{"id":17429,"date":"2020-03-26T08:23:53","date_gmt":"2020-03-26T08:23:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/?p=17429"},"modified":"2020-03-26T08:23:53","modified_gmt":"2020-03-26T08:23:53","slug":"getting-hired-linkedin-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/getting-hired-linkedin-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Hired: LinkedIn 101"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
Getting Hired: LinkedIn 101<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n

Like most of us, you\u2019re probably on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat, connecting with family, friends, and even some strangers along the way. Maybe you\u2019ve used these platforms to find out about companies, products, or services that are beneficial to you. But have you heard of anyone being able to find a job on social media?<\/p>\n

LinkedIn is the social networking answer to professional networking and job searching. In this article, you\u2019ll learn why LinkedIn is a must in your job search, and how to get your profile up and running so employers can find you.<\/p>\n

Why have a LinkedIn page?<\/p>\n

    \n
  • (Almost) everybody\u2019s doing it: 9 out of 10 employers uses LinkedIn during the hiring process, and there are currently over 500 million members in more than 200 countries!<\/li>\n
  • Not just a pretty resume: 50% of hiring managers decide to contact an applicant based on their LinkedIn profile.<\/li>\n
  • You may know someone, or have a second-hand connection to someone who works at your target company: 70% of people were hired at a company where they had a connection.<\/li>\n
  • Jobs, jobs everywhere: There are 7.5 million monthly job postings on LinkedIn and you can set yourself up for daily job alerts so you can be an early applicant.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Setting up a profile on the website or the mobile app is a straightforward process. However, ensuring your profile is job search ready does require some effort. Let\u2019s start by breaking down each portion, and talking about some do\u2019s and don\u2019ts along the way.<\/p>\n

    Photos<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Since LinkedIn is a professional network, a professional photo is best. That means the photo is of ONLY you from the shoulders up with a neutral background. \u00a0No kids or other people in the shot \u2014that\u2019s for the other social media platforms. Take your photo in traditional work clothing\u2014not a military uniform or casual clothing. Part of the goal is to brand yourself as friendly and approachable, so make sure to smile!<\/p>\n

    Your photo should be taken by someone else, not a selfie. Cell phone cameras are advanced enough that if the lighting is good, your photo should turn out great.<\/p>\n

    As for a background photo\u2014it isn\u2019t required, but using a photo relating to your post military career path can help you show some personality. For example, if you\u2019re looking for a job in computer programming, maybe try a photo of a computer with some coding on the screen; if you are looking for a sports \u00a0marketing job, maybe a photo of a shelf holding a baseball, football, and soccer ball. Use your imagination here.<\/p>\n

    Headline<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Your headline is a great place to share your career goals and skills that make you stand out. Remember, there are recruiters on LinkedIn and if you want to be found, you need to use the words and phrases that they would be looking for in a candidate. So, if you\u2019re looking for project management roles, you need to have \u201cproject management\u201d or \u201cproject manager\u201d in your headline. I like using what I call a three skill approach. Here are some examples of strong headlines to show off your top three skills:<\/p>\n

    Project Management | Distribution Management | Operational Excellence<\/p>\n

    Account Manager | Telecommunications Sales | German Speaking<\/p>\n

    Maintenance Management | Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | Process Improvement<\/p>\n

    Avoid using phrases like \u201cTransitioning Service Member,\u201d \u201cRetired Army Captain,\u201d or \u201cActively Seeking Opportunities.\u201d While it\u2019s true you may be seeking your next career, recruiters on LinkedIn are not searching these terms and won\u2019t find you when they\u2019re looking for candidates. Your goal is to be seen, and your headline is the first thing someone will read after your name. Give your audience a reason to keep reading your profile.<\/p>\n

    Industry and Location<\/strong><\/p>\n

    This section is basic, but often ignored. Don\u2019t make that mistake\u2014 this is another way for recruiters to find you. For example, if they are hiring in San Antonio and you\u2019re in San Antonio but it\u2019s not listed in your profile\u2026 well, you see where I\u2019m going with this!<\/p>\n

    Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Your summary is meant to be a high-level overview of your previous experience; it\u2019s really going help show recruiters if you fit the candidate profile they\u2019re seeking. LinkedIn can create a basic summary for you if the rest of your profile is completed, but it tends to be rather generic and boring. Spend about 5-10 sentences sharing what skills you posess and your experience.<\/p>\n

    Not sure where to start? Here\u2019s a sample professional summary with simple writing prompts. Change the brackets to fit who you are and what you bring to the table.<\/p>\n

    [Job Title] and Military Veteran with a [Secret Security Clearance] and [how many] years of proven experience in the United States [Military Branch].\u00a0 Accomplished measurable results while leading teams of [##] in a dynamic, fast – paced environment.\u00a0 Possess a comprehensive background in [Broad Areas of Knowledge and Experience] derived from conducting domestic and global operations in [Countries Worked or Deployed].\u00a0 Managed risk upon multiple lines to protect assets, property, and equipment valued over [$$$] while meeting the expectations of senior leadership.\u00a0 Possess extensive knowledge in [Areas of Expertise].\u00a0 Career supported by a [Degree if earned or mention the pursuit of your degree if you are currently in school].<\/em><\/p>\n

    Work Experience<\/strong><\/p>\n

    For this section, you will enter your career history and accomplishments in reverse chronological order. If you are on active duty or a veteran, remember to civilianize your military job titles. For example, titles like \u201cCaptain\u201d or \u201cSquad Leader\u201d may not be widely understood in the civilian world, so you will need to translate your titles to civilian terms like \u201cHuman Resources Supervisor,\u201d \u201cSenior Logistics Manager,\u201d or \u201cHealthcare Specialist.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Education and Certifications<\/strong><\/p>\n

    This is another straight forward area. Include your high school diploma only if you don\u2019t have any higher degrees. If you have an Associate\u2019s degree or higher, list all you have achieved and anything in progress.<\/p>\n

    Skills<\/strong><\/p>\n

    List all hard and soft skills, industry experience, and technical skills you have here. You can include up to 50 skills, so take advantage of this real estate. When you apply to a job on LinkedIn, the recruiter and hiring manager can look at your profile and see if you have the skills they are looking for. Make it easy for them by having your skills section completed. Some good examples would be:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Microsoft Office Suite<\/li>\n
    • Project Management<\/li>\n
    • Customer Service<\/li>\n
    • Budget Management<\/li>\n
    • Training<\/li>\n
    • Employee Development<\/li>\n
    • Teamwork<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Bonus Points: A LinkedIn URL<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Fun fact: you can update your LinkedIn URL to further brand yourself in your job search. This is especially useful if you have a common name. Your default URL will be first-last-008230482, but you have the opportunity to change it to something that is unique, like your current job title, a certification you\u2019ve earned, or the company you currently work for.<\/p>\n

      Some good examples I have seen are:<\/p>\n

      John-Smith-project-manager<\/p>\n

      John-Smith-phr<\/p>\n

      John-Smith-hire-heroes-usa<\/p>\n

      Congratulations!<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Using these steps will have your profile ready to interact with employers, other job seekers, and industry experts.<\/p>\n

      If you are a veteran, transitioning active duty service member, or a military spouse that isn\u2019t 100% sure that your LinkedIn profile is ready for employers to see, know that one of the many services we offer through Hire Heroes USA is feedback on your LinkedIn profile. Your Transition Specialist or a volunteer mentor can give you helpful feedback give you advice on how to maximize your use of LinkedIn and put your best foot forward.\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Getting Hired: LinkedIn 101 Like most of us, you\u2019re probably on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat, connecting with family, friends, and even some strangers along the way. Maybe you\u2019ve used these platforms to find out about companies, products, or services that are beneficial to you. But have you heard of anyone being able to find […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":17422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-employment-partners"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17429\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}