In this Project Management Recruitment Ideas, we take a look at the social / business networking tool, LinkedIn and ask the question – can it really help you find a new job? Guy Kawasakis’ post on LinkedIn back in 2007 stated “People with more than twenty connections are thirty-four times more likely to be approached with a job opportunity than people with less than five.” Of course we don’t know the actual figures of how many people have found a job directly through LinkedIn but in recent months there has been an increase in the functionality of LinkedIn which certainly will improve your chances.
We will also be covering other “social media” sites later in the Project Management Recruitment Ideas series.
Using LinkedIn as a Project Management Job Seeker
Linkedin is a business networking website – much like Facebook but for professionals looking to network, join communities and keep abreast of what’s new in their field. Unlike Facebook its popularity is understated and most are not aware that a lot of potential employers and recruiters not only utilise the site for networking but also to find potential employees. Setting up and account with Linkedin is free and easy enough, with the opportunity to add in work experience, education and join special interest groups. Once you begin to build your profile and make connections you quickly start to grow within the community. I have highlighted a number of areas below, which are overlooked when using the website and feel sharing this valuable insight will assist those wanting to move roles and those currently looking to gain employment.
- Searching for roles – the search tab for jobs on the website is very straightforward and if you have already joined some special interest groups and have included detail on your profile about the roles you have currently / previously held; then suggestions are generated on the jobs home page. Don’t be afraid to use the keywords search also and ensure you keep the keywords simplistic such as “Project”, “Change” or even specific company names – you may drop lucky with an organisation you would like to work for advertising their roles on the site.
- Allowing roles to come to you – just the same as loading your CV on the large job websites making them searchable by employers and recruiters, here’s the key – make sure you keep the information to the point and descriptive enough for the reader to understand the size and scale of projects you have worked on and what you involvement is. Look to make connections with current and former colleagues and line managers, ask them to recommend you. By retrieving recommendations on specific roles by line managers, business partners, suppliers, customers and colleagues you start to gain a greater credibility. Basically these work as references in the first instance, although you will probably be asked to supply referee contact details to obtain references later on down the line such as if a job offer is made. But in the first instance this works well to attract sufficient interest. You can choose which contact details are viewable – I recommend a mobile number and an email address if you are looking to secure a role swiftly.
- Getting noticed – as stated above, look to ensure your profile is sufficient in detail and recommendations and join special interest groups. This is a fantastic way to get noticed; look at the current discussion threads and join in, when people post questions asking for advice or opinions you can really start to come into your own element as a professional in that field. You’ll start to make new connections and also get your name noticed and remembered – this is invaluable especially when talking around technical aspects such as setting up PMOs, managing technical projects, implementing change into complex areas etc. Providing advice at the initial stages could really open doors for you and especially for contractors.
- A different but obvious approach – so you are looking for a new role, you have identified a number of organisations you would like to work for but there are no vacancies on their website; what next? Easy – search Linkedin on “companies” which will supply a list of people who currently or previously have worked for them. Identify business managers, head of projects, etc. then make contact – most will look to email or send a message to these contacts however we recommend you make the call! OK it’s not for the faint hearted, you need to research the company and prepare a script to be successful. Think about why it is you want to work there – what are their current projects? How are they similar to projects you have worked on? How you can add value? Remember there isn’t necessarily a role available at present so your exceptional communication and engagement skills need to come into play here. Also use your connections; you may have friends, ex colleagues and acquaintances who are connected to people you want to speak to – ask a favour. Most will do their best, put yourself in their shoes, if they needed assistance or an introduction wouldn’t you help them?
There are other useful ways to use Linkedin – but to make it work for you; you have to work for it by spending the time to create a detailed profile. Also once you make connections and begin networking you must also keep it up; don’t be that contact that only gets in touch when they need something (i.e. a job) keep talking, advising and being a strong connection as favours may also need returning from time to time. We can do it on Facebook, Bebo and Twitter so why not on Linkedin too especially as tools have been created to update statuses on multiple sites now.
