Attract Job Recruiters On LinkedIn With These 4 Easy Steps
If you clicked on a link to read this, you are probably eagerly waiting for my magic tips on getting the interview that you deserve and want. My guess is that you have been putting in application after application, but no one is responding to you. You are beginning to think that the energy that you have put into your job search is a waste of time, and you may be on the verge of giving up.
Before I give you my tips on becoming more marketable to recruiters, I want you to take note of the most important tip of them all: Do not give up. Although the job search journey can be rough, long, and down-right depressing, you cannot give up on yourself and the process.
The most important thing that you need to do before you start your job search is to invest more time and energy into your LinkedIn profile (and if you don't have one, you need to get one asap). LinkedIn is the largest social media network for professionals, and according to Jobvite, 94% of recruiters are active on LinkedIn, but only 36% of candidates are. Even more, most people that are on LinkedIn do not take out time to optimize their LinkedIn profile to the fullest.
After you read this post, incorporate my 4 tips into your LinkedIn profile, and I promise you will have recruiters running to your inbox.
1) Create a headline to reflect who you are, and what you are looking for.
Your LinkedIn headline should clearly tell people, who you are (your name), what credentials you have (i.e. MBA, MS, etc.), and what you are looking for (or what you are currently doing if you want to stay in the same field). For example, "HR & Management Professional" is better than "HR Professional at XYZ Company." While it is great to advertise who you are working for, this information can go in the "Experience" section of your profile. Also, by having information on what you are doing or the type of career that you are seeking, recruiters can find your profile at a quick glance when they are searching for candidates with specific keywords.
When I first updated my LinkedIn profile after graduating from college, my LinkedIn headline read, “Brittani Hunter, Assistant General Manager at American Campus Communities." After I went to a few personal branding seminars and did my own research online, I found that this was not the most effective headline, especially since I knew I wanted to be introduced to more opportunities outside of my 9-5. I then changed my headline to, “Brittani Hunter, HR & Management Professional/Freelance Blogger." Since then, I have received more requests from like-minded professionals in HR, management, and journalism simply because of my headline. Whenever you want to find more LinkedIn connections (followers), you can use any search query and anyone that has that associated name in their profile will appear. For example, if you go to LinkedIn, and search for “Human Resources" a list of anyone that has “Human Resources" in their headline will appear. Check out a copy of my LinkedIn headline below:
2) Do not treat LinkedIn as just your online resume.
While LinkedIn contains your job history and contact information just like a regular resume, it is so much more. LinkedIn can allow you to easily network with others, and connect with recruiters. It is important to be active on LinkedIn by joining groups, sharing articles with your connections, and by engaging in discussions and posts. By doing so, you will be able to drive more traffic to yourself, and you will be more marketable. The benefits of networking with people in the discussions or groups will be valuable; you will be able to meet recruiters, get first-hand knowledge of upcoming jobs, and connect with people that work in your desired field.
The first time you engage in LinkedIn discussions, it may feel a little weird – or at least it felt a little weird to me because I was engaging in conversations with people that I had never met or seen in my life. Nonetheless, I got over it and started adding my input in certain posts on LinkedIn that were interesting to me. One cool feature with LinkedIn is that when you begin to join in on LinkedIn discussions, you will be notified when someone comments on the discussion. Normally when this happens to me, I will receive an email and a notification from the LinkedIn mobile app. In my experience in engaging in LinkedIn discussions, it has helped me obtain more connections, and even several requests to interview for new opportunities. A few months ago, a recruiter from a management company really liked my comments and my input on the discussion of recruiting using social media. A few days after the discussion began, I received a message from the recruiter in my LinkedIn inbox about an new job opportunity. Although I wasn't actively looking for a job and didn't interview, this alone proves that you never know who you may meet or can impact by being active in LinkedIn discussions.
3) Toot your own horn.
