Market-Connections Resume Service Expands to Bakersfield, CA – The Californer

Market-Connections Resume Service Expands to Bakersfield, CA – The Californer

Laid off, let go, or fired... Now what?

Laid off, let go, or fired... Now what?: How to recover from a job loss, how to find a new job after getting fired or laid off, how to update your LinkedIn profile after a job loss

How to handle a virtual interview

All About Video Interviews

There are two types of video interviews — live interviews (using Skype, FaceTime, or LiveMessenger) and recorded Question-and-Answer interviews, also called “time-shifted” video interviews.

In a recorded interview, the jobseeker is directed to a website to answer questions on video, using their computer’s webcam. Video interviews provide an apples-to-apples approach to assessing candidates. All applicants are asked the same questions, and the hiring manager can review and rate the responses. These interviews can be easily set up by the company’s HR staff and the recording forwarded to the hiring manager for selection for the next round of interviews.

Some of the technology providers for time-shifted video interviews include:

1. ​ HireVue (www.hirevue.com)
2.  InterviewStream (www.interviewstream.com)
3.  Take the Interview (www.taketheinterview.com)
4.  JobOn (https://www.jobon.com/)
5.  VideoView (https://videoview.com/)

More common, however, are live video interviews.

In 2012, Robert Half reported in a press release that a survey by OfficeTeam found that 63 percent of HR managers use video technology to conduct job interviews. This was a significant increase from 14 percent who conducted Skype interviews in 2011.

Skype usage has increased dramatically in recent years: more than 300 million minutes of video calls are logged every day. An increasing number of those calls are job interviews.​

In 2018, CNBC reported that job interviews are more commonly conducted by AI robots and included this video to show how AI is changing the way you apply for jobs:​​

This is how AI is changing the way you apply for jobs.

On September 20th, 2018, The Wall Street Journal provided details in an episode of Moving Upstream and included this video to show  "how new data science tools are determining who gets hired". 

Video Interview Preparation

Prepare as if you were sitting across the desk from the interviewer. ​You can practice a video interview on a computer with a webcam, using the Skype app, or using traditional camera equipment.

Even though online interviews are being conducted by webcam, they are “real” live interviews, and you should be as prepared as if you were sitting across the desk from the interviewer. In fact, you may have to prepare more! After all, you do not have to clean your room before going off to an in-person job interview, but you do need to clear a space for your online interview.

In a 2017 article about "How to prepare for a job interview", CNBC reminds us to be carefull about our vocabulary and warns us against our use of "filler words".
Each job bord also offers its own advice about video interviews.

- Indeed provides the "Video Interview Guide: Tips for a Successful Interview"
- Monster.com lists its advice in form of "5 things you must do to prepare for a job interview"

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Be mindful of where you set up for your video interview. Be sure the area is free of visual distractions (clutter). Carefully consider what is in the background of your AI interview. Make the background interesting, but not distracting. Plain white walls are fine, but boring. Can you frame a desk or bookshelves behind you instead?

Check out your technology well in advance of the interview. Make sure you have Internet connectivity
Make sure your webcam and microphone are working and that your webcam is providing a decent picture. (High definition webcams are available for under $100, if yours is not providing a clear picture.)

You may also have to download the software if it is the first time you are using the application.

One of the best things you can do to prepare for a live video interview is practice. Practice filming a couple of interviews with friends or family members before your job interview. Check the lighting and your volume.

As with a phone interview, recording your practice video interview can help you identify areas to work on, or fix. Have your test partner take a few videos.

Be sure to account for any time zone differences before the interview.

Video Interview Do’s and Don’ts

​Review the guidelines for phone interviews, but also keep these “do’s” and “don’ts” in mind.

DO:

Dress nicely — more than one jobseeker has scheduled a video interview, thinking it would be voice only — and then accidentally found himself or herself on a video  call.
​
Dress from head-to-toe. You may think you do not need to wear dress pants with the shirt and tie since the interviewer is only going to see the top half of your outfit. But you should always expect the unexpected. You never know when you might need to stand during an interview. Pajama pants, jeans,  or shorts with a dress shirt, tie, and jacket just do not work.
 
