Looking for Your Next Supply Chain Job? Get a Leg Up By Utilizing these LinkedIn Tips and Tricks
The best supply chain job opportunities can be difficult to find – and once you have applied, you are competing against a very talented candidate pool. Your resume, cover letter, and recruiter can all speak to your qualifications, but that doesn’t mean you will automatically stand out from the other candidates. One job search outlet that will help you stand out? LinkedIn.
A few months ago, we asked “Are You Taking Full Advantage of LinkedIn?” and shared several strategies to get you started on the network. But as LinkedIn continues to grow, recording billions of applications and resumes per year, you’ll want to do even more to stand out on the site if you want to stand out as a supply chain candidate.
Here are 10 more LinkedIn tips that will take your LinkedIn presence from good – to great:
- In our previous post, we talked about making sure to connect – joining groups, following companies and connecting with recruiters. Now, take initiative beyond connecting. Ask for a call, a meeting, or an informational interview.
- Research other people in your field with other positions and evaluate how they have developed their profiles. Read their recommendations, experience, and summary. Try to think like a recruiter or hiring manager. What stands out to you about your fellow supply chain professionals? How does your profile compare to theirs? Optimize your profile based upon your benchmarking and make sure that your profile stands out as a top candidate.
- Once you have updated your profile, make sure that your headline speaks to your qualifications and experience (and not just your current position). For example, if you are a seasoned logistics and supply chain manager, consider the headline “Experienced Senior-Level Supply Chain and Logistics Professional.”
- Focus on building your network before you need it. Identify and connect with people in your professional groups, offline connections, or other industry thought leaders.
- Now that you have a network, stay up to date and interact regularly. Don’t just engage with your network when you need something. Participate in group discussions, endorse your peers’ skills, and post frequent updates.
- Utilize the company pages on LinkedIn. With over 2.6 million company pages, chances are, your dream company has a page. Use the company search function to research your target companies and connect with employees who work for them. Also, follow those pages!
- Include specific information throughout your profile—the context of your roles, location of companies you worked for, direct contact info, etc. Unlike most resumes, LinkedIn offers ample space to highlight your experience, roles, and specific details.
- Update your skills section frequently. Add any classes you’ve taken, certifications you’ve earned or new professional experiences you’ve had that might be appealing to employers.
- Share updates frequently. You don’t have to do this every day; 2-3 times per month will do. And be sure to be relevant and interesting: share news, provide industry insights or provide a helpful link.
- Research and understand the impact of search engine optimization on LinkedIn, the use of keywords and how recruiters use both. Create a profile that takes advantage of the site’s algorithms so you will appear in search results when a hiring manager and recruiter are looking for their next employee.
LinkedIn continues to add two new members every second and has 75,000 developers working to create more tools and services. Why not grow along with it—and add to your value as a supply chain candidate? Follow these 10 steps and you’ll quickly separate yourself from the pack.
Looking for other ideas for standing out to prospective supply chain employers? Connect with Pamela Day on LinkedIn, or follow ZDA Supply Chain Recruiting to hear about great job opportunities.