Some of your favorite brands and dream companies all have pages on LinkedIn and often use it to recruit talent. In other words, if you're not using LinkedIn to find your next job opportunity - what are you waiting for sis?
Through LinkedIn's Easy Apply feature, you can literally apply for jobs within a minute or two.
No bs.
Here's how the LinkedIn Easy Apply feature works:
- Once you are logged into your LinkedIn account from the mobile app or your computer, click "Jobs" at the top of the page.
- Search for the job you want. After that, all of the jobs that match your search criteria will load. Any job that has the LinkedIn symbol with "Easy Apply" next to it are jobs with the Easy Apply feature.
- To make your life even easier, click "LinkedIn Features" that's at the top of the page after you search for your job, and filter for "Easy Apply".
- Fill in the details to apply for the job.
From there, your LinkedIn Easy Apply application is pretty straightforward. It'll typically just ask for your preferred email address, a place to enter a phone number, and an option to upload your resume.
#dassit
Occasionally the company will ask for a few extra things like a cover letter, work authorization information, and years of experience, but oftentimes, the Easy Appy process is very simple.
Because LinkedIn's Easy Apply feature is super easy, companies typically get A LOT of applicants.
However, before you let it discourage you, keep reading for a comprehensive list of things you can do to make sure your application stands out, and for things you should look for when using this feature.
Leave the selfies for IG.
GiphyThis should go without saying. Having a great photo speaks volumes, but having a bad photo (i.e. low resolution, using filters, posting selfies) could get you passed over.
Your photo should be high-resolution, professional, well-lit, and should reflect a positive image of you. When you apply for a job using Easy Apply, your photo is one of the first things that the recruiter will see so be sure to make your first impression, the best one.
Write a strong LinkedIn headline.
Your headline is one of the most important sections of your LinkedIn profile. Before employers see your resume or your complete profile, they have to select you from a long list of candidates. This candidate list includes the following information: your picture, name, location, and headline. Those four things are ALL employers have when deciding whether you're a good candidate or not (as you can see, first impressions are everything). If the employer sees that your headline doesn't line up with what they are looking for, you'll be passed over.
Related: Attract Job Recruiters On LinkedIn With These 4 Easy Steps
Align your location.
GiphyEnsure that your location aligns with where you're looking for jobs, not necessarily where you currently live or work. At times when employers are viewing your Easy Apply application, they'll look at your profile and may pass you over if your location that's listed doesn't align with the organization's needs.
Don’t slack on the Skills and Endorsements sections.
There is an option to "View critical match" for the employer and it shows the recruiter a breakdown of how well your profile aligns with the job description.
The "Skills" area above is made up of the keywords you entered into your Skills & Endorsements profile section, as well as words you used throughout your profile. When looking for the candidate that will be the best fit, recruiters will often use the "View critical match feature".
Use keywords everywhere - literally.
GiphyAs you are updating your profile, your text in your profile MUST include keywords that match the job description. Use variations of filter keywords in your profile summary and job descriptions (For example, if you're looking for a role as a social media manager, you would include things like "social media", "marketing", and "content strategy" as your keywords). Be sure to include technologies you have used in your list of skills as well.
Make sure your profile is 100% complete BEFORE you apply.
The first thing a recruiter will do after they receive your Easy Apply app is look at your LinkedIn profile. Before you start applying to jobs, you need to make sure your profile is good and accurate AF. In other words, your profile picture should be on point, and all of your jobs and relevant skills should be listed with keyword-rich descriptions.
Related: Don't Sleep On LinkedIn
Go ahead and customize your profile and resume.
GiphyIf the role you're applying for is different than your current skills and experience (even a little), you must craft your profile to show how you can be a good fit in the new role. Use the summary section to talk about how you are ready for more responsibilities, have been doing the work in another capacity, or how you are taking courses to bring your skills to meet the job requirements.
On the same note, including your resume is not mandatory for most Easy Apply jobs, but attaching a customized resume will help you stand out from the other Easy Apply applicants. Just like you would do with any other job you are applying to, you should ALWAYS customize your resume. It doesn't matter if you are applying for the job on the company's website, Indeed, or through LinkedIn, customization is key.
Don’t forget the cover letter.
If you really want to boss things up, you should include a customized cover letter for the job you are applying to.
Since Easy Apply only gives you the option to upload one attachment, include your cover letter in the same PDF file as your resume so that it's a single document to upload. Just make sure it's on a different page, but saved altogether in the PDF.
Be the follow up King (or Queen).
GiphyCompanies typically get hundreds of applicants per job posting so taking the extra steps to stand out and follow up with the recruiter is a must.
For some Easy Apply job postings, you can see who posted the job. If not, just do your research on LinkedIn, and I'm sure you can find the right person to contact.
Please note: Finding a contact on LinkedIn ain't hard y'all. If you can find your boyfriend's ex-girlfriend from 10 years ago profile on IG, you can use those same research skills to find the recruiter for the company.
After you apply, follow up with a nice, thoughtful email (or in-mail if you're using LinkedIn). Let them know that you have applied, share your elevator pitch, and include your contact information just in case they're ready to schedule your interview.
Tweet us and let us know how you like Easy Apply! Good luck on your job search!