Keep your clothing color choice in mind. Check how the colors of your clothing appear on camera. Just like TV news anchors avoid some colors — and most small patterns, pick colors that will show up well on video. Jewel tones or pastel colors work best. Do not wear white or black.
 
Practice your video interview wearing the exact outfit you are planning to wear. This trial run will also allow you to test the volume of your system, see how the interview software works (if you are not familiar with it), and make sure your lighting is appropriate.
​

​Lighting is impoeak, not at the interviewer’s face on your screen. When you look into the cartant for video interviews. If the light source is behind you, you may appear as a dark silhouette on the screen. Position a lamp or other light source in front of you.

Ensure that your profile photo is professional. This is your first impression from a physical standpoint in a video conference.

Positioning is also important. Prop up the computer so that you are not looking down at it and practice where to sit so you are framed correctly by the webcam. Make sure your torso is visible — including your hands — especially if you “talk” with your hands.

Look at the webcam when you spmera, it appears to the interviewer that you are looking at them directly.

One “pro” tip is to use a USB-connected headset for an interview instead of using the computer’s speakers. Headsets are inexpensive and can provide a much clearer interview experience.
 
If possible, use a wired Internet connection (plug directly into the Ethernet port) instead of using a wireless connection.
 
If you are using a laptop for the online interview session, plug it in so you have plenty of “juice” (battery life) for the call. You do not want to have to dig for a cord to keep the computer from shutting down.
 
Turn off notifications on your computer and close your other software programs. You do not want to be distracted by beeps every time you receive an email.
 
Speaking of distractions, it is easy to tell on a video interview if you are not paying attention, so keep your focus on the interviewer.
 
Dial up the enthusiasm! Someone who speaks with normal energy in a one-on-one conversation can come across as flat and monotone on a video interview. So it is important to be a little more enthusiastic in a virtual interview than in-person.
 
Smiling is an important strategy for video interviews. Most of the time, when we are listening to someone else, we have a blank expression on our face. But on a video interview, a blank expression comes across as a frown. Keep a slight smile on your face: not a huge grin, just show a few teeth and raise your cheeks slightly. Practice this in a mirror ahead of time.
 
Lean in. You have probably heard that “the camera adds 10 pounds.” The reason for this is that many people lean backwards in their chair, when they should be leaning forward. If you sit back and relax in your chair your head will be further away from the webcam than your stomach. Unfortunately, the camera latches on to whatever is closest…your gut!
 
For women, pay careful attention to your hair and makeup in video interviews. Again, a practice interview session can help you assess this. You may even hire Interview Coaching services.
 
Be mindful of your habits. Just like in a face-to-face interview, the interviewer will notice when you twirl your hair or chew your lip.

You can take notes during an online interview, but do not take too many, or you will come off looking distracted. Take notes with a pen and paper, not on your computer.
 
If you have an online portfolio, keep the link handy. You may want to share it with your interviewer. 

DO NOT:

• Choose a cutesy or unprofessional online name — no nicknames and minimize numbers and keyboard characters. Online, your first impression is your username and photo, so make sure both are professional. Your best bet is your first name and last name as your username.
• Forget to verify the timing of your interview — taking in account any time zone differences.
• Be too quick to answer. With video, there is sometimes a delay or interference, so make sure you pause before answering a question to avoid overtalking the interviewer.
• Forget to silence your cell phone when you are on a video interview.

What to do at the end of the Interview

As with an in-person interview, be sure to inquire about what the next step will be. And write a handwritten thank you note or email as soon as you are off the call.

Follow-up is key after a phone or video interview. Research indicates that employers are less likely to keep jobseekers up-to-date about their prospects with the company after a phone interview than with an in-person interview.

In a published article on Business Insider, Jessica Liebman, the Excecutive Managing Editor explains the following:

Apr. 5, 2019

I've been hiring people for 10 years, and I still swear by a simple rule: If someone doesn't send a "THANK-YOU EMAIL", don't hire them.

