An astute reader writes:
I think joining discussions where you might display relevant technical knowledge would be useful, but to be frank, I've really not seen any discussions of chemistry on LinkedIn where this might be the case.
I have found LinkedIn to be a quite useful repository of information about other people; that's helpful, but I don't really know what good it does, outside of being able to know who works at companies that you want to work at. (I think that's the idea, actually.) This parody video on LinkedIn, by the way, is mildly funny.
Outside of that, I'm pretty much out of ideas. Readers, what say you?
In the comments of your recent consulting post, a commenter mentioned "If you learn some of the ins and outs of LinkedIn it can be a huge help (no, you don't need to buy the gold membership either). My job search has been enormously more productive because of it."
Any advice (or perhaps a post) on the best ways to use LinkedIn. I'm a recent graduate. I haven't played with the site much but I have my profile as current as possible.
What else should one be doing? Joining groups? Joining discussions?I'll be really honest and say I don't really know. I think it's helpful in a job search to have a fairly informative (but not overly detailed) profile and it is a good idea to update it regularly.
I think joining discussions where you might display relevant technical knowledge would be useful, but to be frank, I've really not seen any discussions of chemistry on LinkedIn where this might be the case.
I have found LinkedIn to be a quite useful repository of information about other people; that's helpful, but I don't really know what good it does, outside of being able to know who works at companies that you want to work at. (I think that's the idea, actually.) This parody video on LinkedIn, by the way, is mildly funny.
Outside of that, I'm pretty much out of ideas. Readers, what say you?
How have I not seen that video until just now? It's awesome!
ReplyDeleteIt is imperative that you get your profile as complete as possible. People WILL look at it, especially if you see a job opportunity and ask about it.
Absolutely join groups. There are several groups devoted to helping people get jobs, LinkedIn is worth joining just for those. Recently, I saw a prestigious medicinal chemist job advertised in one of these groups. This job did not post on the ACS or any other big job search websites. I was able to make direct contact with the senior chemist in charge of that position. It's too early to know if anything positive will come of that, but I figure it can't hurt to have gotten my name to him, right?
When I see a decent looking job opportunity on any website, I'll look up the company on LinkedIn. It will tell you if there's any people you're connected to within the company and explain how you're connected. You'll be surprised how close you are to people in positions of power. I've asked a couple of friends now to look into jobs for me because they knew someone important.
When you do see a good looking job posting, don't just reply to it and ask the person to look at your profile. Send them a quick personal message saying you're interested and that you'd like to discuss it further. I've immediately gotten to the phone screen on a few occasions just by doing this. Sometimes I get flat out rejected, but that's okay, at least I know where I stand.
Discussions I'm on the fence about. Like CJ, I haven't seen many that I can or want to contribute to. Go to the ACS group to see how NOT to engage in discussion. I've commented on some stuff and people do look at my profile after, but nothing has really come of that. There are some productive conversations that crop up, and I figure if you make good contributions it can only help make you look good. But so far I say the jury's still out on whether getting into discussions is useful.
LinkedIn has a wonderful feature in the 2nd and 3rd network connections. When you're the "low-man" at a new job, it can be satisfying to know that you could contact your own CEO more effectively through LinkedIn than if you try moving through your own company's bureaucracy.
ReplyDeleteI find it's also useful as a comparative tool, to show you how others got to where they are. Many mid-career scientists reflect the changing economics of our field: they spent the '90s with one company, and then held short 2-year stints all through the 2000s, and likely are private consultants now. All laid out for you to see.
From CNN Money's "20 avoidable job search mistakes":
ReplyDelete15. Not having a LinkedIn profile.
"Many employers and HR professionals use LinkedIn as their go-to resource for more information about a candidate," Schulzke says. "If you don't have a LinkedIn profile, you are missing out on a critical opportunity to showcase your skills and experience."
I think this largely corroborates CJ's first point, that merely having even a passive presence on LinkedIn is of potential benefit. Not only does it lay out one's career path and experience, but I think that having a moderate number of diverse contacts also speaks well of one's background.
I would add that in my personal experience, I have found LinkedIn to be a good way to reconnect with some of my undergraduate and graduate school chemist-acquaintances that have moved on to bigger and better things. This has been particularly useful to this soon-to-be young professional in setting up a network of contacts upon moving to a new city. Sure, I may have not spoken with some of them for 5 years or more, but at least they aren't complete strangers.
I've found LinkedIn to be quite valuable, not only for posting my personal profile, but it provides a valuable resource for researching companies.
ReplyDeleteIf you've applied or are interested in a posted position, through LinkedIn you can often find useful information about the hiring manager. Or, you may have LinkedIn connections who worked at the company in the past, and will likely still have networking contacts there.
Some HR professionals I know say that they almost always look to LinkedIn (in addition to other social media sites) to research prospective candidates.
There are some job postings (particularly from smaller companies) that are entirely contained within LinkedIn -- including the interface for applying for the job. Bottom line, LinkedIn has many features that are worth exploring -- and I'm sure I've only scratched the surface of its potential.
Its a good way to be recruited, or find recruiters for other people that you know that are looking.
ReplyDeleteAlso its a good way to judge how to stay competitive in your field.
I started to write, "Seriously, people, does anyone really think LinkedIn make a any difference what-so-ever? Who would really be dim enough to use it to screen candidates?"
ReplyDeleteAnd then, my mind flashed to all the HR goons/goon-ettes I've have met....
Eka-sili:
ReplyDeleteDo you know why HR people never get AIDS?
... Because nobody loves them.
And how you tell when HR is setting you up?
...She smiles at you.
And how you call the HR director from your last job?
...You call him names.
One more:
ReplyDeleteAnd why can't all HR just go to Hell?
...Because they would make the Devil redundant.
I am interested to know how people have used social media networking ... The best way to use LinkedIn for sales is to build relationships.
ReplyDeleteLinkedin will not get you a job anymore than cnn.com will. It's a resource. However, it's being touted as the savior for people seeking employment. The unemployment rate is still high. It's not that you're unqualified, it's that there are no jobs.
ReplyDelete