How a LinkedIn Profile Can Make or Break Your Job Search
Times are tough right now for anyone seeking a new job, especially in the food and beverage industry. The market is flooded with resumes and applications. Food and beverage industry recruiters have an influx of calls from people looking for a new job or a chance to advance their careers.
Your not-so-secret weapon in all this is a tool you may have overlooked: LinkedIn.
A networking tool, contact list, and job search tool, all in one
LinkedIn is more than just a way to keep your contacts in one place and keep tabs on former co-workers and college classmates. It’s a way to look for new jobs in your industry as well as a forum for sharing ideas and tips. It’s also a great way to see which companies are hiring someone with your skillset.
LinkedIn has a built-in messaging system that can be used for seeking information about potential employers and a review system that may help you determine if you want to work for that company.
The platform also allows people to make themselves more visible to recruiters by noting in their profile that they are in an active job search. Hiring managers in the food and beverage industry may be alerted to your resume – if they have the right subscriptions – and can reach out to you directly. LinkedIn also offers email alerts about jobs in your industry and vicinity, sending you notice of new opportunities regularly.
Tools free for the using
Free LinkedIn Learning videos help people who find themselves in an active job search by providing strategies as well as practical training and support. Learn how to cope with a layoff, make a job search more effective and efficient, send the right message with body language during an interview, best network online, and write a knock-out resume (but more on that in a moment).
Secured an interview? Kinsa Group can help you prepare.
Tell your story virtually before you can meet in person
Anytime you update your resume, your LinkedIn profile should be updated as well. Here are some quick updates that can be made to help draw attention to your skills and background:
► Include a photo. It doesn’t need to be professional, but it should be of a polished, career-minded employee. Not sure what that means? Pick a company you’d like to work for and search for people on LinkedIn who work there. Look at their photos. Try to mimic or match the overall “feel” of their appearance. Remember the adage: Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.
► Use a strong headline to pique interest. How will a hiring manager find your profile? What sets you apart? Use keywords in your headline. Review the job descriptions that most appeal to you; then use the same language in a headline.
► Stats sell. Whenever possible, quantify your success and your contributions. Did you help improve sales by 30%? Did you help cut costs by 15% year over year? Were you responsible for expanding distribution by 18% in six months? Show how your experience will help a company be more successful with you on board.
► Be sure to have recommendations. LinkedIn allows people you’ve worked with or for to post recommendations and accolades to your profile. Who better to speak to your skills and strengths than someone who’s seen the great work you do? This isn’t about patting yourself on the back; it’s about others offering testimonials on your behalf.
► Be enthusiastic when it comes to connecting with people and sharing articles. LinkedIn is a great way to connect with people and share ideas. If you read an interesting piece on the latest trend in the food industry, share it on your profile with a few sentences explaining what you learned from it or how it applies to your job. If you attend a networking event, find others who also attended and add them to your network. You never know how someone you meet one-day could help you down the road, or who you can help along the way. The key is to be active and sincere.
Need resume advice? Review these tips on our blog.
If you’d like more personal resume and LinkedIn profile assistance, Kinsa Group has partnered with Resume Pilots to offer you this service. Be sure to use discount code: KINSA10.
Kinsa Group Can Help
With 35 years of experience helping people find careers in the food and beverage industry, Kinsa Group is skilled at matching the right people with the right positions. Our recruiters have the inside track on what executives and hiring managers are looking for, and they’re ready to help you find your next opportunity.
Gain a competitive edge in a crowded market. Follow Kinsa Group on LinkedIn to access regular career advice and job alerts.