 - Jessica Liebman

Executive Managing Editor of Business Insider and INSIDER

Checklist for a virtual Interview

► ► BE ORGANIZED ◄◄

1. Print out a hard copy of your résumé (make sure it is the same version the interviewer has), cover letter, and the job posting/job description.

2. Prepare your list of questions you want to ask in the interview.

3. Assemble your talking points and company research.

4. Record a professional voicemail message on your phone.

5. Have a glass of water nearby in case your throat gets too dry.

6. If using a cell phone, have your phone charger and an outlet nearby.

7. If using a laptop, make sure it is plugged-in and is charging.

8. Eliminate any distractions and put up a “Do Not Disturb” sign.

9. Have your calendar handy in case you are asked to schedule your next interview.

​

Five ways to assess a new job offer

Questions to ask yourself first

When you are looking for a job, you naturally want to find one quickly. If it has been a while since your last paycheck, you might be a bit on the desperate side. Even so, it is unwise to say yes to a job offer if you do not know the answer to the following five questions.

How to prepare to quit your job

Is it really "Time for a change"?

The U.S. unemployment rate fell to a 50-year low in September 2018, making candidates more desirable than ever. Maybe you’ve been thinking it’s time for a change. You wouldn’t be alone.

According to Ceridian’s 2018-19 Pulse of Talent report, 37 percent of respondents are looking for a new job — either actively pursuing new opportunities (20 percent) or casually seeking a new position (17 percent).

Maybe you were passed over for a promotion, or are having trouble getting along with a new boss. The easy answer would be to just quit, but it’s probably not the right answer.

When you see someone quit their job in dramatic fashion, that may look like fun (especially after a bad day at work), but there are many reasons why that’s not a good idea.

An Addison Group 2019 Workplace Satisfaction Survey of 1,000 jobseekers found 79 percent of respondents say they are likely — or very likely — to look for a new job after a single bad day at work.

One of the top reasons why that may not be the right choice is that “unemployment discrimination” is a real thing. Both research and anecdotal evidence have found it’s harder to find a job when you’re unemployed than if you’re job searching while you’ve got a job.

One recent survey measured the difference. According to “The Science of the Job Search (2018)” survey by TalentWorks, “People who showed they were currently employed (even if creatively) saw a 149% hireability boost compared to their previously-fired or laid-off competitors.”

“Creatively” demonstrating current employment can be anything from continuing to show the work experience as “To Present” on a résumé or LinkedIn profile even after leaving a job to listing a “consulting business” as interim employment.

But when a hiring manager looks at your résumé — in particular, at your most recent positions — he or she likely won’t know if you’re not there because you were fired, laid off, or you quit.

Quitting can negatively impact your chances of getting hired. And it’s not just about quitting your job — it can be about quitting your job too soon (or looking for another job too soon).

The need to demonstrate current employment is particularly important if you haven’t been at your most recent job for very long.

According to the TalentWorks research, “People whose shortest job was 9+ months were 85 percent more hireable than people whose shortest job was 8 months or less.”

Furthermore, TalentWorks found that you are more hireable for your next job if you are at your current job for 18 months or longer.

If you did quit your job, you had better be ready to answer the question in an interview about why you left your most recent position.

That’s if you get the chance to interview at all. Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for reasons to narrow down the pool of candidates they will interview. It may be worth your while to address the reason for your departure in a cover letter accompanying the résumé, because leaving that question unanswered may result in your application being discarded in the initial screening process.

Why People Quit Their Jobs

There are many reasons to think about making a change. The Pulse of Talent survey found the top five reasons for quitting include:

• Salary – 28 percent
• Work was not interesting/didn’t like it – 14 percent
• I was not respected – 13 percent
• No opportunity to take on additional responsibility – 12 percent
• Poor relationship with manager – 12 percent

Nearly a third of employees in the same survey said they would need to leave their current position to move forward in their career.

All of these are “valid” reasons to pursue a job change, but they are not a reason to necessarily quit a job before lining up another one.