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Theoretically, things working out effectively in this manner make all of the sense in the world because, well, think about it — your friends know you, your friends care about you and, more times than not, that also is the case for the individual who they are trying to hook you up with. Still, I get how being set up on a semi-blind date with not much more than a “trust me” from one of my girlfriends or homies to go on might be a bit…let’s go with semi-uncomfortable. That’s why I just knew that I had to share with you a current dating trend that seems to be taking social media by storm.
It's called Pitch-A-Friend and here’s what it’s all about.
Never Heard of “Pitch-A-Friend” Before? Here’s the Gist.
GiphyI always like to give credit where credit is due so, before getting into what Pitch-A-Friend is, from what I’ve read and researched, you can thank Lucas Chaufournie (the founder of Seattle Social Club) for the initial concept and then Melissa Schipke and Ariana Brogan for seeing it on social media and giving it legs to the point where the concept is now an official platform that hosts events all over the country (and even some places that are outside of the US).
Full backstory: When Lucas first started this idea, folks would be given a few minutes to literally pitch their friend to individuals who were hanging out at local bars and breweries. Basically, they had a few moments to share why they thought their friend would be an awesome individual to date.
As Pitch-A-Friend got more sophisticated, people started doing PowerPoint presentations of their friends and the details got a bit more specific (like sharing what someone’s religious and/or political views may be as an example). In my mind, it sounds like speed dating, only with pitch decks and someone who is your wingman/wingwoman in the form of a hype man/hype woman presenting them —and yeah, on some levels, that actually sounds pretty cool.
Here's why I say so…
What Are the Benefits of Taking This Approach?
GiphyOkay, so if you choose to participate in an official Pitch-A-Friend event (meaning, you’re going to be the person to pitch one of your friends to “the masses”), you need to be prepared to present a PowerPoint presentation that is 3-5 minutes long. It should include some fun facts about your friend, a few different photos of them, and a couple of stories that will intrigue the listeners. It’s a good idea to keep in mind that you are to present your friend in the best possible light which means that inside jokes and backhanded compliments aren’t appropriate — remember, there’s a huge chance that the folks at these Pitch-A-Friend meetings don’t know you or the person you are talking about, so you shouldn’t be trying to low-key roast anyone.
And what are the benefits of this dating take? The first thing that comes to my mind is since you have to make a formal presentation, that gives you time to really think about what to say about your friend. As opposed to just bringing them up to someone and saying something like, “She’s good people” or “He’s someone I think you would like,” you have to ponder what the clearly defined traits, qualities and details that would make them seem really appealing to someone else. And when it comes to a formal Pitch-A-Friend event, another thing that I like is you’re not just attempting to hook your friend up with one person in particular — there is a room full of individuals who may show interest.
I must admit, though, that when it comes to a Pitch-A-Friend event, two things that I considered to be a potential “con” are 1) if you and/or your friend aren’t one for crowds, you or they may not want to go that route and/or 2) the event may not have a lot of people in the room that you and/or your friend would even want to pitch or be pitched to because the demographic isn’t y’all’s exact preference (if you know what I mean).
And that’s why I wanted to provide another approach to all of this (if you’re interested…).
Perhaps Throw Your Own Pitch-A-Friend Event. Online.
-
Giphy1. Hop on a platform that hosts online parties. One way to do an event like this from the comfort and convenience of your own home is to host a virtual version of it. Some sites like Remo and Webex are able to accommodate hundreds of people which means that they also charge a “nice” amount (read more about that here) to do so. Meanwhile, other platforms like Zoom Events and rsvpify are super reasonable. Then, once you know which platform you want to use, you can alert people to what you are doing via email or social media. Just make sure to pay close attention to how many people each platform is prepared to accommodate; that will help you to decide how you want to promote everything.
2. Consider having a theme. Something that can make the event even more interesting is to have a theme. It could be centered around newly single people, folks who have birthdays during a certain time of the year, or even folks who may be looking for a long-distance relationship (because yes, some people enjoy traveling). You could even do things like request that everyone come dressed in a certain color. The sky really is the limit.
3. Have some sort of icebreaker. Even though everyone is participating from home, they still might be (initially) nervous. So, have some sort of icebreaker to put your online audience more at ease. Maybe ask everyone to share their first name and favorite R&B song along with why — you know, something that will showcase their personality without them feeling pressured in the process.
4. Put together some clear guidelines. Since there’s a pretty good chance that no one else in your world has attended a Pitch-A-Date event before, you definitely need to have some clear guidelines. This would include how long presentations should be (no longer than 3-5 minutes is good), what kind of content should be featured, and how folks can contact the individuals who they are interested in once the pitches have been given.
As far as content goes, I personally think that deal-breakers are one of the things that should be shared because, for instance, I have seen way too many Pop the Balloons (for instance) where people will say that they don’t want to be in a long-distance relationship…even though they traveled to be on the show (what in the world?). And yes, require that all of this be a PowerPoint presentation. It’s easier to process and remember what was shared that way.
5. Offer prizes. Something else that can be fun is to offer up prizes for things like who made the best presentation, who seems like the most awesome type of friend, and who dressed to impress the most. Because who doesn’t like to attend events where prizes are involved?
____
A friend bragging on their friend in hopes of them finding true love (or at least someone to enjoy some Mongolian beef with?)? I don’t see how anything could be wrong with that — which is why I decided to shout Pitch-A-Friend out.
Give it a shot. Let us know how it all turned out.
On the pitching and dating end.
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Featured image by Luis Alvarez/Getty Images