Ask an average professional if they have a LinkedIn account. Oftentimes, the answer is yes!
The question however, is why have a LinkedIn account if you are unable to maximize its functions or at least make good use of it? Isn’t every employee a potential jobseeker?
Quite a number of job vacancies have been filled via LinkedIn. Most HR firms and HR managers look to the platform to fulfil their recruitment needs, including poaching of many C-level executives.
The benefits of this platform to jobseekers and recruiters are limitless. Hence, any serious minded individual looking for new opportunities and/or connections will keep their page active.
At Pivotage Consulting, we have connected with great potentials on LinkedIn; helped a few land their dream jobs and others to get better offers than their previous jobs.
Our observations however, reveal that many individuals with LinkedIn accounts are not sufficiently active on the platform. There has been many a times when job adverts were posted and potential candidates directly contacted on LinkedIn; only for these same persons to reach out to us weeks and sometimes months after the role had been filled. An indication that their inactivity on the platform did not allow them see the opportunity early enough to take advantage of it.
Keeping your profile active means being able to receive push-notifications on subjects that meets your interests as indicated on your profile. These notifications could range from job adverts to mentions in associated forums as well as events on your timelines and direct messages to your LinkedIn inbox. Openings that require an urgent filling will most definitely be sent to your DM which is assumed to be your priority destination for checking your updates and such offers will not be waiting indefinitely for you to check your inbox. It is our summation therefore; that although there are many LinkedIn subscribers, a lot of them are either;
1. Not jobseekers,
2. Not interested in exploring new opportunities,
3. Never check their LinkedIn inbox,
4. Do not understand the LinkedIn interface and usage
5. Do not understand the value of LinkedIn to their Career development and advancement especially in the corporate environment.
If you don’t fall in any of the above-listed categories then be sure to do the following:
1. Revive your profile
Build your LinkedIn profile to reflect all your jobs and achievement, you can add recommendations from former employers and colleagues, it’s a plus.
2. Download LinkedIn app on your mobile phone
Enable push notifications, this notifies you anytime your profile is viewed or you have an inbox. Engage in conversations on your timeline and ensure you are as professional as possible, you might be talking to that next step to your next employer.
Kindly be aware that this is by no means a sponsored advertisement for LinkedIn.
Your next job might just be a few connections away.
Get Active!
Cheers!