2015 could be the year you find your dream job and I want to help you get there with job seeking tips that actually make a difference. As a Product Manager, I’m a firm believer in the numbers so here’s a look at your LinkedIn to-do list with the data to prove these tips are worth your while.
Be ready when opportunity comes knocking. If you’re an active job seeker, make sure your LinkedIn profile – I.e., your online professional brand – showcases the breadth of your experience, accomplishments, and interests. Don’t just take it from me, let the data tell the tale. Add your two most recent work positions, list your skills, include a photo, and you can increase your profile views by 12, 13, and 14 times, respectively.
Don’t leave your job search just because you’ve left your desk. Did you know that 30% of job applications are submitted within the first three days a job is posted? Or that if you apply to a job within the first three days, you are 13% more likely to land the role? Clearly your competition is staying glued to their job search so it’s important that you, too, are on top of yours when you’ve stepped away from your desk. Join the more than 1 million people who are already using LinkedIn's Job Search app for iPhone, an app entirely dedicated to LinkedIn's job postings, to browse open positions, apply for new ones or opt for personalized alerts when the type of jobs you want become available.
Take some cues from the higher-ups. We took a look at LinkedIn members in the US at the top of the professional food chain – members with titles of Vice President or Partner - who were newly hired from March to August 2014 and some common trends arose among their LinkedIn activity in the three months prior to their new jobs. The lesson learned? These executives knew the value of building and nurturing professional relationships in order to be successful in their job search: 80% were sending connection requests, 50% were participating in groups, and 40% were engaging on LinkedIn via shares, likes, and comments.
Nurture your professional relationships. When looking at the pool of all new US hires from March to August 2014, approximately 83% were using LinkedIn in the three months prior to their job changes. Taking it one step further, 65% were sending connection requests and 45% were endorsing their connections.
Unlock your competitive edge. If you really want to up the competitive ante, consider a Job Seeker Premium subscription, which arms you with a 2x larger listing in search results as well as Featured Applicant status that positions any application you submit on LinkedIn at the top of the list for that posting. You will also have access to tools like Applicant Insights, which provides a percentile ranking of how you stack up to the other applicants applying to that same job. Knowledge is power and tools like these will help you get focused on the right opportunities and successfully pursue them.
With nearly two and a half million job opportunities on LinkedIn, we know that the search can feel like a job in and of itself. Focus on the facts - the tips backed by data to prove that they really matter - and make 2015 the year you land your dream job.