Considering LinkedIn Premium? 5 Fantastic Reasons For Job Seekers To Join

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Technology has changed the job search dramatically over the past several years. Resumes can get lost in employers' applicant tracking systems (also known as ATS's – the databases recruiters use to post jobs and accept resumes), where you're competing with as many as 10,000 other applicants who have applied for the same job.

You need every advantage you can get to find and secure a job.

The bad news: Most of the really powerful tools in LinkedIn are reserved for paying customers, in the form of a Premium subscription.

The good news: If you're looking for a job, the tools and features offered under a LinkedIn Premium subscription is worth it – really worth it – if you know how to use them effectively.

Here are 5 fantastic reasons why it makes sense to pony up for a LinkedIn Premium subscription if you're looking to accelerate your job search.

REASON #1: ENHANCED SEARCH CAPABILITY
What This Is, and Why This Matters: There are more than 467 million user accounts in LinkedIn. That means one in every 17 people on planet earth has an account. And there's 128 million user accounts in the United States – one account for every 2.5 people in this country. Think of LinkedIn as a giant employer directory, and as a paying subscriber, you are given the ability to conduct detailed searches by keyword, geographic location, company, and other criteria. You can probably find the person making the hiring decision for that job you applied to on Indeed, Glassdoor, or any other job board.
Real-World Application: There's no getting around having to fill out online applications, and it's difficult to stand out. But if you can identify a potential hiring manager, and reach out to them after you've applied, you may be able to pique their interest in your skills and experience.

REASON #2: INMAILS
What This Is, and Why This Matters: With the free LinkedIn membership, you have the ability to send messages directly to first-level contacts (people to whom you are already directly connected through an accepted invitation). Without a first-level connection in place, in order to contact a decision maker at a company you will need to either A) Send an invitation, get it accepted, then send them a note; B) Find or figure out some form of contact information for the decision maker; or C) Post your online job application and pray it gets noticed. Each scenario is risky and uncertain. Paid subscribers get a set number of InMails each month, notes that can be send to almost anybody in the system.
Real-World Application: After applying online, search LinkedIn for a decision maker at the company (see reason #1). Then send them a brief note indicating that you have applied online (this helps, because it shows that you followed their process), that you have the skills and experience needed for the job, and how they can reach you. If you've reached the right person, it's not unheard of for them to walk over to their recruiter to ask for your resume.

REASON #3: FREE MESSAGES TO OTHER PREMIUM MEMBERS
What This Is, and Why This Matters: Have you ever seen a little gold "in" badge in somebody's profile or near their name? It looks like this:

This symbol means that this person is a premium member. One perks LinkedIn provides its Premium members is the ability to send unlimited InMails to other Premium members – including people you're not connected to. It's a "Free Message." In other words, even if your subscription plan only gives you a few InMails each month, a premium member-to-premium member message won't count against your allocation.
Real-World Application: Most recruiters have paid subscriptions (they use LinkedIn to mine candidates), as do a variety of sales, business development, and other professionals, as well as job seekers like yourself. These free messages help you can aggressively reach out to multiple potential employers.

REASON #4: IMPROVED POSITIONING TO RECRUITER SEARCHES
What This Is, and Why This Matters: As I mentioned in #3, recruiters pay to get a beefed up version of LinkedIn. This enables them to search for what are known as "passive" candidates (in other words, individuals not actively looking for a job) through enhanced search capability, which enables them to see just about every profile in LinkedIn. LinkedIn advertises that as a benefit of being a paid subscriber, you will be a "Featured Applicant," where "Your job application will appear above job applications from non-Premium members, increasing your chances of having it viewed."
Real-World Application: I'm not privy to the specifics of how LinkedIn's search and reporting algorithm works, so I'm not sure exactly how high you'll appear on any given search, but if this benefit pushes you toward page 1 or 2 of search results, there's a much better chance the recruiter will take a look at your profile. (Side note: Make sure your LinkedIn profile is chock-full-of-keywords).

REASON #5: SEE WHO'S LOOKED AT YOUR PROFILE
What This Is, and Why This Matters: You can see who has viewed your profile over the past 3 months.
Real-World Application: What if you found out that a recruiter at an employer you were interested in had looked at your profile? In sales parlance, this is what's known as a "warm lead." In other words, they have a demonstrated interest in you. Why not send them a note which goes something like:

"Thank you for viewing my LinkedIn profile! I have always been very interested in working at Company X, would you be available for a brief chat?"

FINAL NOTE: In case you were wondering, I am in no way affiliated with LinkedIn other than as a paying user, and for my subscription I pay rack rate. But I've been using the system since its early days and while there are things about it I don't love, I firmly believe in its power as both a job search and recruitment tool.

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Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Should I Tell An Employer I Have Another Job Offer?

To tell, or not to tell. That is the question. / iStockphoto.com (Siphotography)

Wouldn't it be nice if the interview process adhered to a universal timeline that all employers followed? It would certainly simplify things if you could go to interviews with all potential employers during the first week, receive your offers the following week, then weigh all your offers and share your decision the week after that.

Sadly, it doesn't work that way. Job hunting is an imperfect process, and offers tend to trickle in at different times. And employers don't necessarily want to wait for an answer while you're trying to get another company to present their offer.

So, what do you do if you're in the awkward position that you have an offer in hand from one employer (let's call it Company A), but the company you really want to work for (Company B) hasn't made their decision yet? How can you possibly make a major career decision without all the facts?

In other words, is it okay to try to hurry the process along by telling Company B you have another offer on the table?

Ask yourself the following question: If Company B – the company you really want to work for – presents you an offer, do you intend to take it?

