If you still don’t have a LinkedIn account or you think LinkedIn isn’t worth the time, think again. LinkedIn is one of the most effective networking tools. It can help you reach key people, get your dream offer and move your career to the next level.
If someone you know is already working in a company which you are targeting and that person sees a job posting he or she thinks you’re a good fit for, then that employee can refer you for that job posting. If you get hired, the employee may get a financial reward or a bonus from the company for helping the recruiting efforts.
Hiring by referral can work for you if you expand your network. This network can help you in a greater way by giving you access to more people who are actually working for specific companies that you are targeting and who can refer you to the job openings in their companies. This greatly increases your chances of getting your dream offer, and it is also good for the employee referring you because he or she may get a financial reward if you get hired.
LinkedIn is a great way to get introduced to new people. You can build your network in LinkedIn and connect with other people. If there are companies that you are interested in and you see that you have second-degree and third-degree contacts in those companies, you can ask to be introduced to those people and then eventually you can ask them to refer you to their HR department for the job that you are interested in. For example, after one of the students I am mentoring looked at my contacts and found out that I have a connection in a company that he is interested in, he asked me to introduce him to that person so he could be referred to the HR department in that company. You can also connect with potential recruiters on LinkedIn and you can even sometimes e-mail or send a message to them directly.
Also, your experience is listed on LinkedIn, so it’s a great tool to show your personal brand. You can even give the link to your profile when you apply for jobs so potential employers can also check out your LinkedIn profile to have a better understanding of your credentials. Moreover, in LinkedIn, you can list your references. You can ask your previous coworkers to write references for you so anyone can see them.
I recommend that everyone use LinkedIn, whether you are looking for a job or not. It’s a great way to stay connected with people on a professional level and to increase your chances of having more visibility.