On LinkedIn, you are able to list your skills and include portfolio information if you have one. Often times, we shy away from telling the world all the amazing things that we are good at. Just like Marianne Williamson said in her legendary poem Our Deepest Fear, "Your playing small does not serve the world."
"We are all meant to shine." Use LinkedIn to shine and talk about how great you are. Whether you want to discuss how well-versed you are at Photoshop, creating websites, or at Microsoft Excel, you should take advantage in tooting your own horn. Also, be sure to include links to your portfolio or website if you have one (and if you don't, invest time into creating one).
When I first started blogging, I didn't have enough courage to tell the world about it. I had even created my own site using Wix and started a weekly blog, but I didn't promote it on LinkedIn at all. I eventually got over my insecurities, and I began to promote my blog posts on LinkedIn, and I even listed the skills that I gained from blogging and creating my site using Wix. A few months ago when I decided that I wanted to increase my network and write for other people, I used LinkedIn as my digital resume/portfolio and it has helped me land several contributor and editor roles, including this one on xoNecole :). The new positions that I have received has given me access to more platforms to display my writing skills and passion, and is has helped me connect with more people.
4) Let others toot your horn, too.
The recommendation section of LinkedIn is something that I love. On LinkedIn, other people can post recommendations to your page and this will also show recruiters how awesome you are. I recommend that you get at least 3-4 recommendations. You can get one from a professor, client, past employer, current employer, or from a co-worker. I know you are probably wondering how in the world will you be able to get the recommendations and it's simple - you ask for them. When I first read about the benefit of having LinkedIn recommendations, I reached out to literally everyone (there was no shame in my game!).
This is the script that I used and sent to everyone, and I recommend that you use it too:
Hello!
I hope you are doing well. I'd like to ask a huge favor — Would you write a quick LinkedIn Recommendation for me? I would love it if you'd mention my hard work ethic, my team work skills, and my organizational skills. If you have any questions or if you would like for me to write a recommendation for you, please let me know.
Do you think you could write that out in the next week or so? If so, I'll really appreciate it.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Here are 4 things that you should take from the script that I used:
1) Make it quick, and to the point.
My message to each person was only 90 characters. No one wants to read a whole novel, so make sure you get to the point and make your request clear.
2) Tell them exactly what you want.
If you look back at my script, you will see that I requested them to talk about my "hard work ethic, my team work skills, and my organizational skills." You should know, it is nothing wrong with telling them how you want the recommendation written. Be strategic in your recommendation requests. If you want your old boss to talk about how well you did managing a budget, tell them to put it in the recommendation (it doesn't hurt to ask).
3) Offer to write your recommendation for them.
Some of the reasons why people refrain from writing recommendations is that they are either a) extremely busy or b) have horrible writing skills. In either case, you can save the day by just writing it for them. By the way, no one can brag about YOU your better than yourself!
4) Give them a deadline.
You never want to ask someone for something without telling them when you need it. If you don't give people a deadline, more than likely, they will put it on the end of their to do list and you may never get it.
Now that you have my magic tips, get on LinkedIn and optimize your profile!
Featured image by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
Brittani Hunter is a proud PVAMU alumni and the founder of The Mogul Millennial, a business and career platform for Black Millennials. Meet Brittani on Twitter and on the Gram at @BrittaniLHunter and @mogulmillennial.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Between the rise of the creator economy and the gig economy, the window of opportunity to leverage your creativity for long-term gain has never been more potent.
For the last four years, I’ve worked as a full-time freelance writer and content creator. A year into this journey, I knew that if I wanted to create a sense of structure around my life outside of a traditional 9-5, I would have to create it.
To my surprise, that came in the form of social media.
Now, you might be wondering how someone might be able to juggle their work in a creatively-dominant career like writing while still having the mental capacity to produce ideas for their own personal brand, and well, that answer didn’t come easily.
In 2021, I hit a wall with writing and content creation.
