LinkedIN and other job fishing holes

[burbuja0512]

View candidates LinkedIn profiles to see how they stand out.   Is their profile up to date?  Is there volunteer work or something else that wasn't listed on their resume?  Additional scan for other red flags.  Not having a profile is an immediate trip to the circular file.   Other red flags would include a very sloppy or inappropriate (not professional) profile.  
4) Share resumes with other managers if applicable.   They would each have their own process and also viewed LinkedIn profiles

Great post. So multiple people may view the LinkedIn profile!

LinkedIn has space for more certificates, MOOCs, professional memberships, etc 

Some people don't have a professional photo, that's not really old, and they need to get one.

Yes... LOL the picture is a whole topic for debate!    My opinion, based on experience is that a friendly picture trumps a super-duper professional picture.    Ideally, you have both friendly and professional.    For example, my LinkedIn pic was taken by a colleague when we were on our way to visit a client in Sao Paulo.    I was struggling to use my Portuguese, and having a BLAST doing it.    So, I'm in a suit, but have a very sincere smile on my face.

Anyhow... I've gotten the best feedback over this pic, which makes me think that a professional head shot is 2nd choice... but they can be safest.      However, the only real factor I am looking at is whether someone looks office-appropriate.   If they happen to show a picture of their latest hiking trip, it can totally work to highlight their personality.    Picture of the last party they went to, probably not as much.     An old and out-of-date photo is ok, but can be awkward when you don't recognize the person at the interview.

[High_Order1]

I don't use LinkedIn or anything remotely like that.  I have not used recruiters, social media sites, or job boards.  The only times I sent out resumes was for my first job.  All other jobs (3 of them) were recommended to me through word of mouth or from current/past co-workers.

How are you targetting your potential employers? By email, fax, LinkedIn, online job boards?  Those jobs are "advertised" and many people are vouching for each of those jobs.  My suggestion is to go outside that network.  Get your local white/yellow pages and find several companies, get your top 25 you want to work for.

Create a website, place only examples of work you've done, place a page of your resume and your CV.  Have a short 30-second video about yourself and what you have done/worked as.  Sell your "skill set", why they would want you, what you have done for others.

Go to those top 25 workplace websites and find the top 3 in the chain of command, email them directly (not like a generic email, or a spam email) or better yet - send snail mail to their attention, customize it for that IT specific job, have it one page long and ask 3 questions about how their business is and if they need your specific talents to bump up production/service.  

Again, sell yourself to them, they need you because you can do X for them as you can check their website and see what they do.  Most people don't know, companies are "hiring" but it's not advertised anywhere.  They might have an opening for another general IT staff member and you might have knocked on the door at the right time.

It's a little investment with a big chance of ROI in finding that "almost dream job".  Good luck, You should be able to find better jobs doing the same thing over and over.  "You need to apply to jobs that not many people are applying for, or jobs that are just created out of the blue."

Dude, you're killing me. You've given a TON of advice on this board in the short time you've been here. But to start off a mentoring post on modern job search methods with using a PHONE BOOK???? Making YOUR OWN website??????????????????

THE FUTURE IS NOW, GRAMPA!!! LOL

(Also, I notice you have given precisely 0 thanks after this last reset. Go thank somebody.... anybody. Thankless! (grin) lol)

... I found ZERO on this guy.  Literally zero.  And I looked HARD.  In fact, I *thought* I found him in a high school alumni newsletter from the early 80's, but I couldn't be sure- but as for his professional existence - nothing.  Nothing from college, nothing after college, nothing in the public records like marriages or even listed as a survivor in an obituary.  His kids? None that I could find. (Wives and children are excellent doors into someone's social profile)  In 2017 (when I interviewed) I found this to be a red flag and troubling.  It's kinda the opposite problem we see with teens where they put EVERYTHING out there- I mean how can you be a Regional Vice President and not have a social presence?  

... I think there is a skill to using the tools that the working /networking world are using -like LinkedIn, that are worth learning.

One of the reasons I never did a linkedin was because I didn't really want my stuff out there. Which, doing consulting work and writing for publications, in retrospect, seems dumb. But I came from a world of classification and not publicly disclosing... anything, so, the more I put on my profile, the more concerned I grow. It's all basically out there anyway now, so I'm thinking my fears are unfounded.

