When looking for a job having a LinkedIn is a must. At the LinkedIn Workshop hosted by Prospanica Bakersfield Chapter, business professionals shared important tips for publishing a profile:
Top Tips:
- Publish a professional photo, because it's your first impression.
- Don't post false information.
- Put dates on all of your experiences.
- Proofread everything
- When you write your profile statement, use more than three sentences and write what job you are looking for.
- Have someone look over your profile before you publish it.
- When you go to publish your profile, post your picture and resume at the same time. Once you post your profile future employers can see it.
When you reach out to companies make sure that you are doing your research beforehand. Bob Meadows, business development director for the City of Shafter said, it's important to address someone specific in the email and research the company and jobs available. Meadows said it makes a great impression when you put effort into the emails that you send.
Just as important as it is to have a professional profile and reaching out to companies, it's just as important to keep up with your contacts. "Work hard at reaching out to connections you really want and that will benefit you," said Meadows.
LinkedIn is not the only social site you should keep professional. Don't post inappropriate pictures, especially on social media.
"People really need to know and understand what message their content is sending. They need to be aware that anything they put online, may well wind up being looked at by a lot of people and some that you never imagined and whether you want that to happen or not," said Meadows.
Your writing is just as important as your pictures and Norma Dunn, career services manager for Santa Barbara Business College said when you are writing your profile, expand on what you are doing by providing numbers.
"Talk about what you do in your jobs, don't just say you worked the cash register or do retail sales. No, how many customers come into your store? Do you help 200 people come into the store? Do help 500 people as a customer service rep taking phone calls? Put a number to that so that they know what you really do on a daily basis and how many people come through that door that you help and your customer service level," said Dunn.
For additional help, Dunn suggests looking for a mentor in your community. Dunn said, "Go out in the community and find someone that you want to mirror, they have a skill or character that you want to learn and ask them if they will be your mentor. 99 percent of the time they are going to say yes."
Dunn said keeping up with LinkedIn takes hard work. "It's not something that is going to happen overnight you have to work at it and it's not easy it takes sacrifice," if you want to reach your goals, you'll do what you have to do. With all that hard work, "you will see the fruits of your labor," said Dunn.
If you have any additional questions or need advice about linked in, Norma Dunn who is also on the board of the Prospanica Bakersfield Chapter, encourage people to reach out to the organization. Click here for more.