Reasons to Look for a New Job While You’re Still Employed

When you’re employed and looking for a new position, not only will recruiters and hiring managers be more inclined to interview you, but you’ll also have more money to invest in your job search. Being unemployed can be expensive!

The average job search is 13 weeks, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Could you afford to go without a paycheck for that long? 

Networking takes time, as does applying for positions. You may have to wait a month for the application window to close, and candidates to interview to be selected. It can take 1-2 weeks after that to even get an interview scheduled, and the hiring decision may not be made for a couple days or weeks after that. Even if you’re available to start immediately, the company may require drug testing or have other pre-employment tasks that can lengthen the time before you actually start the job.

On the other hand, conducting a confidential job search while you’re still employed gives you time to prepare the tools required to support your job search. Having a résumé or professional LinkedIn profile professionally prepared can take 2-3 weeks.

Instead of simply quitting, you can also prepare yourself for a career move. Rather than quit right now, you might stick it out for six months, using that time to get yourself ready for the next opportunity. For example, taking classes or pursuing a certification that will better prepare you for your next job, or starting a side hustle (that might grow into a full-time opportunity in time).

Also, you want to make sure that you’re not running away from something as much as you are running towards something better. Spend some time thinking about what you do want to do next and why this particular job wasn’t a good fit.

If you’re looking to change careers, lining up your next job before quitting is even more important. Switching careers itself is more difficult than finding a job in the same industry, and adding unemployment to that equation can make the job search process take even longer.

The Costs of Unemployment

In addition to the time you’ll spend unemployed, there’s the potential costs of being unemployed. When you quit your job, you may lose benefits that will affect you financially. For example, if you need COBRA to continue to have health insurance coverage, that can be expensive. (COBRA is the temporary medical insurance named for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, the federal law that gives people who have lost employer-sponsored health coverage the right to continue their coverage, at their own expense, for at least 18 months. However, the insured is responsible for 100 percent of the insurance premium — plus up to 2 percent for administrative costs — not just the amount you were paying as an employee.)

If you quit your job, you likely will not be able to collect unemployment benefits. So even if you think you are going to get fired, it may be better to let that happen. If you are laid off or fired, you may also get severance pay or access to outplacement services.

In general, you can only collect unemployment benefits after quitting if you have “good cause” — for example, due to an unsafe work environment, or if you weren’t being paid as promised, or if you were subject to harassment or discrimination. You can check with your state’s unemployment office before quitting to determine if you are eligible for unemployment benefits. It may also be wise to talk with an employment attorney to be sure.

Why You May Need to Quit Your Job

Now, there may be some valid reasons why you may need — or want to — quit your job immediately.

• These can include:
• An unsafe work environment
• Unethical or illegal actions — you’re being asked to do something that is against your morals (or that is even illegal)
• Financial issues (for example, you haven’t been paid, or your wages are not what you were promised)
• You are a victim of physical, verbal, or sexual abuse at work
• Personal or family emergency situation
• Your spouse gets a job somewhere else and you need to relocate
• You win the lottery

Can I Just Quit?

The answer is probably yes, depending on where you work. In the United States, all states are formally recognized as “at-will” employment states, meaning the employee can be dismissed by an employer for any reason without “just cause” and without warning, as long as the reason is not illegal. Some states also place limitations on at-will employment, which is more for the employee’s protection in the event of being fired or laid off.

Employees not covered by an employment contract are employed “at will,” meaning neither you nor the employer need to provide notice prior to ending the employment.

If you have an employment agreement, read it carefully to find out how you need to turn in your resignation. Do you need to provide two weeks’ notice? Do you need to provide notice in writing? Make sure you are following the process outlined in the contract.

It’s always a good idea to offer two weeks’ notice to your employer — if you can — even if they turn you down and have you leave immediately. Keep in mind if you quit without giving notice, you are likely burning a bridge with that employer that will lead to negative reference checks in the future.