I do agree though, with the other poster, that if grammar and composition isn't your thing, you probably should get some professional assistance. Some of the profiles I've viewed trying to find my 'voice'... well, they were more educated and much more experienced than I, but they came across... like I would probably be doing a lot of their paperwork for them if they employed me. Just sayin'. I'm no Grammar Nazi General, but I do try.

One thing to add.   Many corporations are using software that pretty much guarantees that your resume will get lost unless you play the stupid resume keyword game.   (The resume keyword game involves ripping words directly out of the job posting and reusing them in your resume)

If you can get a hold of the recruiter or other contact from your target company, this helps get you past this artificial screen.   No matter how you do it, if your resume isn't seen, then it's worthless.   This is why I'm so pro-LinkedIn

OH!
SUCH a good point. I forgot all about that. ESPECIALLY in government jobs, they all use applicant tracking systems. To expound a little, if say, they open a job for a widget machine operator... my understanding is that they can basically tell the software to generate a list of the top ten people applying that have the keyword widgetmaker 6000, widget, high speed widget operation, etc there.

I mentor people applying for those jobs to tool the resume or application like this: each job you list, you bulk the description with keywords you drag from the applied job description. So, if you didn't do that job exactly, you'd write like, I used a widget made on the widgetmaker 6000, and spent down time reading about high speed widgetmaking operations....

It sounds like cheating, but it is nothing more than showing your best side, and stacking the deck in your favor.

I never thought about the recruiter angle, especially in this day where even grocery stores have application kiosks and won't talk to you unless you've done the online resume.

---

View candidates LinkedIn profiles to see how they stand out.   Is their profile up to date?  Is there volunteer work or something else that wasn't listed on their resume?  Additional scan for other red flags.  Not having a profile is an immediate trip to the circular file.   Other red flags would include a very sloppy or inappropriate (not professional) profile.  
4) Share resumes with other managers if applicable.   They would each have their own process and also viewed LinkedIn profiles

Great post. So multiple people may view the LinkedIn profile!

LinkedIn has space for more certificates, MOOCs, professional memberships, etc 

Some people don't have a professional photo, that's not really old, and they need to get one.

EXCELLENT notice!

Linkedin pestered the CRAP out of me because I didn't have a profile picture. I waited until I could get a fresh, decent one. People say profiling is bad and wrong, but man... people judge you by your picture. I PROMISE you they do. Make it a GOOD one.

[burbuja0512]

One thing to add.   Many corporations are using software that pretty much guarantees that your resume will get lost unless you play the stupid resume keyword game.   (The resume keyword game involves ripping words directly out of the job posting and reusing them in your resume)

If you can get a hold of the recruiter or other contact from your target company, this helps get you past this artificial screen.   No matter how you do it, if your resume isn't seen, then it's worthless.   This is why I'm so pro-LinkedIn

OH!
SUCH a good point. I forgot all about that. ESPECIALLY in government jobs, they all use applicant tracking systems. To expound a little, if say, they open a job for a widget machine operator... my understanding is that they can basically tell the software to generate a list of the top ten people applying that have the keyword widgetmaker 6000, widget, high speed widget operation, etc there.

I mentor people applying for those jobs to tool the resume or application like this: each job you list, you bulk the description with keywords you drag from the applied job description. So, if you didn't do that job exactly, you'd write like, I used a widget made on the widgetmaker 6000, and spent down time reading about high speed widgetmaking operations....

It sounds like cheating, but it is nothing more than showing your best side, and stacking the deck in your favor.

I never thought about the recruiter angle, especially in this day where even grocery stores have application kiosks and won't talk to you unless you've done the online resume.

Ha ha ha love the Widgetmaker 6000.   And thanks for the govt info.   I have never worked for the government, so have no clue about the recruiting process.   