I know, I know - there are several unanswered questions in terms of salary and other factors. But if Company B is where you'd really like to work, then it may be in your best interest to tell Company B.

It's all in the approach. Such a scenario can be a great opportunity for you to reinforce your interest in the company, portray you as an in-demand professional. A well placed, well handled call may in fact hurry the process along. Your call to Company B's recruiter or hiring manager should go something like this:

"I just wanted to call because I'm in a bit of a difficult situation. I have received an offer from another company and I owe them an answer by this Friday. However, your company is and has been my first choice, and I wanted to follow up to reiterate my interest."

Then listen, reiterate your interest, and thank them for their understanding.

You're doing Company B a favor - if you're truly their preferred candidate, they will move heaven and earth to try to provide you with a job offer. If you're not their first choice, they can do you a favor by telling you where you stand, and freeing you up to accept the offer from Company A without hesitation. Often a call like this from a candidate serves as the impetus to stop the endless interview process and move forward. Chances are they'll respect you for making this call.

What if you're annoyed that the employer is taking too long to make a decision? Is it okay to lie and tell them that you have another offer in hand - even if you don't - in order to move the process along?

It's important to realize that telling a company you have an outstanding offer from another employer is not without risk. I’ve seen the “I have another offer” strategy blow up in candidates’ faces.

Here’s why. Hiring managers don’t like to be rushed - they like to feel that they are in control of making a well-thought out decision. Sometimes this deliberation, while candidate-unfriendly, adds to the overall time of the interview process.

Bear in mind, hiring managers don’t make a decision in a vacuum. They interview several candidates looking for the right fit, and proceed from there.

I once had a hiring manager tell me, “If it’s not ‘yes,’ it’s ‘no.’” What this means is that if they’re not completely sold on the candidate, then they feel no need to make a hiring decision. The bar is high for the candidate to impress the hiring manager.

Lousy? Yes.

Reality? Also, yes.

By putting a fire under the hiring manager, you’re forcing their hand, possibly before they are ready to make a decision. And by visibly trying to take control of the situation, you may be putting the manager in the uncomfortable position of having to make a selection – in your favor – without having all the information they require or want.

If you’re truly the solution to the hiring manager’s problems, and you both agree that you are the solution the hiring manager’s problems, then you’ll probably push things forward in your favor, more quickly.

On the other hand, if you’re one of several candidates where there’s not yet a clear winner, then you may be blowing yourself out of the water. The manager may decide that your timeline and his/her timeline don’t correspond, so they’ll just cut you loose. If it’s not “yes,” it’s “no.”

I’m not saying that the hiring manager is right to proceed in this way. But you need to be prepared to deal with the psychological impact of your actions, and the results.

One more thing. If you do tell an employer you have another offer, and they accommodate you by rushing you an offer, it would be fatal for you to respond by asking for more time to weigh your options. They'll feel used, and will likely remove you from any further consideration.

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Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

5 Practical & Affordable Strategies For Career Changers

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Bored in your current career? Not sure how to make the jump into a new line of work?

Making the move to a new type of career path isn't easy. Many people go back to college and get an advanced degree such as an MBA, or some other diploma in some other discipline. However, pursuing a college degree is a huge investment oftime and money, and many people don't have enough of either to make this a reality.

Let me be clear - if you're thinking about becoming an attorney or a medical doctor, for example, there's no way around the need for a highly specialized advanced degree required as the baseline for the job.

But for the rest of us? Here are five practical – and affordable – strategies to position yourself for a new line of work.

1. College Certificate Programs. This is a brief academic program which provides you a credential in a specific discipline, and which shows employers you've invested in your new line of work. Many colleges offer certificate programs in targeted disciplines such as Paralegal Studies, Human Resources, Computer Information Systems, and other tracks. There are few, if any, electives offered in a certificate program. The goal of a college certificate program is to provide you the skills you need for your new line of work – quickly.
    

2. Professional Certification. Many professional organizations offer certifications demonstrating a level of achievement in their field. There are several highly regarded certifications that can help move your career upward - for example the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is one of the highest standards in accounting, and having a CPA can open quite a few doors; likewise, the Project Management Institute offers a Project Management Professional certification, which is considered the gold standard in the field. But professional certifications can also serve as a gateway to a new career path. There are professional certifications in human resources, compensation, resume writing, career coaching, information technology, and many, many other fields. Certification (and the letters after your name) can improve your chances with employers.
    

3. Online Classes. There are several providers of low-cost or free online training. Coursera and edX, for example, consolidate and offer classes from prestigious colleges around the world. Likewise, many universities provide their classes online, such as Harvard University's Open Learning Initiative. Likewise, there are scads of courses available online at no charge to LinkedIn Premium Subscription members. There is absolutely no reason you can't take a course and add it to your resume. Doing so could boost both your skills and your credentials, and would also provide you with valuable keywords that mayelevate your resume.
    

4. Volunteer Projects. Let's say you're trying to branch out into search engine optimization, and you find out your son's school is upgrading its website. Why not reach out to the school's administrators and offer to help out on the SEO aspects of the project? You will get hands-on experience in a real-world setting, that you can add to your portfolio of work. And yes, you can add volunteer work to your resume.
    

5. Special Work Projects. Companies are always planning new corporate initiatives. If you hear about a committee being put together to handle a special project, why not ask your manager if you can participate? Yes, it's additional work, but you will gain valuable exposure to new skills and experiences. I've seen individuals who have done great work on special projects appointed to newly created roles outside their discipline because they demonstrated an aptitude for the new line of work.

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Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.