commends you for a job well done - someone commending you for an achievement or your work ethic builds credibility even more than you stating it. Make a habit of getting reaching out to your contacts to endorse and recommend you.
Research
Say you have seen an advert for a role you think would be a good fit for your skills and expertise, or you have been invited for the interview. Do you leverage LinkedIn to conduct research or reach out to your contacts and find out more about the organisation?
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