1 Presenting yourself online: LinkedIn
A CV is one of the most important pieces of your toolkit when it comes to applying for jobs, and later in the course you will look at ways to make sure your CV stands out from the pile when it arrives with a recruiter. However a CV is not the only way to get noticed. These days you are also likely to need an online presence to make yourself visible to potential employers.
LinkedIn is one of the most used professional networking sites. It has the advantage of being both an online CV and networking tool, and as you will see in Week 6, networking is one of the most important success strategies for getting back after a career break.
This week you will begin to build your profile on LinkedIn, and start developing your networks by searching for former colleagues and/or fellow returners. By highlighting your valuable work experience and qualifications you will make it easier for employers to find you. Your career break, may well have taught you valuable transferable skills and helped you to make useful contacts. Reflecting on these skills and drawing on the help and expertise of your contacts might help to build your confidence as you begin to search for a new opportunity.