How to Use LinkedIn Effectively in Your Job Search

Social media has become an important part of the job search process as employers use it to weed out potential candidates in the hiring process. LinkedIn is particularly relevant for job seekers because it exists specifically for building your networking and marketing? yourself for prospective career opportunities. Janelle is looking for LinkedIn tips with her question for the WorkInSports Podcast:

“Hey Brian, you spoke in my college classroom recently, and you let everyone know that if they weren’t comfortable asking questions live, we could hit you up on LinkedIn… well, here I am! My question is actually about LinkedIn too. I’ve been using social media all my life, but more Instagram, TikTok, and Snap[chat] – I know LinkedIn is important, but this is my first time trying to take social media seriously. How do I do this right?”

How to Use LinkedIn Effectively

Even if you aren’t active across the social media landscape, optimizing your LinkedIn profile and being present in that space is important for your job prospects. Please note that a good LinkedIn profile is not simply a copy and paste of your resume with more characters to use for the description. It’s a customized page for you to include:

•    A professional-looking headshot and background image to put a face with your name
•    A compelling headline (max 120 characters) communicating who you are and what you offer employers
•    Your professional summary (similar to a mission statement on your resume) that includes relevant keywords
•    A customized LinkedIn URL with your first and last name

Job Seeker Sign In

Sign in with Google

Sign in with LinkedIn

Sign in with Apple

Or, use your email address:

Next

After you’ve set up your profile and added the customized LinkedIn URL to your resume (yes, do that), it’s time to go to work establishing yourself on the platform. Here are some LinkedIn tips to get you started:

•    Add relevant career information for what you are pursuing (internships instead of unrelated part-time work)
•    Include professional certificates from LinkedIn (or other places)
•    Build your network by requesting connections with customized notes
•    Join and actively contribute to groups  with other aspiring sports professionals

Check out the full episode of the WorkInSports Podcast to learn how to use LinkedIn effectively. To catch more sports career advice, subscribe to the podcast to listen to each episode as it premiers. You can also view additional content on our YouTube channel.