How to use LinkedIn for job seekers

Getting Started With LinkedIn In Your Job Search

Setting Up Your LinkedIn Account

Note: This guide was completely updated in January 2020; however, LinkedIn is constantly updating its site, changing features and moving things around. If the website looks different for you, don’t be afraid to poke around or check out LinkedIn.com/help.

Why Get LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is the top social networking website for jobseekers. As Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, explains it, “Post a full profile and get connected to the people you trust. Because if you’re connected to those people, and you posted a profile, then when other people are searching for people, they might find you.”

LinkedIn has more than 575 million registered users as of January 2020. More than 250 million users access the site monthly, with 40 percent of users logging in on a daily basis. With so many members, the rate at which your network expands on LinkedIn can be truly amazing. A hundred strategic contacts could mean access to millions of people in a short amount of time. You’d have to attend dozens — or hundreds — of in-person networking events to equal the reach you can get on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn allows you to leverage the power of your network — the people you know, and the people those people know — to help you connect to a person who is in a position to offer you a job.

Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, put it this way: LinkedIn is about “connecting talent with opportunity on a massive scale.”

Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are on LinkedIn. Recruiters from every discipline and industry are on LinkedIn. More than 20 million companies have profile pages on LinkedIn, five times as many as in 2017.

LinkedIn is also the place to find jobs. There are 14 million open jobs posted on the site, and 90 percent of recruiters regularly use LinkedIn. In addition, one study found that 122 million people received an interview through LinkedIn, and 35.5 million were hired by a person they connected with on the site.

Author Guy Kawasaki puts it best: “I could make the case that Facebook is for show, and LinkedIn is for dough.”

Why LinkedIn Is Important In Your Job Search

Once upon a time, attending networking mixers, industry events, and Chamber of Commerce meetings were the best way to make new connections and build business relationships. Now, many of these activities have moved online within the LinkedIn community. Much like networking in person, professionals interact on LinkedIn with the explicit intention of making business connections.

With LinkedIn, you get all the benefits of networking in person, with less of the hassle. Instead of going from business lunch to business lunch hoping to meet people, LinkedIn provides a platform for you to specifically search for and research individuals who you know will directly add value to your job search.

Employers and recruiters use LinkedIn to locate both active jobseekers and those who aren’t necessarily looking (passive candidates). They also use LinkedIn to vet job candidates before making an interview invitation or extending a job offer. LinkedIn also allows candidates to create an online portfolio of their accomplishments — by facilitating embedded video, links to content posted elsewhere on the Internet, and the ability to create highly shareable, long-form content in the form of LinkedIn’s “Publishing” feature.

LinkedIn allows you to identify, research, contact, follow-up, engage, and maintain your contacts in one place. Its ability to facilitate business networking is unmatched by any other social network. Essentially, your LinkedIn profile is a résumé, business card, and elevator speech all rolled up into one.

However, your LinkedIn profile is not your résumé. LinkedIn is a personal branding page. You need both a résumé and a LinkedIn profile, and they should be in sync with one another, but not be exact copies. The information on your résumé should match your profile (in terms of positions you’ve held, your educational credentials, etc.), but the content you include on your LinkedIn profile may be different than what is included on your résumé.

How To Set Up A Basic LinkedIn Account

Setting up a LinkedIn account is a quick and easy process. You can create a basic profile in just five minutes. However, speed is not the objective if you want to use LinkedIn to facilitate your job search. Rushing could lead to a sloppy profile that doesn’t represent you well — or may even prevent you from getting called for an interview.

Basic LinkedIn memberships are free. For most jobseekers, the free option is adequate. (If you find you need the paid functionality, you can always upgrade your account later.)

To get started, go to LinkedIn.com.

Fill in an email address and create a password. Then click the “Agree & Join” button.

Next, you’ll see a screen to enter your name.

LinkedIn has implemented a security check to reduce fake accounts. Users are now required to validate their identity through a security check by adding a phone number and then providing a security code that is issued to that phone number.

Once you’ve entered the phone number, you’ll receive a notification that the code has been sent, and you’ll see a field to enter the code.

Once you enter the code, you’ll be taken to a welcome screen, where you’ll be prompted to enter your country/region and your postal (zip) code.

Unlike other social media sites, it’s not enough to just enter your name and email address to create a profile that you can complete later. LinkedIn requires you to input details related to your career right away.

The next screen provides a place to enter your job title and company. Both of these are required fields. You can also indicate if you are a student.

When you enter the job title and company, a third field will pop up, asking you to select an industry. This is also a required field.

Next, LinkedIn will ask you to confirm your email address.

You should receive an email from LinkedIn with the confirmation code:

Next, LinkedIn will ask you to set up a Job Alert. Click “Skip for Now.”

Next, LinkedIn will take you to your home page and provide some suggested steps to take.

We’re going to work on finishing setting up your profile.

Adding Your Photo to LinkedIn

LinkedIn profiles with photos attract 50-70 percent more inquiries than profiles without photos. Adding a photo makes you 36 times more likely to receive a message on LinkedIn. Profiles without photos are not as effective as those with photos. Business headshots are best.

Be selective about the photo you use. Pick one that is professional in nature, not personal. Lighting, attire, and overall composition are all elements to consider when making your choice.

With LinkedIn’s visually-centered format, it is important to use a large size, high-quality photo. The recommended size is 400 pixels by 400 pixels. You can use a .JPG, .GIF, or .PNG format, and the file size limit is 4 MB.

When you click on the camera in the circle, it will open a popup window.

LinkedIn reminds you that you don’t need a professionally taken photo. Click the blue “Upload Photo” button and select a photo from your computer. You’ll then be prompted to edit the photo:

You can use the onscreen tools to reposition the photo and make it larger or smaller (to emphasize your head and shoulders, for example, while cropping out the rest of your body). You can drag to center it (using your mouse) and zoom in. Make sure the photo looks the way you want before clicking “Save Photo.”

You can also review the privacy settings for your photo. In the bottom right-hand corner, LinkedIn allows you to select the visibility of your photo.

Once you’ve uploaded the photo (and made adjustments to it) and selected your privacy settings, click the blue “Save Photo” button.

LinkedIn now also offers the opportunity to add a background image to your profile. The recommended dimensions for the background image are 1536 by 768 pixels. The image can be a .JPG, .GIF, or .PNG format, with an 8 MB size limit.

To add a background image, click on “Update Background Photo” on your profile page and you can browse to upload an image.

You can drag the photo to reposition it, zoom in or out, and even straighten it. You can also crop the photo using the photo editor or apply a filter. You can also click the “Adjust” button and adjust the brightness, contrast, saturation, or vignette.

Once it has been positioned where you want it, click the blue “Apply” button.

That’s the first step to completing your LinkedIn profile!

What employers want to see in a resume

What employers want to see in a resume: How to write a resume to stand out; learning what employers look for in a resume; and a few tips for your resume

Source: https://www.market-connections.net/blog/what-employers-want-to-see-in-a-resume

Market-Connections Resume Services Launches a new website – The Californer

Market-Connections Resume Services Launches a new website – The Californer

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.