Are You Ready: to progress using LinkedIn?

Cordelia Gartside

Let’s Grow
employability@bil.ac.uk
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1. Your profile summary
 Profile Summary in 5 Steps

1. Who you are

2. What you do

3. How you do it

4. Why you?

5. Call to action

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1: Who you are

Your favourite quote

Your greatest achievement or skill

Something that showcases your personality

Something you want your reader to know

immediately
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 1:1 Why a quote?
• “People will forget what you said, people will forget what
you did, but people will never forget how you made them
feel.”
– Maya Angelou

• “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the
seeds that you plant.”
– Robert Louis Stevenson

• "I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product

of my decisions."
– Stephen Covey

• “To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use

your heart.”
 2: What you do
“ Studying for an honours degree in Business and
Your career Management introduced me to the huge potential of
interests: digital marketing: an area that I’m now passionate
about.”

OR
“Day-to-day I:
A day in your • Discuss marketing aspirations with clients
professional • Devise imaginative ways to enhance traffic
life: • Deliver inspirational pitches to potential partners”

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 3: Why you do it

Why do you love What excites you What are your

your job? about the industry? future aspirations
and goals?

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 4: Why you?
Achievements and skills

Specialities or expertise

Unique qualities

Services you offer

What you could bring to the team

How you’d be a good fit in the industry

 5: Call to action
Instruct Advise Persuade

Issue a command or Offer advice or Use persuasive

instruction to get recommend that you language and
their attention are contacted: reinforce your skills:
quickly: “If you are “If you like what
“Connect with me interested in hearing you’ve read so far
on LinkedIn to find more about my work and see my qualities
out more.” experience, you can fitting well with your
connect with me on team, connect with
LinkedIn.” me to chat about a
future working
together.”

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 Personal Profile
A)
“The industry’s pace of growth and room for D)
innovation is incredibly exciting to me, as a “If your company is looking for a
person who loves challenging, fast-moving dedicated, career focussed digital
environments. I hope to be able to put myself marketing assistant and you’d like to
into this context as soon as possible.” connect, I’d love to talk to you.”

B)
“Studying for an honours degree in
Business and Management introduced
me to the huge potential of digital
marketing: an area that I’m now
passionate about.”
C)
"Know thyself. Know the customer.
Innovate." – Beth Comstock E)
As a high achieving student, specialising
in digital marketing and passionate
about the industry, I believe that I
would be a keen and driven addition to
any team.

1: Who you are 2: What you do 3: Why you do it 4: Why you? 5: Call to action 12
2. Contacting recruiters
How to message a recruiter?
Never start by asking for a job!

• Step 1: Request to connect with the recruiter Be proactive by

also reaching
• Step 2: Ask recruiter for introduction out to someone who’s
currently working at
• Step 3: Follow up with the recruiter the company in the
role you want.
 Step 1: Request to connect
Keep it brief
Simple
opening,
clearly stating “Hi Anna, I see that we’re both based in Bloomsbury.
that 1) you’ve
done your I also noticed that you’re a member of Knowledge Quarter. I
research and attended their conference in 2018 and found it really Something else
2) you have valuable. Maybe our paths crossed there! you have in
something in common related to
common Would love to connect if possible!” the first sentence.
Reinforces that you
see them as a
person, not just as
a recruiter

Polite call to action; leaving it on their terms

Don’t bring up the
position too soon!
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 Step 2: Direct message
Polite, friendly
opening “Hi Anna, thanks for accepting my connection request! I saw the
digital marketing role posting from a few weeks ago, and I am
currently doing a bit of research to see whether I’d be a good fit.
Showing your
interest in the Would you happen to know anyone on the team I could have a Reasonable
role and your casual chat with to better understand the position? request – not
commitment to asking too
researching it I’d love to learn more about the day-to-day and team culture much too soon
before I bother you with specific questions about the application
process.”

A longer message Showing

is reasonable consideration for
because your their time and your
request to connect self-motivation
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has been accepted
 Step 3: Follow up
Shows that you
acted, and that
you’re grateful for
“Hi Anna, just wanted to let you know that my conversation with their help
John went very well. Thank you again for putting us in touch!

Mention something I had no idea that your company has so many projects focusing
that you talked on small sustainable businesses. Now you’ve shown
about to show your that you’re
interest in the Chatting with John has solidified my interest in joining the digital proactive and
company marketing team, and I would love to send over my CV for your prepared you can
review if convenient. ask the big favour

I sincerely believe that the analytical and marketing strategy

skills I’ve developed from my time studying will transfer over
well to this position."
Bring in something
specific about the
position and how 17
you can fulfil it
 What if…
• They don’t pass my contact details on?
• Usually it won’t be a flat refusal
• They may offer to forward your CV
• Or to have a quick chat with you about the role
• You’ve still achieved more than if you’d just submitted your CV
through the job website
• They ignore me?
• Bummer, but keep trying
• Reach out to other people who work at the company
• This includes other recruiters (most companies have multiple)
• Keep networking within the company’s LinkedIn page
• Don’t give up!
3. Job Hunting
Search for Job Opportunities

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4. Networking
 Network with Companies
You can connect with HR and recruitment
managers, interact with the company’s posts,
and directly message about openings.
Browse your LinkedIn feed and comment /
share / react to other companies’ posts.
The more active you are, the more you’ll get
seen by recruiters or potential new colleagues
who can refer you to their company for a job,
etc.

TIP: To get seen online, follow big

influencers (e.g. Bill Gates) and comment
on their posts. Comments on a “big”
influencer’s post could get about 10 likes
vs a normal comment (0-2 likes). 22
Network with Everyone!
Share updates and interesting content: This could include new accomplishments
to a blog post you’ve written or an article that people in your network may want to
read.

Invite past and current co-workers, classmates, friends and family to connect.
Avoid adding complete strangers, unless they’re recruiters, employed at a
company you’re interested in, or you’ve already shared a friendly exchange.

Engage with your connections: LinkedIn allows you to see what people in your
network are posting, liking and commenting on. If they shared a blog post that you
enjoyed reading, for example, why not react, or reply with a nice comment?

Join groups: This will help you strengthen connections with people who share the
same interests and goals as you.
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Thank you.
Any questions?
Cordelia Gartside
cordelia.gartside@bil.ac.uk