Linkedin makes it easy to apply for jobs. With the single click of a button, you can submit an application based on your Linkedin profile. Hoorah! A quick, simple process -- the complete opposite to the rest of the job hunt.
But just as simple as it is for you, so too for thousands of others who are after the same position you're qualified for. So how do you find ways to stand out as you swim through the Linkedin application pool? We have two key strategies you can use get ahead.
Showcase Your Skills
Identify and feature your strongest skills in the designated section on your profile. Create a combination between hard and soft skills, and align the skills you have with the skills that are required in the position you aspire to land. This section is essential in integrating "keywords" onto your profile, ensuring that when someone looks for a candidate with your skillset, you pop up in the search.
According to data that Linkedin has collected over the years, a Linkedin profile with five or more skills appears in 27x more searches than those with fewer listed. That's a huge advantage!
A Linkedin profile with five or more skills appears in 27x more searches
Learn how to add skills to your Linkedin profile and resume here.
Through data collection, Linkedin learned that 86% of hiring managers wanted a way to confirm a candidate's expertise with hard skills. Linkedin added a feature called "Skills Assessment" that allows users to test their hard skills as a way to verify their claims. Take a short hour of your time to tackle a few of these assessments so that hiring managers can gauge your aptitude for the skills you listed on your profile.
Be The First To Apply!
After searching for the roles that excite you the most, you apply through Linkedin with the plethora of other candidates. What if there was a way to be one of the first to apply?
Linkedin shared that applying to a job within 10 minutes of its posting increases your chances of hearing back from that company by 4x. That's a huge advantage.
Set up Linkedin job alerts (and here's how) to receive push notifications on your phone when positions that may pique your interest go live. You'll have the upper hand in being one of the first to know of the listing and can act quickly to send your profile to the hiring manager.
As you can see, it's not enough to have your Linkedin profile filled out. You've got to make your profile work with you in your job hunt. Set yourself up for success.
Sarah Sax is the Founder of Write For The Job.