How do you keep your LinkedIn network engaged,  so you can leverage it for your next job opportunity? Let’s look at a few network building activities and how they can be leveraged on LinkedIn.

Set the Settings Right

Before we get started on the tips section, it’s important to make sure your effort gets the results you want. First, go to your Privacy settings and select ‘YES” for ‘Sharing Profile Edits’ and ‘Notifying Connections When You’re in the News.’

Now your network will see your updates, news, and postings.

Profile and Pictures

Next step to managing your LinkedIn network is updating your profile. LinkedIn pictures should be headshot only, directly looking at the camera with a smiling and inviting look.

How current is your profile? Even if you think it’s current, still update it! Additionally, update it monthly. This is easy to do by adding new skills or adding a bullet on a new project you are involved with.

Each time you update your profile, whether it be your photo, adding a skill or changing your summary, your network gets updated (as long as you followed ‘Set the Settings Right’ instructions).

This is your network ‘awareness’ management. You are now staying top of mind in your networks’ news feed.

Advance Search for People

Use the advanced search function to identify companies you would like to work for. LinkedIn will provide you a list of all the people in your network that are associated with that company (past and present). Start connecting with them and be honest about your intention. A simple, quick statement, “I admire your work at XYZ company and would like to connect.” or “We share the same interest of Growing Atlanta’s tech community, let’s connect.”

Additionally, follow the company page and interact with their postings. You can start by liking posts and as you become more familiar with the company’s goals and mission you can begin adding comments so your name becomes familiar to them.

Groups

When you identify people at companies’ that are in roles to that could help you get a job, find out what groups they belong to and join those groups. Connected group members can direct message other group members. When you do connect, be genuine and get to know their involvement in the group and the group rules. Often, sales-type messaging is forbidden and you can become banned.

Moving Forward

LinkedIn is a valuable social channel for finding and connecting contacts that can help facilitate your next career move. Equally important is connecting with recruiters that specialize in the technology, IT or engineering job market.

At Open Systems, our technical recruiters can help with your next career move, our nationwide network can connect you with job opportunities that work best for you. Learn more today.

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Before starting to circulate the resume and hit the job boards, it’s best to do a self-inventory on strengths and weakness not only with your resume but your overall career and profile.

Networking

Like it or not, networking is critical in professional development. Activities can include attending seminars and conferences. Also, social functions, such as happy hours and mixers, can also be valuable. If a job seeker isn’t a natural at networking, there are several books available to help an introvert job seeker tap their full networking potential.

Adding Certifications to Your Resume

While adding certifications to your resume isn’t easy or inexpensive it can add significantly to a resume. Look at job openings in your field to get a better idea of required versus preferred certifications for your next role. This research will go a long way when looking at the time and financial investment that certifications require.

Establishing Your Online Brand and Cleaning-up Your Online Profile

LinkedIn, whether you love it or loathe it, is a tool widely used in business today. Ensuring your profile puts your best foot forward is crucial when navigating the waters of social media. First, invest in a professional headshot. Your profile photo is one of the first things recruiters see and leaves a lasting impression. Also, spend some time cleaning up your profile and ensure that it is free of typos or grammatical errors. Finally, doing a quick google search of yourself isn’t a bad idea either. Make sure that your social media identity doesn’t contain anything that can be offensive or polarizing. Remember, if you can find it, so can employers and recruiters!

Using LinkedIn to Make a Competition Comparison

Another great way to use LinkedIn is to compare your resume with peers and with people in the jobs that you aspire to. Spend some time researching profiles and getting a good idea how people in your industry mapped their own careers. Use their experience as inspiration for your own career path.

Volunteering Your Time to the Greater Good (and improving skills too!)

In today’s business world, there is an emphasis on giving back to the greater good. If a candidate has existing volunteer experience, this is a huge plus. This is especially true since many corporations encourage their employees to volunteer their time and have well-established programs to ensure this. Also, if this volunteer work expands a candidate’s skill set all the better!

Brush Up on Skills and Read Industry Journals to Stay Current

Self-study is inexpensive and can be done around your daily life. If you are a programmer, take some time to improve your existing language skills or learn others. Stay on top of current developments in your field by using your daily commute to listen to podcasts or read blogs or other trusted online publications if your commute allows it. Not only will this serve as a valuable resource in your current role, but it is excellent preparation for future job interviews.

Establish a Relationship with a Professional Recruiter

For every professional in today’s business world, it’s best to establish a relationship with a professional recruiter. Even if a job search isn’t in the plan in the near term, a recruiter can help prepare a future candidate for when the time comes to consider new opportunities. It’s best to reach out to a recruiter who has experience in your industry and/or job role.

Moving Forward

Staying ahead of other candidates can feel like a full-time job. Spending a little time each day to brush up on skills or stay current with industry news can be a huge help. Also,  teaming up with a professional recruiter can be one of the best strategies for staying ahead of the pack.

The post Here Are the Keys to Staying Ahead of Other Candidates appeared first on Open Systems Inc..

The Controversy Regarding IT Certifications

The importance of IT certifications depends on who you talk to. Organizations that provide training and conduct exams will tell you that they are absolutely necessary. HR professionals will tell you that certifications make their jobs easier by being a tool to validate candidate skillsets. Finally, technical professionals will say that while certifications can help, they are not a good gauge of a candidate’s knowledge base and that hands-on experience will always be more vital. So, what is a job seeker to do?

Employer Opinion: By the Numbers

First, it’s important to look at the numbers regarding IT certifications and employer value.

• 72% of employers require IT certifications for certain job openings.
• 67% of employers use certifications to measure a candidate’s willingness to work hard and meet a goal
• 60% of employers use certifications to confirm subject matter expertise.

Source: CompTIA 5 Reasons Why Employers Look for IT Certifications

In looking at the numbers, it’s important to point out that not only are certifications being used to validate skills but they are also used to determine a candidate’s drive.

IT Certifications: Let’s Get Personal

Secondly, IT certifications and their value are dependent on the person obtaining them. For example, if you are a low-level security professional and you obtain a CISSP it may be a huge benefit since it demonstrates capability. In certain parts of the IT industry, such as the security arena, certifications are quickly becoming essential.

Return on Investment (ROI)

When deciding on whether to pursue a certification, a job seeker must think about the ROI associated with the certification in question. Since certifications can run thousands of dollars, it’s important to determine if the investment will be able to be recouped in a reasonable time frame through salary improvement or increased opportunity. This greatly depends on your industry, your experience, your geographic location, and future career goals.

Planning Ahead

Finally, when deciding if a certification is best for you, research is key. One good practice is to look at the LinkedIn profiles. View the profiles of professionals who have the jobs you are aiming for and see what their certifications are. View open job postings to help you get a better idea of required certifications versus desired or preferred certifications. When in doubt, consult a recruiter, preferably one that specializes in your field, to get an idea of what certifications are setting candidates apart in the current market.

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