Five LinkedIn Tools Every Job Hunter Should Master

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Chances are you already have a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is the platform you can develop and promote your professional brand while creating long lasting professional connections. Not only is LinkedIn is one of the leading global job sites in the world, but also a professional social network with a user base of over 630 million people.

Furthermore, many recruiters utilize LinkedIn to actively source talent. As of April 2019, LinkedIn claimed that their platform had 20 million job openings and that a LinkedIn member/applicant was hired every eight seconds.

If you want to increase the chances that you are one of those new hires, it’s advantageous to master the multi-faceted tools that constitute LinkedIn’s unique job networking capabilities.

If you are in an active job search you should consider becoming a Premium member.

You can get a free 30-day trial, after which it is a monthly subscription for $29.99. Several of the features below are available to (or greatly enhanced for) LinkedIn Premium members.

Note: I have no professional affiliation with LinkedIn, other than having been a longtime user and a big fan of the positive impact I’ve seen it have for job seekers.

Here are five LinkedIn tools every job hunter should master:

1. LinkedIn Search Engine: Yes, that little search window at the top of the page. Most people don’t use it effectively. With Premium, the LinkedIn Search Engine is your best friend. Not only is it your starting point to find job openings and learn more about listed companies, you can connect LinkedIn People with the companies for which they work. If you can identify the recruiter or hiring manager of a targeted opening, you can make a personal connection with them and present yourself as the perfect candidate to fill their open job opportunity.

2. InMails: A potentially more effective way of reaching a recruiter or hiring manager is Premium’s InMails feature. InMails enable you to start conversations with people to whom you are not directly connected. A concise, attention getting InMail sent to a decision maker (after applying through the normal channels) may pique interest from decision makers by demonstrating initiative and assertiveness.

3. Job Applications: LinkedIn’s main event is the Job Board. And companies do post many of their jobs there – and used in conjunction with the other major boards, such as Indeed, you’re capturing a broad spectrum of opportunities. You can apply for jobs using your LinkedIn profile or your resume (recommended, since there’s typically more detailed information on resume). Regardless, interested companies will most definitely look at your LinkedIn profile at some point, so you should consider it part of every job application and your profile URL should be on your resume.

4. LinkedIn Groups: Get to know and join the LinkedIn Groups that are in your field. Groups can be companies, schools, or professional organizations, and many of them post job openings in their Group before anywhere else. As a member of the Group, you can reach out to the poster and establish a strong connection for your application from the very start. If you are an active poster to a Group, you have the opportunity to develop professional connections over time so when opportunities arise you are already positioned to take advantage of them. You can also start your own Group! 

5. LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn Learning is a growing and reputable resource for continuing professional education [“Give Your Career a New Year’s Boost with Cost-Effective Skills Training”, ICS 2019]. They offer over 15,000 courses in seven languages, as well as certification programs (additional fees may apply), and claim to add 60 + new course per week. Looking to beef up those technical skills to beef up your resume and add essential keywords? LinkedIn Learning has you covered. LinkedIn Learning is included free with various LinkedIn Premium memberships.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

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, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercareerstrategies.com.

In The Job Market? Here's Ten Things You Should Know About Resumes

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The resume is a marketing brochure – and you are the product. You need a powerful dynamic resume that stands out to sell your skills, experience, and the value you will bring to your next employer. Easy, right? Here are ten things you should know about your resume that can help boost your chances in the job search.

1. Modernize your resume. Your resume has two destinations – recruiters/hiring Managers and Applicant Tracking Systems (also known as an ATS, the system an employer uses to collect resumes) and you must tailor your resume for both audiences. Overall, this means a good-looking resume, in the proper format, that is highly readable, and loaded with keywords that will act as guides through the filters and algorithms the ATSs use to filter compare your qualifications to the job description.

2. Fifteen seconds. Ask a recruiter, and chances are they’ll tell you that’s the average amount of time it takes them to decide whether your resume goes up the ladder. It’s not fair, but that is the reality.

3. Two pages. With special exceptions for academics and scientists, it’s best if a resume does not exceed two pages for reasons of brevity and readability. In the case of an experienced professional, two pages is appropriate. For a recent graduate or someone in the infancy of his or her career (three years of work or less), one page should be sufficient.

4.  Use Microsoft Word. Yes, there are other applications that do the “same” thing (Apple Pages, Google Docs, etc.) but most Recruiters/Hiring Managers use MS Word and, in many cases the ATS is calibrated to Word since the majority of employers use the software. A resume built in MS Word maximizes the chances that when your recipient opens your resume file, or the information in it is uploaded to an ATS, it will look and read the way you intended.

