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A recruiter’s observation was eye-opening for one of my clients.
She was competing for a senior job, and the recruiter checked out her profile on LinkedIn as part of the recruitment process. The recruiter was shocked to discover that my client hadn’t posted anything on LinkedIn since 2017!
Thankfully, this story has a happy ending. My client got the job. But this revelation stopped her in her tracks. She realized that if she wanted a stronger profile as a senior leader, she needed to change her LinkedIn habits.
Many clients don’t realize they’ve been passed over for roles because they, too, have a low (or no) profile on LinkedIn. They may be resistant to using social media, or they just don’t realize that it’s important to be on LinkedIn whether or not you’re looking for work. After all, LinkedIn isn’t just for jobseekers anymore. It’s the prime platform for building (and maintaining) professional relationships, and is one of the most powerful tools for getting noticed and landing opportunities.
“Clients don’t have to go from zero activity to posting daily.”
When I speak with clients about incorporating LinkedIn into their job search strategy, they cognitively know it can help them be found for positions they didn’t even know existed. And yet something holds them back. For some, it feels too self-promotional, too overwhelming or just not who they are.
The good news? Clients don’t have to go from zero activity to posting daily. And they don’t have to engage in LinkedIn activity that feels overwhelming or inauthentic, like creating their own content or recording videos.
Here are some suggestions to help clients ease into the world of LinkedIn:
Optimize their profile
Fact: people get “found” on LinkedIn every day by recruiters and hiring managers. The only way to get discovered for jobs your clients didn’t apply for is to stack their profile with the right content so they show up in search results. Your clients can dramatically increase the strength of their profile by adding a professional photo, writing an impactful headline that reflects the value they offer or updating their “about” section to tell a story about their career progression, work that energizes them and the lessons they learned along the way. They can also add relevant keywords to the headline and About section (think job titles, skills and industries your client is targeting).
Engage without posting
You can help your client elevate their visibility on the platform in ways that are not overwhelming or grossly out of their comfort zone. Encourage them to “like” posts that resonate with them, comment on a connection’s post (they can contribute to the conversation or share an insight with a sentence or two), follow people in their sector/industry to see what they are talking about or join a LinkedIn group related to their field to read about discussions. All of these activities will pop your client into their network’s feed, which increases their visibility. True story: a client recently started working with me after she noticed a comment I made on a follower’s post
Ease into posting
When they feel comfortable, they can share an article (or repost someone else’s content) with a brief comment about why it’s interesting to them, post a career update indicating what they are looking for or share a small job search win (like a helpful networking chat).
Expand your network
If your client has few connections in their network, you can encourage them to grow this base so they can widen their reach and explore opportunities. Help them prepare a connection request to one past colleague or someone in their industry. Pro tips: engage with their posts before sending a connection request and personalize the invite with a simple note (e.g. “Great to reconnect!”).
Get recent recommendations
For clients looking for work, recommendations are like gold, as they are public references from people who have worked with you, and can speak to your skills and way of working. If your client’s recommendations are dated (or non-existent), invite them to obtain 2-3 recent recommendations. There are two options – either the client’s contact can write it, or they could write it for subsequent approval. Request that reviewers comment on one specific skill, or a result in your client’s work that they are proud of – this way, their recommendations can showcase the diversity of their skills.
LinkedIn doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or inauthentic. By being active on the platform, your client is sharing insights, connecting people with knowledge and talking about the facts of their career. By doing so, your client is simply elevating their visibility so the right people can find them – they aren’t bragging or embellishing. Every little action builds confidence.
Their next opportunity could come from a post they engage with, a connection they make or a recruiter who finds their profile. But these people can’t find your client if they are invisible.
What’s one action you can encourage your client to take to help them establish an online presence?
