Did you know networking is still the number one way to get a job? And that 92% of recruiters sourcing for positions for employers check you out online? The majority of research is done on… Linkedin.
If you are using LinkedIn in your job search to open opportunity’s door…. And feel like you are being tricked… more than treated…it’s time to take a hard look at your online networking game to see if you are scaring potential employers away.
Here are a few things to check… if you are not getting the response that you want:
- SCARY PROFILE PICTURE. Your picture is the FIRST item in your LinkedIn profile that a recruiter notices. Make sure that you are not scaring them away with unprofessional looks, inappropriate gestures, and casual settings. So you went out with your buddies and they snapped a picture of you in a political shirt, with a beer in your hand, flipping the bird… maybe it was the first photo on your camera roll that was of you… not the best profile picture. Pick a headshot in regular business attire.
- MASKED SKILLS. Does the content in your profile match the career skills needed for the positions you are currently applying for? Too much information, or the wrong information, could be keeping potential employers away. If you are looking for a job in logistics, LinkedIn might not be the place that you list out the non-profit that you started to save the whales or that you are looking for singing jobs in a Jazz band. Make sure your profile is focused on the career you are pursuing… if you have other interests, either create another profile or make a profile on another platform to seek opportunities.
- GHOSTING. Please don’t POST and GHOST. One of the biggest complaints with recruiters is a lack of response. If you are using social media or a job search platform to find opportunities and applying, make sure you are checking your messages. You might have gotten a response, but it went to an email you don’t check, or spam, or the phone call got screened. I get it, you have several emails, phone numbers, and multiple accounts to check… and all kinds of spam and telemarketers to avoid. Maybe that job wasn’t the first on your list, so you don’t respond… that same recruiter might have your dream job, too. They are often hiring for multiple positions... make sure that you at least are responsive to the recruiter to say, that you got another position or that you are looking for a different type of position.
Written by: Amy Rossi, Director of Training