5.  Use Universal Fonts. Do not get creative with fonts. Using universal fonts is best practice for written resumes, digital files, and uploads. Everyone has an opinion, but there are some standard fonts that are recommended, such as Arial, Calibri, Cambria, and Times New Roman. Almost every employer has these fonts on their computer, they’re professional, and the Applicant Tracking Systems expect them and can process them. It’s best to avoid Comic Sans and obscure fonts on the resume.

6.  Stick with one column. Do not use multiple columns or text boxes. Text formatted using these looks nice, but the ATS might just pass the text over. Tables should be used very sparingly. Tabs are your best friend.

7. One size does not fit all. Each job is different so each resume should be too. Take the time to edit your resume to align it with the job requirements of the position to which you are applying. Changes do not need to be drastic, just strategic. Punch your existing skills/experience/accomplishments that are the most closely associated with your target. Recruiters and hiring managers will most likely notice you took the time to do that.

8.  Do not use a photo. In the United States and many other regions, your resume should not have your photo. Your photo takes the focus off your skills and achievements and redirects it toward your appearance. And it’s just not standard.

9. Dump the old stuff. Your resume should be up to date and relevant. Do not go further back than ten years unless there’s a really compelling reason to do so. If you are a recent graduate, you can dump your graduation date after two years. As far as the content, unless it’s completely relevant to your job search, dump it.

10. Accomplishments sell. Job duties are required reading but aren’t exciting to a hiring manager. Your resume should not read like it was cut and pasted from a generic job listing. Your specific accomplishments speak to the value you could potentially bring to a position and offer you the opportunity to highlight your best work.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

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, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercareerstrategies.com.

Is A Public Sector or Private Sector Career Best For Me?

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Many individuals, at some point in their career, face a decision whether to transition to or from jobs in the public sector (the part of the economy that is owned and operated by local, state, and/or federal government bodies) versus the private sector (the part of the economy driven by private individuals and privately owned companies, either for-profit and not-for-profit that is not owned by the government).

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for 2018 the public sector employed 13.9% of the workforce (Federal – 1.7%, State & Local – 12.2%) and the Private Sector employed the remaining 86.1% (Goods-Producing, Services-Providing, Agriculture, Self-Employed). It’s difficult to make the case that taking a job in one sector is better than the other. Each provides its own benefits and rewards, and it usually comes down to alignment between personal goals and professional interests.

 Pros of the Public Sector:

• Most job opportunities are where you already live. State and local government are the primary public sector employers and the third highest employer in the country overall. (BLS, 2018)

• While public sector jobs tend not to pay as well as private sector jobs; but being a “public servant” can be rewarding and meaningful with greater work/life balance. And you serve your country or community.

• The public sector is not motivated by profit, but it is more often motivated by education, ideology, and ambition. If you are an educator or leader who wants to shape, influence, or improve the world, then may be for you.

• Public sector roles tend to offer more job security and financial options through instruments like credit unions (e.g. easier home loans/better mortgage rates), more robust health benefits, and retirement funds.

Pros of the Private Sector:

• The private sector provides the vast majority of career opportunities.

• On average, private sector workers tend to be paid more than their Public Sector counterparts. According to a Washington Post article, private sector employees exceeded federal salaries by an average of 32 percent.

• If you are an entrepreneur and wish to build a company and/or fortune from scratch, while retaining ownership, the only place to do it is in the private sector.

• There are 30.2 million small businesses in this country, which is 99.9% of all United States businesses (source: SBA Office of Advocacy, which defines a small business as a firm with fewer than 500 employees, 2019). Small businesses provide a great number of the career opportunities available.

• If you are motivated by some kind of social or cultural passion and profit, private sector nonprofit occupations may provide a great balance between compensation and working for the benefit of others.

There is also a vital nexus between the Public and Private sectors, which have additional “Pros”:

• In the sociological study of human civilizations, there is a consensus that societies with an active, symbiotic partnership between the public and private sectors have driven the most innovation and success. (Maps of Time, David Christian)

• There are many careers and many opportunities in both sectors that work in partnership with another. For example, research.

• Lucrative government contracts/grants/earmarks make their way from the public sector to the private sector on an annual basis.

• A “revolving door” between the public and private sectors means more career choices for you based on your personal needs and desires, which evolve over time.

Each sector has its own unique way of developing your skills. It’s worth researching which may support your unique goals in the best way, but ultimately work experience gained in one sector can only strengthen your performance in the other.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

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, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercareerstrategies.com.