Prepare To Quit

If you are going to quit your job, do everything you can to prepare yourself ahead of time:

• Take your belongings home ahead of time. If you quit, you may be asked to leave immediately, even if you offer two weeks’ notice. But do this slowly, so that it’s not apparent that you’re removing items.
• Make sure you collect any electronic items you need — for example, dates and names of trainings, copies of performance evaluations, sales records, etc. And clean off your computer — remove any personal information you wouldn’t want someone else to have access to after you’re no longer with the company.
• Update your résumé or work with a professional to create or update your career documents. This can take 2-3 weeks. You can generally list your current job as “to present” for 30 days before you need to put an end date on it. That means if you quit on March 2, by April 2, you should list your employment dates as [Month/Year] to [March/Year]. But résumés you send out prior to April 2 can use “To Present.”
• On a related note, create or update your LinkedIn profile. But do it slowly. You don’t want to go from a new profile to having 200 new connections in a week. And check your privacy settings so your network doesn’t get notified anytime you update the information on your profile.
• Review your company employee handbook and/or your employment agreement to determine what you’re entitled to if you leave the company. Can you cash out unused vacation time, or is it “use it or lose it”? If it’s “use it or lose it,” you may want to use some of your vacation time before you leave (and spend that time working on your job search)! Also look at stock options or retirement vesting schedules — you don’t want to quit a month before you’re entitled to these benefits.
• Cut your costs. Now is the time to start stockpiling an emergency fund. Look at your budget and see if there are expenses you can cut out.

One advantage of quitting your job is that you will have more time to spend on the job search, especially time to interview and network. Looking for a new job has often been compared to taking on a part-time job because of the time and energy required.

A job change may be in your (immediate) future. But don’t act without thinking or planning your next move — especially if you want to make a change in reaction to a bad day, being overlooked for a promotion, or because of a disagreement with a co-worker or manager.

LinkedIn Settings for Jobseekers

“If you build it, they will come” may have been true for the Iowa corn farmer in the 1989 film “Field of Dreams,” but as a jobseeker, simply “building” a LinkedIn profile will not open the floodgates to job opportunities, nor will you have recruiters contacting you to solicit your interest in filling their open positions.

About 87 percent of recruiters (92 percent of recruiters with Fortune 1000 companies) use LinkedIn as a major source for finding and vetting candidates and posting positions. For your profile to have the greatest impact on your job search, there are two things you must do:

1. Build a complete profile that is well-branded and keyword optimized (you may want to hire a professional to help you with this, if you haven’t already).
2. Increase your visibility by optimizing your LinkedIn Settings and Career Interests. This guide will walk you through what to do, how to do it, and why.

To understand the importance of these settings, you need to know that LinkedIn has a separate platform called LinkedIn Recruiter that interfaces with your profile. By purchasing a membership on either Recruiter Lite or Recruiter Corporate, recruiters not only post job openings, but can search for candidates using various search parameters. Your LinkedIn Settings and Career Interests will increase your visibility and drive recruiters to your profile when using the Recruiter platform.

Getting Started

The first step is to locate the Settings & Privacy page in your profile; the following screenshot will show you how.

Hover your mouse over the word Me and click the drop-down arrow below the thumbnail image of your profile picture.

Scroll down to Settings & Privacy and click.

This will open the Settings & Privacy window, with four headings across the top (Account, Privacy, Ads, and Communications). You’ll want to be sure you have the window open for Privacy.

There are several categories of settings on this page, beginning with How others see your profile and network information. Scroll about two-thirds of the way down and you will find the heading for Job seeking preferences.

The next screenshot shows you what this section looks like and the five areas to address. Follow along…

Job Application Settings

Let’s start by looking at the various options available to you. Click on either the first heading or the word Change (as seen in the screenshot).

The first few settings address how your applications will be handled when you apply for a job via LinkedIn. You can save your application answers (I recommend turning this feature on), choose to apply for jobs with 1-Click Apply (to activate this feature, you must first scroll down to Contact information and enter a phone number), and input an email and address and phone number where recruiters can reach you. The next screenshot shows you each of these options.

When you apply for an Easy Apply job on LinkedIn, you can save your application information and use the information as default for future job applications, allowing you to more quickly apply for jobs. You can also opt in to applying for jobs with 1-Click Apply based on this saved application information.

