In the digital age, having a personal brand and showcasing it through LinkedIn is the best way to help land your dream job. Today, your LinkedIn profile is actually more compelling than your resume, and a strong network is necessary to directly route you to the hiring manager and partner. The reason for this is simple: your resume is seen by only a hand-select number of people, but your LinkedIn profile gives you access to be seen by 500+ million users, including key executives in roles and companies you are targeting. Without a digital footprint and active presence, applying to job search boards can keep you from missing out on 96% of opportunities.
It’s a known fact that job search boards have a 4% response rate, but networking has over a 70% chance of getting you a new job.
Yes, you read that right. A 4% response rate.
Right now, your mind is probably racing with the this thought: “But what else do I do with my resume? I’ve spent nearly 5-6 hours a day applying to the most well-known job search boards. Where else do I send my resume?”
If you have a well-written resume and LinkedIn profile, but you are still just relying on standard job boards, you are wasting your time. And, time is money.
How Much Money You’re Losing Each Month of Your Job Search
The average job search is 33 weeks. This is how much money you are losing each month that your job search extends:
- If your salary is $50,000, you are losing just shy of $4200 each month you are job searching.
- If your salary is $100,000, you are losing just shy of $8400 each month you are job searching.
- If your salary is $150,000 you are losing $12,500 each month you are job searching.
It’s important to know that each day you spend lingering only on the job search boards is another day you are wasting precious time and potential earnings.
Who should you be connecting with on LinkedIn? I recommend expanding your network to recruiters, colleagues, professionals in the same industry as you, and professionals at targeted companies. Don’t forget the extra step of connecting with them through in-person meetings and personalized e-notes. Just having the person in your network on LinkedIn is not enough.
The Winning Formula for a Successful Job Search
- Spend 10% of your time applying to job boards. That means no more than 1-2 hours a day.
- Spend 60% of your time actively networking.
- Spend 10% of your time researching companies, researching trends and topics related to your industry, and begin following companies on LinkedIn, high-ranking professionals in those companies, and start interacting with them on LinkedIn.
Being active and engaged on LinkedIn will require you to set aside the following time parameters: (1) an hour for connecting and personally reaching out to recruiters; (2) another hour for professionals in your field; and (3) another hour to connect to companies and share articles.
Ask for casual in-person meetings (lunch, coffee, post-work cocktail), connect in-person, and heavily network. Want to work for a top company? Find out when these companies are hosting events. Get on their email lists.
Research local business networking events on sites like Eventbrite and Network After Work. Make sure you dress the part, and always have business cards on you. If you don’t have a current business card, order personal business cards with your name, phone number, LinkedIn URL, email address and a branding statement that commands your value (ex: Trial Attorney – Insurance Defense & Appeals). After each event, go on LinkedIn, connect with the people you meet, and make sure you send them a personalized e-note.
It’s important to make effective use of all networking opportunities. Get social, get visible, and get your dream job in the new year.