Networking online
2. LinkedIn
Choose LinkedIn as a starting point. LinkedIn offers so much more than the opportunity to make professional connections. You can browse articles, learn more about the roles and sectors you’re interested in, update your online CV, and actively look for jobs. LinkedIn may have begun as an online CV platform but it’s now the world’s leading global professional networking site.
Your profile
- Create a profile you’re confident to share immediately with employers (you will appear in searches if you’ve said you’re actively looking) – some employers/recruiters/agents head hunt using LinkedIn so you may be approached – ensure those employers are impressed
- Be honest and authentic: your profile should mention your aspirations and promote you successfully, but avoid exaggeration
- Add an interesting headline: LinkedIn defaults to your current job title, which may not reflect what you’re hoping to achieve by having a profile on this platform, e.g. if you currently work in a bar but aspire to work as an Accountant, this default won’t attract the right employers
- Once you’re happy with it, update it regularly (same goes for your CV): it’s easy to forget what you’ve done