In this new article from our Tech-tonic Moves series, Fathima Zikker shares some less understood tools and features to leverage for success on LinkedIn. Great tips for all those attending our North American Virtual Insights Career Fair on Friday, April 28, 2023.
Unlocking LinkedIn’s Tools and Features for Professional Success
By Fathima Zikker
With over 850 million users globally, LinkedIn is the world’s largest platform for professionals, making it an essential tool for job seekers to advance in their careers and network with potential employers. Here are some LinkedIn statistics* that will make you reconsider your job search strategy if you are not yet utilizing this social media platform to make your next career moves:
- 52 million people use LinkedIn to search for jobs each week
- 8 people are hired through LinkedIn every minute
- There are 101 job applications submitted every second on LinkedIn
- 16.2% of US LinkedIn users log in to the platform every day
- 2.7 million companies post content on LinkedIn every day
- There are 39,000 skills listed on LinkedIn
- 44% of hiring managers used LinkedIn skills data to fill roles
Understanding how the platform operates, utilizing its tools and features and making the most of your LinkedIn presence can really help develop your professional network and boost career success:
- The platform’s greatest feature is its ability to allow prospective candidates to connect with, follow and even message hiring managers and recruiters. This not only provides opportunities for employment but also helps candidates gain referrals, form contacts and expand their professional network.
- LinkedIn’s job search feature is user-friendly and efficient, allowing you to search for jobs by keywords, location, industry, type of employment and other criteria. What’s impressive is that you can create customized alerts for new jobs that are posted with your matching criteria.
- The platform also allows you to join groups and connect with like-minded professionals who share interests similar to yours. Joining and participating in groups can help you expand your network, learn about new employment opportunities and stay up-to-date on industry trends.
- A lesser known feature of the site is its very own learning platform, LinkedIn Learning which offers thousands of courses on any range of topics including technology, business and creative skills. Taking these courses not only helps you gain knowledge and build new skills but also allows you to add your course certificates earned on your profile page. You can also attract employers looking for candidates with similar skills.
- LinkedIn allows you to publish varied content such as articles, blog posts, infographics, and multimedia, allowing you to showcase your expertise and build your brand.
- The platform also allows you to request for recommendations from people you have worked for and leaders in your field which in turn boosts your credibility and makes you more appealing to hiring managers.
At the Generation1.ca Virtual Insights Career Fair on April 28, between 10 am – 4 pm ET, hundreds of job seekers will learn from top-quality workshops packed with useful resources and sessions about building their professional profile in the brand-building lounge including sessions about crafting and honing your CV, creating compelling cover letters, using social media to channel your value proposition to new and returning prospects, making nifty elevator pitches, making pleasant e-mails and outstanding cold calls to maximize opportunities for data, insights, marketing, technology, business, and related sector professionals.
Come participate as a private sector employer or government or public sector employer, educational organization or as a job-seeker. Generation1.ca is an active platform and community that strives to nurture the talent of Canada’s disparate first-generation newcomers or those who moved to Canada in their adulthood alone and places immigrant newcomers (and legal cannabis and non-profit associations) at the forefront of data and insights innovation globally.
*Statistics from Hootsuite
Fathima Zikker is a Humber College Research Analyst Program graduate and is pursuing her internship placement as part of the Generation1.ca Virtual Insights Career Fair Team.