With the stress and uncertainty that came as a result of the pandemic, to being burned out from having to live off my creativity, I reached a breaking point. For me, writing was always a space to explore my thoughts, process heavy topics, and express concepts that only words could bring reason to. However, when I didn’t have the brainpower to write or create content, I knew it was time to set parameters around my hobby of content creation and my passion for storytelling.
In this case, the biggest challenge was finding the balance between the two by releasing the guilt and shame of taking a break from both in order to reconnect with them.
Through years of trial and error, the fog finally cleared, and I was able to hit my stride in 2023. From garnering over 10K followers on TikTok, building an Instagram community around lifestyle and creative encouragement, along with my wellness collective, Black Girl Playground, and writing for xoNecole as a lifestyle contributor, the creative juices have been flowing steadily.
And it all happened by creating a strategy that allowed space for planning, resting, and creating. Today, I’ll be sharing my top tips to help you find your balance between your side hustle and passions.
On staying inspired and motivated when working on various content creation and freelancing projects:
Early this year, I came to the bright conclusion that I needed to shorten the gap between ideation and execution — and it completely changed how I create.
Oftentimes, when we have an idea come to us, we let it sit for too long, and then before we know it, we’ve either lost the enthusiasm to put it into action, or someone else grabs it. If you want to stay in a flow of creativity, whether side projects or full-time work, it’s important to not get slowed down by self-doubt, procrastination, or perfectionism.
Give yourself permission to act on your ideas as they come to you. Even if they’re a little muddy or not “perfect,” you can always fine-tune them later.
@yagirlaley shrinking the gap between [ideation] + [execution] 🧠💡#fyp #creativeadvice
On the importance of choosing a niche:
If there’s one thing that has helped me balance my work as a writer and content creator, it’s putting each in its own niche (or category). By definition, a niche is a specialized segment of the market or a specific area of expertise.
When you are creating in the same niche that you’re also making a living in, that’s an easy way to get your wires crossed. And at times, this could lead to feeling as if you don’t have any ideas for yourself because you’ve given them to the other area you're juggling.
When balancing two, you want to have enough fresh ideas to give to your personal projects and your full-time work to avoid any overlap. This ensures that your personal creative vision isn’t compromised when working on client projects while still having some for yourself.
On the strategies that have helped to maintain a consistent workflow in both areas:
I can’t stress enough how important it is to create a workflow and structure for yourself as a freelancer — this applies to those with a 9-5 in the day and a 5-9 at night, too.
As someone who admittedly has ADHD tendencies, object permanence can sometimes create a block in time and project management. That’s why I encourage creatives and professionals to create systems that allow you to see the work that’s ahead of you.
Personally, I can’t live without having multiple calendars going at once. My Google calendar keeps track of interviews for articles and events, while my physical calendar helps me keep track of important dates. I also work out of an Excel sheet where I can log in ongoing stories and track their status from drafting to submission. I’ve also heard great things about the Notion app for planning and tracking.
When it comes to creating content, spending time doing bulk content days has been an asset to my creative workflow. When I complete the videos, I save them to my drafts and upload them as needed.
Credit: Amberita
Courtesy of the writer
On the best advice for someone who is considering pursuing both content creation and freelancing simultaneously:
Don’t be ashamed of taking a break and resting — because both are essential to the life of a creative. Last month, I returned to Instagram after taking 6 months off from posting. During that time, I worked on growing my TikTok page, using the platform to practice vulnerability and allowing myself to put the fun back into creating content. Without the time, I can’t say I’d be able to approach Instagram with the same ease and playfulness; but thanks to that time away, it was possible.
Resting, letting our minds wander, or simply doing nothing are all just as productive as creating. No one can produce at all times, we have to allow ourselves the space for new concepts and ideas to flow to us. In addition to that, when we take breaks from social media, it allows us to stop the wheel of comparison and consume more than we create. So if you feel like you’re in a creative rut with all you want to balance, it may be time to take a step back, unapologetically.
Your creativity will thank you for it.
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Featured image by Sir Taylor