Miserably employed? Hey, I’ve been there. Here is how to
stealthily take action to move to a better job using LinkedIn and other means.
1) Change your
LinkedIn settings to “No” where it asks on your profile's most recent job entry, “Share with your network?” Turn the toggle switch to "No"..
2) Pump up your
LinkedIn profile to match the jobs that you want, filling out every box
that you can and improving your LinkedIn headline and job title entries so that
you can be found for your ideal positions. This article explains how.
Best time to edit your profile? The weekend, when almost no one is paying
attention.
Call in the experts! WiserU can optimize your profile for you. Learn how then call 847-606-5160 or email Susan AT WiserU.com.
3) Disconnect from
your boss and coworkers to ensure they don’t observe your job search
machinations on LinkedIn. You can do so two ways. One is easy, but potentially
dangerous. The other is harder, but risk-free.
The dangerous/easy way:
- Visit a person’s profile and then click the triangle next to “Send a message” and then select “Remove connection”. The dangerous aspect? The person may see that you visited his/her profile if they check the “Who viewed my profile” feature.
- To avoid this problem, change your settings BEFORE you visit their profiles, by clicking the little picture of you in the upper right corner of any LinkedIn page and clicking Privacy and Settings & “Manage” and then under Privacy Controls, click “Select what others see when you've viewed their profile”.
- Choose “You will be totally anonymous”.
- Keep the setting that way for at least 48 hours after you have removed connections. Note that you should change your setting to “Your name and headline” later so that LinkedIn won’t “punish” you by not allowing you to see who visits YOUR profile.
The risk-free/harder way:
- Click the Connections tab
- Sort your connections list by last name.
- Hover over the entry of a person from whom you want to disconnect.
- While hovering, look for the “More” link that appears.
- Click the triangle to the right of the word “More”.
- Click “Remove connection”.
Either way that you disconnect, your connections will not be notified; however, your name may appear in the person’s “People
You May Know” box and they may invite you to connect again.
4) Update your resume
to play up your current position and to align with your LinkedIn profile so that you will be ready should a recruiter reach out to you. Ask WiserU to craft your resume.
5) Use LinkedIn to reach
recruiters who specialize in your industry / field / location to alert them
that that you are available and interested in opportunities. Find articles
about how to enlist and equip recruiters to help you here.
6) Selectively notify people who
can help you (and not hurt you) that you are job seeking. Either send them LinkedIn
InMail messages (which are free to connections), or send them an email. Let them know
what types of job titles that you seek and in which city. Include your phone
number and email address to make sending you job leads easy. Remind them once a
month that you continue to seek a new position.
7) Increase your
involvement with networking circles, such as with a local Meetup or field / industry associations to meet hiring decision makers and influential people. Have personal business cards printed through Vistaprint or other providers, that you
can hand out at such events. Include the job titles/functions that you want and
your contact information. Follow up with the people that you meet by inviting them to connect and then nurturing the connection on LinkedIn.
8) Apply for jobs on
LinkedIn by clicking the Jobs tab and the following the prompts to apply
for jobs near you. LinkedIn will reveal to you who you know at the hiring company so that you can enlist their help and will often let you know the name
of the person who posted the position.
Best of all, many jobs posted on LinkedIn are
“Apply Now” jobs, which lets you apply for the jobs instantly using your
LinkedIn profile, plus you can upload your resume and cover letter as one
document. This quick apply feature on LinkedIn and many leading job sites is a real time saver for miserably employed people ... just make sure that your LinkedIn profile is a strong match for open positions before you apply.
9) Add the LinkedIn Job
Search app to your smart phone so that you can have job leads sent to you so
that you can immediately apply. Learn more here.
10) Strengthen your
skills on your current company’s dime and then add your skills into your
LinkedIn Skills and Expertise section and then retype them into your LinkedIn Summary (About) section. Endorse other people’s skills on
LinkedIn and ask them to endorse your skills. The more endorsed skills that you have and the more relevant keywords in your Summary section (in general), the higher up in search results you will show up for the jobs that you want.
You can pursue
positions while miserably employed! Start stealth sleuthing for your next job! --
Kathy
Related Articles
- An exit strategy for the miserable employed
- 7 articles about enlisting recruiters in your job search
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Look to WiserU
WiserU provides LinkedIn training and services and career training and services for individuals and organizations that can transform your future or grow your business. Visit WiserU.com to learn more.
Look to WiserU
WiserU provides LinkedIn training and services and career training and services for individuals and organizations that can transform your future or grow your business. Visit WiserU.com to learn more.
- Businesses arrange for WiserU to maximize their use of LinkedIn for sales, marketing, and fundraising through training and services. Learn more
- The unemployed and miserably employed hire WiserU for career training, coaching, interview preparation, and LinkedIn profile and resume creation services. Learn more at wiseru.com/services/
- Subscribe to WiserUTips.com for weekly LinkedIn and career tips!
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