LinkedIn offers thousands of job seekers a fantastic free resource for connecting with other professionals and finding new opportunities. We call it the “Hidden Job Market”.

The social network was initially created for business purposes. Since then, it has become one of the most powerful networking platforms available, with over 675 million monthly users, 40 % of which are active members.  It is widely used to connect with past and current employees, existing business partners, and members worldwide.

The ‘iceberg’ diagram is commonly used to illustrate LinkedIn. The line below the sea represents the hidden job market and highlights the need for using the platform for networking when actively seeking a job. It is made ‘open’ and visible by advertisements, recruitment agencies and various job websites. As you can see, part of the market is ‘above the water’ and therefore open to all job seekers.

A significant part of job seekers are ‘under the water’ and hidden to 80% of job-seekers in the job market. LinkedIn is a great place to "follow" businesses and organisations you are interested in working with. Only 20% can access it using their contacts and directly approach companies of interest to them.

LinkedIn has become vital for connecting with colleagues when looking for a specific job or promotion.

Here are some helpful LinkedIn tips for job seekers who are facing redundancy.

Before you start networking, make sure you have an “All-Star” indicator, this is a LinkedIn way of telling you your profile is ready.

Impress your visitors

We suggest a picture (The image should be shoulders and above and in high resolution.) make sure your profile stands out. Can a profile photo get you 21 times more profile views and nine times more connection requests? 

Add a cover photo to give your profile more personality or support how you want to position yourself and your brand. 

LinkedIn is the perfect place for career builders to find connections and connect with like-minded individuals to help them network with the right people. It can help you find a job by building new relationships and, most importantly, ensuring you know what to say to every company you apply to join. You can tailor your application by following the companies you are interested in working for and then demonstrating the knowledge you have gained on your application and at the interview.

Building your LinkedIn network can be as simple as inviting people in and following those who share your personal and career interests. 

Start using Linkedin regularly. 

• Post two or three times a week to showcase your expertise.
• Share and comment on company posts of interest to you.
• Follow companies you are interested in working for, as they post jobs only visible to those who follow their page.

Every day I see more people using LinkedIn for their professional lives. But it's not always clear how the platform can be used for job hunting or business development.

• Recruiters search for and similarly choose job candidates on LinkedIn as you search for jobs. Using LinkedIn software, recruiters and head-hunters search through LinkedIn Profiles.
• They start searching for the required skills for the role (which is why your skills and endorsements are so essential!).
• They often type in the job title of the job they are filling or the position they expect their perfect job candidates to have (which is why your job titles are essential). If you’re unemployed, the simple workaround is to create a dummy job listing in the current section that includes the job title(s) you're interested in getting. i.e. ‘Full-Time Student/Financial Analyst in Training’—followed by a phrase like ‘In Transition’ or ‘Seeking New Opportunity’ in the Company Name box." 

When you get on LinkedIn, it's easy to feel like you hop from one page to another and fail to keep up with what's going on around you. That 'feeling' is usually linked with becoming frazzled and frustrated with job hunting until the next LinkedIn update refreshes with new job opportunities suitable for you and your background and skill set.

My best suggestion to avoid fatigue is to limit your time on the platform daily.

 LinkedIn can provide valuable knowledge of your suitability in a job search. Knowing your experience and skills fit the company is a must, removing the need to speculate. How? If you input all your skills on your profile, the system will tell you how many skills you have that match the vacancy you are interested in when you search for jobs.

More importantly, If you have the right skills, the right experience, and a way to demonstrate your knowledge, LinkedIn makes it easy for employers to find you.

With the power and simplicity of the latest LinkedIn search features, you can quickly identify jobs by filtering by “posting date” and “job title”.

 Before you start networking, make sure you have an “All-Star”(LinkedIn way of telling you your profile is ready). Make sure there is consistency between your CV and LinkedIn profile. Especially dates and experience. Your profile is your brand and shop window for recruiters to see.  Unlike your CV, it should be written in the first person.

• We recommend including your last ten years of relevant experience. 
• An excellent way to structure your experiences and accomplishment is by starting with a few lines to position your role and responsibility. Then follow with a few bullet points highlighting key achievements.

You can use LinkedIn for the following: 

• Getting a promotion
• Building your profile as an expert in a skill/ knowledge base
• Getting speaker opportunities
• Finding volunteer work
• Finding a publisher for a book
• Obtaining a business partner
• Finding a mentor
• Free interview practice questions

 Once you are set up

• Keeping active – Sharing posts, commenting on topics of interest to you, posting updates and participating in group discussions.
• Updates may include:
  • Links to news or articles you have found interesting
  • Write a tip of the day
  • Recommend someone
  • Promote a workshop
• Use the network to boost your in-person networking
• You can also endorse previous colleagues for skills and ask them to endorse you and give you recommendations that make you more attractive to a potential employer.

I hope you have found this helpful blog. Feel free to subscribe to my website to get more support - you can download our guide https://www.kaidi-coaching.com/linkedin-guide