Breaking Through the Noise on LinkedIn: Navigating the Job Search with Realistic Expectations and Strategy

LinkedIn has become a hub for job seekers and employers alike. Amidst posts from individuals looking for work, sharing stories of prolonged unemployment, or being passed over for jobs, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and disheartened. Every day I log on, it feels like I’m doom-scrolling through endless complaints about the job market.

It reminds me of my days working in customer service at Honda Motor Company, where I only heard of the complaints, so it’s easy to start thinking that the product you represent is crap. But when you look at the numbers, the average volume of calls on any given day was in the hundreds compared to the tens of millions of vehicles on the road. And throw in that a good portion were people complaining about their sales experience, which Honda had no real way of handling since dealers are independently owned and operated businesses. Then, add that many people complaining were out of warranty and didn’t feel they should be on the hook for replacing a power window component at 200,000 miles on their 15-year-old car. The reality was that the product was still good, but all I heard was the bad. The same applies to LinkedIn. People are more likely to put their grievances online than celebrate their wins.

The key to breaking through this noise is a balanced approach, combining realistic expectations and effective strategies.

Understanding the LinkedIn Landscape

The first step in navigating LinkedIn effectively is to understand its nature. LinkedIn is not just a job board; it's a platform for professional networking and personal branding. Recognizing this can shift your approach from merely looking for job openings to building a network and showcasing your expertise.

Breakout by numbers:

• 161.22M people in the US workforce

• 202M US users on LinkedIn

• 3.9% unemployment rate (October 2023) or 6.5M people out of work

• 9.6M open jobs (as of September 2023)

So why are there hundreds of applicants for any given job when there are 30% more open jobs than unemployed people? Most open jobs are low-skilled and low-paying, which are not necessarily demographics of LinkedIn users. Applicant pools are also made up of employed people. The problem is not a lack of people to fill the jobs; it’s a lack of good-paying careers.

Impact on Morale

Constant exposure to posts about job rejections or prolonged job searches can be demoralizing. It's important to remember that LinkedIn is a highlight reel for many, where struggles are amplified (and get the most engagement). After all, it’s a networking platform, so why wouldn’t someone post that they need help? This skewed perspective can lead to unrealistic expectations about the job market.

Setting Realistic Expectations

Job searching, especially in competitive fields, can be a lengthy process. Understanding this can help maintain a positive outlook and perseverance. Remember, finding the right job opportunity is often a marathon, not a sprint. And when it comes down to it, your job search strategy usually prevents you from landing the right job. When I work with clients, my goal is for them to absorb how I craft their resume so that when they land their new position, they can take that same format and update their resume in the future (or they can hire me to update it for them). More often than not, their updates look nothing like the rest of the resume. So when the original resume was successful in helping them land their new job, this new search is not panning out. The other thing is that people get desperate and start applying to everything, hoping someone bites. But this isn’t about poor resumes! Let’s reevaluate how you can leverage LinkedIn in your job search.

Strategies to Enhance Your Job Search

1. **Optimize Your Profile**: Your LinkedIn profile is your digital resume. Ensure it's complete, up-to-date, and effectively showcases your skills and experiences. Use keywords relevant to your industry to make your profile more discoverable. Check out previous blog posts about LinkedIn to know more about unlocking LinkedIn’s newest and hidden features. And get a FREE LinkedIn score at www.areatalent.ai

2. **Engage Actively**: Don't just scroll through your feed; engage with content. Comment on posts, share interesting articles, and publish your content. This increases your visibility and demonstrates your knowledge and interest in your field. When it comes to comments, be strategic and add value. “CFBR” is not an effective comment, nor does it drive profile views. It fills your connections’ feeds with posts that may not be relevant to them and boosts the visibility of the poster. Your engagement on the platform should be centered on how it can help YOU!

3. **Network Intelligently**: Connect with people in your industry, including peers, recruiters, and company leaders—Personalize connection requests with a brief introduction or a comment about their work. Don’t lead with a what’s in it for me message.

4. **Utilize LinkedIn Features**: Take advantage of LinkedIn's job search features. Set up job alerts, use the 'Open to Work' feature, and explore the 'Jobs' tab to find relevant opportunities. Newer features incorporate AI to help build and optimize a profile for a specific job target.

5. **Showcase Your Projects**: If you have portfolios or projects, share them. This adds credibility and gives potential employers a tangible sense of your capabilities. Use your featured section!

6. **Seek Recommendations**: Endorsements and recommendations from colleagues and supervisors can significantly enhance your profile’s credibility. They also tell recruiters you are a legitimate expert in your field.

7. **Learn and Upskill**: LinkedIn Learning offers courses to help you upskill. Adding these certifications to your profile can make you a more attractive candidate. Always learning is one of my philosophies, but with that said, a recent study showed recruiters do not want to see LinkedIn Learning courses on your resume.

While LinkedIn can seem inundated with tales of job search woes, it remains a powerful tool for career advancement when used strategically. Persistence and a positive mindset are key components of a successful job search. So take the doomsday messaging, filling your feed with a grain of salt. But do more than that…ENGAGE with those posts. LinkedIn is all about networking. Help them while helping yourself.