Again in 2023, social media administration platform Buffer wrote a blog post about the way it had acquired 1,518 candidates for a single function on its advertising and marketing workforce.
Whereas that’s a jaw-dropping quantity, it’s a typical prevalence for firms with well-paying jobs that boast an awesome firm tradition. Within the current job market, many job seekers are discouraged figuring out they’re competing towards tons of (if not hundreds) of candidates.
For some roles, a résumé will solely get you to date. A private model helps you stand out earlier than you ever apply for a job, making the applying course of tip in your favor.
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You can break out of the résumé mold
Résumés often have very prescriptive formats. You’ve probably heard the common advice: Keep it to one page, highlight your accomplishments, make it easy to read. These days, résumés are often fed directly into an applicant tracking system—so any creativity is stripped, and a résumé reviewer only sees text.
Yet many companies have a required field on their applications: the URL of your LinkedIn profile.
This is where you can shine. Anyone can have a polished headshot, colorful banner, and interesting headline. But you can set yourself apart with a compelling “About” section, links to projects in the “Featured” section, and recommendations from former colleagues.
Your LinkedIn profile is like your résumé with a microphone. Instead of passively waiting for someone to review your work, you’re amplifying it.
Of course, to do this, you need to create content.
Start with a small, manageable posting schedule
LinkedIn can be a very intimidating place, especially if you’ve never shared content there before. The feed is full of people who are “Excited to announce” a new job or want to tell you how to “10x your career.” One Gen Z user referred to LinkedIn as “the overachievers’ Facebook” in an article for the New York Put up.
Creating content material is a option to showcase your persona in a approach that your résumé and profile can’t. You don’t need to got down to be an influencer, however you possibly can share related experiences out of your profession—and even a peek into your private pursuits (if you happen to’re comfy doing so).
I began with one put up per week, sharing something work-related that popped into my head. I had no explicit aim in thoughts, however acknowledged that LinkedIn was the platform the place work and alternatives occur. Finally, I began changing into extra strategic and shared content material that showcased my experience and persona, however not till my weekly writing behavior was well-established.
You possibly can bypass gatekeepers and make connections
A private model will open doorways in a approach {that a} résumé received’t. In an intense job market, you want something and every little thing that distinguishes you from different job seekers.
With a private model, you may make connections with potential hiring managers and depend on these connections when making use of for a job. Do that earlier than you apply. Begin connecting with individuals in your trade or at firms you’d wish to work for. Interact with them and proceed posting content material.
When a job opens up, you possibly can apply and likewise ship a DM saying: “Hey! Simply needed to let you realize that I utilized for XYZ function. Actually excited concerning the alternative.” It would transfer your résumé to the highest of the pile.
Important consideration
A private model may also convey affords on to you—with no need to use. You may be a magnet for hiring managers or recruiters who will attain out with potential alternatives.
I’m self-employed, so my expertise isn’t the identical as a standard job seeker. Nonetheless, I can attest that I get a vital quantity of consideration on LinkedIn after a number of years of constructing a private model. Connections have introduced alternatives my approach that I might not have had in any other case.
Due to my content material, individuals know who I’m, perceive what I do, and belief that my private model matches my work ethic.
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