When you apply to jobs with 1-Click Apply, LinkedIn will send the job poster your full LinkedIn profile in addition to the following saved application answers:

1.   Email address: You can choose from the email addresses you’ve already provided and verified. You can’t add a new email address with 1-Click Apply.

2.   Phone number: You’ll need to provide a new phone number to be included with your application. LinkedIn won’t use the phone number stored in Settings & Privacy. Phone numbers will be pre-populated, either via the first application or from the job application settings page.

You can preview your application and change your answers before applying to any job.

Scroll down further and you will have the option of uploading a resume. You can have as many as four different versions of your resume uploaded and saved in your profile. The next screenshot shows you how.

Note: Resumes you have uploaded to your profile are not visible to other LinkedIn users. They are only stored in your account and available for you to attach to applications.

1.  To upload a new resume, click Upload under Default Resume in the Resume section. LinkedIn will only store the four most recently used resumes that were submitted on LinkedIn.com or the LinkedIn Mobile App. If there are four stored resumes, the Upload button won’t be available, and you’ll need to delete a recently used Resume to upload a new one.

2.   To replace your default resume for 1-Click Apply, click Replace Default under Default Resume in the Resume section.

3.    To remove your default Resume for 1-Click Apply, click the More icon (…) next to the resume name under Default Resume in the Resume section and select Remove Default from the dropdown.

4.     To delete a recently-used resume, click the More icon (…) next to the resume name under Recent Resumes in the Resume section and select Delete from the dropdown.

Important: The ability to reuse recently uploaded resumes is currently only available on LinkedIn.com and the LinkedIn Mobile App. The feature is not currently available on the LinkedIn Job Search App.

Resume Requirements:

1.    The file must be less than 5 MB.

2.    The file format must be Microsoft Word or PDF only.

3.    On mobile, you can’t attach a resume when applying for jobs. However, many jobs support applications with your LinkedIn profile. You can also save jobs and complete the application process on your computer if you prefer to upload a resume with your application.

Letting Recruiters Know You Are Open

Once you have completed all your application settings, go back to the Privacy tab and click on the second set of options, as shown in the next screenshot.

Your options are a simple Yes or No. Click either on the heading or the word Change and toggle the radio button to Yes.

You will receive an email notification from LinkedIn confirming this change. (And you will receive another email from LinkedIn if you change your setting to “No.”)

Important: To protect your privacy, LinkedIn takes steps to keep users of LinkedIn Recruiter who work at your company — as well as related companies — from seeing the Career Interests that you share. However, LinkedIn notes that they “can’t guarantee complete privacy.”

Creating Job Alerts

Job alerts serve two functions:

1)      They let recruiters know that you are interested in working for their company; and

2)      They push newly-posted job opportunities to your inbox.

Going back to your Privacy settings, click on the third heading under Job seeking preferences, as illustrated in the next screenshot.

As with the previous section, your options are a simple Yes or No. Click either on the heading or the word Change and toggle the radio button to Yes.

As a savvy jobseeker, you should have already created a list of companies you would like to target in your job search. (The recommended minimum number of companies to have on your list is 20). There is a document included at the end of this guide for creating this list and tracking your activity.

In November 2018, LinkedIn rolled out a new feature that enables users to set up job alerts on a Company Page. Once you’ve set up a job alert, you’ll be notified of new jobs that match your skills through the Notifications tab.

You can also share your interests with recruiters of companies you are targeting. Your details will only be shared with recruiters who want to contact members who have created job alerts specifically for their company.

To set up job alerts for a specific company:

1.      Search for the company you’re interested in on the LinkedIn homepage.

2.      On the Company Page, click the Jobs tab.

3.      Click Create Job Alert to set up alerts for when the company posts jobs that match your skills.

Once you create a job alert, you can also let recruiters know that you’ve created job alerts for their company by switching the toggle to On. To stop notifying your interests to recruiters, switch the toggle to Off. Your changes will be saved automatically.

