4 Linkedin Tips from a New Jersey Recruiter

Looking for an edge with your job search? Or maybe you are a passive job seeker and just want to know what is out there?

LinkedIn is a great way to have a social network website work for you in your job search!

Never heard of LinkedIn? LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking tool used for professional networking with over 100 million members and growing. It allows you to connect with your friends, colleagues, and supervisors from current and previous places of employment. Linkedin currently has over 3,000 New Jersey Companies regularly reviewing profiles and over 400 New Jersey Employment Group sites.

My advice is for those of you looking for jobs, to create an account (if you don’t already have one) and OPTIMIZE your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn profiles only have so much information on them, including textual information from your resume and profile, connections built by prior relationships and possibly recommendations. Below you will find key information to aid in your job search and allow for LinkedIn to work for you:

1. Include your work history and use key words in your profile (ie. Building relationships, past accomplishments with budgets, a blurb about what you did in each position, software/databases you have used, etc.)
2. Join LinkedIn groups that cater towards continuing education for your career or even job boards that cater towards your skill set
3. Update your status to say you are looking for new opportunities
4. “Link-in” with all colleagues, friends, and managers you have had in the past – maybe even get recommendations on your page

By doing the following, you can help increase your chances of getting a job and a New Jersey employer finding you on LinkedIn.

Written by: Vanessa Cerria, Recruiter  Aerotek Clinical Piscataway, NJ