A third of the questions from readers are about their resumes.
- What should they showcase or gloss over?
- How should a resume be stylized or organized?
- What can they do to make sure the right person reads it?
All important matters, to be sure. One question is rarely asked. Where do I post my personal profile? Increasingly, that’s where a job hunter needs to spend thoughtful time. Experts agree, the answer is on the LinkedIn professional site, and you need to be invited to do so by someone who’s already a member and very likely employed.
According to a March 2010 Fortune article by Jessi Hempel, the consulting colossus Accenture intended to hire 50,000 people in 2010. “If you don’t have a profile on LinkedIn, you’re nowhere,” says Accenture. “Motivated by the cheaper, faster recruiting [possible] online,” Accenture “plans to make as many as 40 percent of its hires in the next few years through social media.”
Hempel’s article also says an invitation to join LinkedIn is “obligatory-and more useful than swapping business cards and churning out resumes.” More than 65 million members “have logged on to create profiles, upload their employment histories, and build connections with people they know.”
Recruiters stream to LinkedIn because it’s stocked to the gills with “passive candidates,” i.e., people who already have jobs. This can slash time for a traditional search in half. LinkedIn is actually becoming a serious competitor to traditional recruiters.
Real-life connections make it harder to puff up your background. A smartly placed and maintained profile there can be your best insurance policy against being locked out of tomorrow’s cyber-job shop.
For more tips and secrets about job searching and job hunting read my book Use Your Head To Get Your Foot In The Door.