4.    You can view and manage the list of all companies that you’ve created job alerts for by clicking Manage Job Alerts on the Jobs page.

You can also manage your job alerts from the At companies you’ve saved job alerts for section on the Jobs page.

The following screenshots illustrate how to locate a company page and create a job alert.

From the Home page of your profile, click in the Search box, scroll down to Content, and from the drop-down list, click on Companies. This will take you to the Companies search screen. Or you can just type a company name in the Search box.

Type in the name of a company on your target list and click to go to the company page. The following screenshot is taken from IBM’s company page. On the left drop-down menu, click on Jobs and then click on the text box Create job alert.

You’ll also want to toggle the radio button to On, as illustrated in the next screenshot.

Sharing Your Profile When You Apply

Going back to your Privacy settings, click on the fourth heading under Job seeking preferences, as illustrated in the next screenshot.

As with the previous section, your options are a simple Yes or No. Click either on the heading or the word Change and toggle the radio button to Yes.

Managing Your Saved Job Application Information

Third-party job applicant accounts may be stored on LinkedIn after being created or added by you while applying to jobs through LinkedIn. You would have elected to activate this feature when you modified your Job application settings, as described at the beginning of this guide. The following screenshot is a reminder of where you made this change:

To view and manage your stored job applicant accounts, go back to your Privacy settings and click on the fifth heading under Job seeking preferences, as illustrated in the next screenshot.

By saving your application when applying to a company, you can reuse your uploaded resumes and other job application information for future applications to that company. Saved answers can only be used when applying via the Apply with LinkedIn on partner sites.

You can delete the history of the account creation from LinkedIn under Settings & Privacy. Once a stored job applicant account is removed, LinkedIn won’t auto-populate or recognize that you have an account if you apply to a job within that third-party job applicant account in the future.

To fully remove your information from the third-party job applicant account owner, you will need to contact the third party directly.

Important: This information is only stored for third-party applications that require a created account.

Letting Recruiters Know Your Career Interests

You can share your career goals — including the types of companies and roles you are most interested in — with recruiters on LinkedIn who may have opportunities that match your interests and background. Once you opt to share your career goals with recruiters, users of LinkedIn’s Recruiter product will be able to find you based on your shared career interests when they are searching for profiles.

This is an extremely valuable section to complete, whether you are an active or passive jobseeker. Remember, to protect your privacy, LinkedIn has taken steps to keep LinkedIn Recruiter users who work at your company, as well as related companies, from seeing the career interests you share. (However, remember that LinkedIn says this is not a foolproof method, so consider that before proceeding.)

Note: You can share your career interests with recruiters for a period of six months (180 days), after which it will automatically be turned off. You will receive an email notifying you that you’re no longer sharing your career interests. However, you can continue sharing by manually changing the settings.

From the Home screen of your profile, click on Jobs and then on Career Interests, as illustrated in the next screenshot.

The next few screenshots illustrate the various settings.

When you toggle On the setting to Let recruiters know you’re open, it will automatically turn off after 90 days. You will need to turn it back on if you are still searching.

The Note to recruiters text box is where you can key in something specific about your search, such as your willingness to travel, that you are changing careers, or that you are in the market because of a company-wide downsizing. You are limited to 300 characters.

In the next two text boxes, choose from the drop-down arrow options to specify your Status and your Start date.

Below that, you can enter a number of job titles for which you’d like to be considered.

Note: When you start typing, a job title that is in LinkedIn’s database will pop up and you can click on it to add it. If you try to add a title that is not in the database, an error message that reads Invalid input will appear.

Next, you can indicate where you would like your next job to be located, if you are open to working remotely, and what types of jobs you are open to.

In the final two settings you can let the recruiter know what industries you prefer and the size of the company you would like to work for.

Note: As with job titles, you must choose from the list of 148 industries that are included in LinkedIn’s database. There is no limit to how many industries you can add. Refer to the Profile Industry Choices table that is included with this guide.

Additional Tips for Jobseekers

LinkedIn’s artificial intelligence (AI) tracks when you are on LinkedIn and what you are doing. Company recruiters can actually “see” which candidates have taken an interest in their company — not only creating Job alerts, but also by who is following their company, what content they are viewing and sharing, and the number of connections they have within the company.

