Last year, we highlighted the recent purchase of LinkedIn by Microsoft and discussed how the changes would potentially change the professional online network. Many changes have taken place since that announcement. Today, we’re discussing those changes and more so that you are “in the know” about how all these changes affect your career.
Overall Changes
By now you’ve seen the visual changes when you log into LinkedIn desktop. The goal is to provide a better user experience for the members. According to a recent article, there are over 450 Million LinkedIn members, but only “twenty-five percent of them use it monthly.” They are trying to promote content and connections first much like Facebook. There are color changes and slight edits that “mirror” the mobile app, but the jury is still out as to whether or not members like these changes. There are some edits like Profile Rank that went away for now. From our perspective, the professional social network site looks cleaner, but it takes some getting used too. If you’re concerned about having any of your data lost on LinkedIn, here is a great article to read that tells you how to backup your LinkedIn data.
Connecting with a Recruiter
However more efficient LinkedIn is, it still is a mass online network like any organization, can be difficult to connect with people. As many people know, an update from a social network can change the way we do things. That said, we have some great tips on how a job seeker can get the most out of a recruiter when they contact you. First, understand that many hiring managers and recruiters search for candidates using keywords for certain industries or job postings. Find your keywords and add them to your profile asap. Hiring managers who find a potential candidate match will often make contact via a LinkedIn message. Before you respond, decide if the position is something that interests you. If you are interested, ask for information about the job or request a job description. From there, you might be able to move forward with a phone conversation. It all depends on your level of interest. Remember to always be professional and polite when dealing with a recruiter or hiring manager. Even if the job doesn’t suit you, you can still make a connection for future networking or job opportunities.
Job Posting on LinkedIn
If you’re a job seeker and you’re interested in applying for jobs on LinkedIn, we have some recommendations. First, review any contacts that you have on LinkedIn who currently work at that company. Let them know that you are interested in a position or have applied or are applying for one. See what your connections have to say about working for the company or department. Sometimes on LinkedIn, people haven’t talked or communicated in a while. Keep that in mind and always be professional and courteous in any request. You may also find that some of your connections are connected to the company where you applied for a job. Sometimes even distance connections can provide you valuable insight into a business.
If you don’t know anyone, see if there are any groups that employees below to and try to connect with those individuals that way. See if you can connect with the hiring manager or department head. If you are determined, you should be able to find key people who can help provide great intel into a company, department, hiring opportunity and more.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR, Ingrid Moore
Ingrid Moore is the President and Owner of Corporate Resources of Illinois, an employment & staffing agency with over 20+years’ experience located in Schaumburg, IL. Ingrid and her team assist employers with finding the right hire for their business. For more info, follow us on our LinkedIn Company Page, or follow us Corporate Resources of Illinois‘s Google+ page.