Getting around the recruiter IMHO is SOOOOO nice, not just to get up the chain quicker, but also to figure out what the hiring manager really wants.   I had a job years with a fair number of entry to mid-level positions reporting to me.  The recruiter NEVER understood what I wanted.   For example, I didn't care about education; I was hiring for sales - I wanted enthusiasm, and dedication, not a diploma.    Yet, the recruiter would send me resumes with master's degrees and years of advanced sales experience.   It was an exercise in futility - the recruiter would give me resumes that she thought made her look good.  I would reject them because I didn't want to hire someone that would quit immediately.  I am 100% certain that I missed the ideal candidate more than once.

[bluebooger]

I got a LinkedIn solely because I completed a statistics.com course and they game me a digital certificate that could be posted on LinkedIn

so I figured "I've got the certificate, I might as well make an account"

for my profile I posted the actual city I live in, but for job description I posted "blah blah blah"

about a 3 months later I get a really nice email from LinkedIn saying my job description was a violation of Terms of Service, and could I please post my real job title

so I changed my location to Provo, Utah (which is about 1/2 across the country from where I really live) and changed my occupation to farmer (I'm actually a computer programmer)

every week or so I get emails from LinkedIn about jobs available in Provo, Utah LOL

and emails reminding me to sign up for a premium account ($30 per month, yeah, right)

[burbuja0512]

I got a LinkedIn solely because I completed a statistics.com course and they game me a digital certificate that could be posted on LinkedIn

so I figured "I've got the certificate, I might as well make an account"

for my profile I posted the actual city I live in, but for job description I posted "blah blah blah"

about a 3 months later I get a really nice email from LinkedIn saying my job description was a violation of Terms of Service, and could I please post my real job title

so I changed my location to Provo, Utah (which is about 1/2 across the country from where I really live) and changed my occupation to farmer (I'm actually a computer programmer)

every week or so I get emails from LinkedIn about jobs available in Provo, Utah LOL

and emails reminding me to sign up for a premium account ($30 per month, yeah, right)

The premium account REALLY isn't for everyone.   Headhunters and recruiters use it, some sales people do too.   As a consultant, I use it to see who has looked at my profile, especially if I have recently posted or shared an article or commented on some group activity.    There have been a few times where I've just conveniently dropped an email to people who've looked at my profile who needed my help, but hadn't gone around to asking.     So... worth its weight in gold to me, but I haven't needed it for most of my career.

I would encourage you to make your profile a tiny bit more correct.   Instead of blah blah blah or farmer, you could put the titles and list a one sentence job description, followed by "I'm not active on LinkedIn right now, and have chosen to keep my profile short."     That way, you can still connect with people, or leave a real placeholder should you decide to ever use it.    It'll take about 10 minutes or less to add these sentences under each job you've held, but does allow people to find you.

There are very few people out there that wouldn't benefit from having a site to use as a virtual Rolodex.   After all, how else are you going to call on the people you've worked with over the years?   I certainly know some AMAZING people that I would love to call on to work with again, but if I can't reach them, it's too bad.  Someone else will get the job they would have had!

And you can opt out of LinkedIn's job emails pretty easily.   I find them to be fairly sensible in not spamming me, but if it bugs you, just unsubscribe.

[cookderosa]

I didn't have a LinkedIn profile for a long time until Burbuja scolded me Now that I have it, I'm glad it's there, but if she hadn't told me to, I probably still wouldn't.

[burbuja0512]

I didn't have a LinkedIn profile for a long time until Burbuja scolded me Now that I have it, I'm glad it's there, but if she hadn't told me to, I probably still wouldn't.

OMG this made me laugh so hard.   WOW hard to believe I've been pushing LinkedIn this many years!    

[kalishakti]

I just made a LinkedIn profile next step is to get a profile picture.

If anyone wants to connect on LinkedIn, pm me your profile info

[burbuja0512]

I just made a LinkedIn profile next step is to get a profile picture.

If anyone wants to connect on LinkedIn, pm me your profile info

Replied.

Anyone wants to connect with me, I am also happy to do so!  



@Cookderosa or anyone else who remembers.   Didn't Shotojuku at one point years ago make a Degree Forum LinkedIn group?   I seem to remember, but am not finding it.

[burbuja0512]

After a couple of PM's, I just decided to be bold and post the link to my profile

https://www.linkedin.com/in/scarlett-crawford/