The next screenshot of the IBM company page shows you where the links are found to follow a company and locate people who work there. You’ll also see a feed of the company’s recent posts.

While on the company page, another area you may want to look at is found on the About page. The next screenshot is also taken from the IBM company page.

By clicking on the About link to the left of the screen, the Overview will be revealed. If you scroll to the bottom of the page details, you will find a section labeled as Specialties (see the section encased in a red border in the screenshot).

Having the right keywords throughout your LinkedIn profile will increase your chances of being found in a Recruiter search. When possible, work a company’s Specialties keywords into your profile, resume, and/or cover letter when applying to that company.

TARGET COMPANIES LIST

Use this document to create a list of companies you are targeting in your search and place an “X” in each column once you have completed the task. Note: Some companies (particularly smaller companies) may not have a LinkedIn page.

When you are logged in to a company page, click the relevant links to follow, create job alerts, and find profiles for people on LinkedIn who currently work at the company. Ways to engage with the company include reading (and possibly sharing) their updates.

	Company Name	Followed Company	Connected To 5+ people	Engaged with Company	Created a Job Alert
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LINKEDIN INDUSTRY CHOICES (148)

Accounting	Dairy	Individual & Family Services	Mining & Metals	Recreational
Airlines/Aviation	Defense & Space	Industrial Automation	Motion Pictures & Film	Facilities & Services
Alternative Dispute Resolution	Design	Information Services	Museums & Institutions	Religious Institutions
Alternative Medicine	Education Management	Information Technology & Services	Music	Renewables & Environment
Animation	E-learning	Insurance	Nanotechnology	Research
Apparel & Fashion	Electrical & Electronic Manufacturing	International Affairs	Newspapers	Restaurants
Architecture & Planning	Entertainment	International Trade & Development	Nonprofit Organization Management	Retail
Arts & Crafts	Environmental Services	Internet	Oil & Energy	Security & Investigations
Automotive	Events Services	Investment Banking/Venture	Online Publishing	Semiconductors
Aviation & Aerospace	Executive Office	Investment Management	Outsourcing/ Offshoring	Shipbuilding
Banking	Facilities Services	Judiciary	Package/ Freight Delivery	Sporting Goods
Biotechnology	Farming	Law Enforcement	Packaging & Containers	Sports
Broadcast Media	Financial Services	Law Practice	Paper & Forest Products	Staffing & Recruiting
Building Materials	Fine Art	Legal Services	Performing Arts	Supermarkets
Business Supplies & Equipment	Fishery	Legislative Office	Pharmaceuticals	Telecommunications
Capital Markets	Food & Beverages	Leisure & Travel	Philanthropy	Textiles
Chemicals	Food Production	Libraries	Photography	Think Tanks
Civic & Social Organization	Fundraising	Logistics & Supply Chain	Plastics	Tobacco
Civil Engineering	Furniture	Luxury Goods & Jewelry	Political Organization	Translation & Localization

Commercial Real Estate	Gambling & Casinos	Machinery	Primary/ Secondary Education	Transportation/ Trucking/Railroad
Computer & Network Security	Glass, Ceramics & Concrete	Management Consulting	Printing	Utilities
Computer Games	Government Administration	Maritime	Professional Training	Venture Capital
Computer Hardware	Government Relations	Marketing & Advertising	Program Development	Veterinary
Computer Networking	Graphic Design	Market Research	Public Policy	Warehousing
Computer Software	Health, Wellness & Fitness	Mechanical or Industrial Engineering	Public Relations	Wholesale
Construction	Higher Education	Media Production	Public Safety	Wine & Spirits
Consumer Electronics	Hospital & Health Care	Medical Device	Publishing	Wireless
Consumer Goods	Hospitality	Medical Practice	Railroad Manufacture	Writing & Editing
Consumer Services	Human Resources	Mental Health Care	Ranching
Cosmetics	Import & Export	Military	Real Estate