How to Advance Your Career Using LinkedIn

As a recruitment and executive search company within the media and entertainment sector, it is our job to identify industry needs, build good relations with clients and candidates, and share our insights on how to grow your network. One tool that combines all of these objectives is LinkedIn.

Most people think of LinkedIn primarily as a job board. When used strategically, the platform can be an excellent planning, lifelong-learning, networking, and visibility-building tool to help you advance your career. LinkedIn now has over 722 million members globally, with three people hired through the platform every minute. It is key that your profile is an excellent representation of you, your work/experience and any qualifications.

Not sure how you could improve your profile? Or, new to the platform? Here are our top four tips and tactics for how to advance your career using LinkedIn.

The Basics: 

Ensure your profile is up to date, supports your current career goals, and is consistent with any other supportive material you may have (CV/Cover Letter). For LinkedIn to work optimally, your profile needs to be ranked all-star. This means that, at a minimum, you’ve included a photo, your location, industry, education, current work position and description, two past positions, and skills, and you’ve made at least 50 connections. For a detailed profile, make sure you complete:

• The About Section: This is like your profile on a CV, it’s the first thing a recruiter or hiring manager will see. You need to convey who you are, your ambitions and your career aspirations. The about section is also an opportunity to show some personality. 
• Skills: This is where you can display your skillset—including any new skills developed—highlight achievements, and provide links to or upload examples of your work that illustrate your expertise.

Build Meaningful Relationships:

At its core, LinkedIn is a social networking site, meant for connecting with professionals. It also helps you build a better interpersonal relationship which can be useful in making a career change or finding your dream job. Invite colleagues or connections to recommend you. These recommendations improve your chances of being noticed by a suitable employer. Add positions and job options that you prefer, to reach out to the right people. Follow the news that has a direct bearing on your job field. Reach out to your colleagues, researchers and potential employers. Get involved in discussions, comment on posts of others and develop relations with people in your professional circle. Feel free to share your views on posts shared by people to establish your presence on the platform.

Join Groups for Professional Development:

One of the best ways to learn the latest skills and trends in your industry is to join one of the over two million active networking groups. These are forums composed of people sharing a similar career or interest. The key is to be an active participant; you enhance your learning by engaging. Share information and opinions on professional hot topics or reach out to other members to ask for advice or share tips.

Curate Content:

Sharing articles about your areas of interest or expertise, or by writing them yourself with the article feature, you can use LinkedIn to help you raise your professional visibility. Writing or sharing useful, informative and engaging content can help you become known for being a reliable resource and subject matter expert, which can position you as someone ready to transition to a new, more challenging role inside or outside your organisation.

Summary:

There is no shortcut to success. However, certain tools can reduce your efforts significantly and help you accomplish more in less time. LinkedIn does the same. Spend one forth the time you spend on other platforms, and you will find yourself in a sea of endless possibilities.