Linked-In and Social Media - out with the old and in with the new.

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The way in which recruitment takes place has changed dramatically over the past few years. The more traditional methods of recruitment namely relying on head hunters, employee referrals and job boards have a new force to reckon with - Social media.

Social media has reinvented the recruitment industry in a big way, and it’s not just candidates seeking new employment that use this new forum. Employers themselves are actively advertising and seeking candidates via social media. For employers social media can be a more cost effective and efficient method to source new recruits.

Linked-In is by far the market leader when it comes to professional networking. So if you are serious about seeking new opportunities and career progression, Linked-In is the way forward.
Here’s a few tips to boost your profile.

• Your profile = Your on line CV. Make sure you sell yourself as much as possible! You want your profile to stand out, so describe your career experience and qualifications in detail. Remember that Linked-In also functions like a search engine. Employers will search for criteria and you want your CV to come up in the search result. Ensure that all required fields are completed.

• Raise your profile. High privacy settings are a good idea for networking sites such as facebook, as you want to retain control as to who can see personal information about you. However Linked-In is a business network- privacy settings are not the way forward. The more people who can access your profile the better!

• Invitations. The more contacts you have the more easily you will be ‘discovered’, so be proactive! Send invites to friends, ex-colleagues, relatives, everybody you know. The professional world is a small place. The key with Linked-in is who you know and who they know!

• Research new employers. Use your network to pick up valuable information about prospective employers. Have they hired people with your skills? Have they hired a new executive you could be reporting to if you got a particular job? Are they advertising any roles which you could apply for?

• Update your status. We’re all used to posting status updates on facebook, so why not do the same on Linked-in? You can update your employment status, but don’t simply state, I need a job. Be more creative. Explain your current or most recent position and explain what you are looking for i.e senior property lawyer seeking career progression and partnership prospects.

• Seek recommendations. Contact all your old colleagues, clients, anyone who can help influence your career. Request their recommendation and store it in your profile for all future employers to see. Its act like a reference and boosts your credibility!