Being Found Requires More Than Just the Right Keywords

Being Found Requires More Than Just the Right Keywords Using the right keywords on LinkedIn is critical, you know that.   But it is going to take more than just using the right keywords to land your next job.   Heres why: 1.   Not all industries are using this tool or are not using it well. Depending on the level of the job and the industry, just doing a keyword search is not likely to generate the most helpful results.   There may be too many people to look at.     And, believe it or not, many human resource recruiters are just not up to speed, especially within certain industries.   If they arent playing on LinkedIn, your chances of being found here are slim to none.   You can do some research and see if you target companies are on LinkedIn and who from their company is active.   Dig!   If you do find people, also check to see how many connections they have.   If they dont have a lot, guess what, they probably arent very active and this is your queue to find other ways to connect with people within this target company. 2.   It isnt your profile alone that makes you stand out Having a slick profile isnt always enough.   People hire people.   When someone looks at your profile they are assessing a lot of different things, not just skills.   Do you look like someone who would be a good fit in their company?   By look, I dont mean your headshot.   I mean, how have you demonstrated your interest and talent. Have you highlighted your talent in measurable form? Have you shown interest outside of your job such as by listing professional associations and groups? See, this isnt as simple as just having the right keywords. Participate and Interact with Others! The best way to be found is to interact!   That is, be pro-active, not passive. Participate in groups key to your industry and occupation.   So many job seekers only participate in job seeker groups.   Good, but not good enough.   You want to be found for your interaction related to your occupation. Connect Proactively Avoid relying on a connection to forward along your request to connect. Be proactive and call your friend and ask for the email or phone number of the person you want to meet and connect with!   Reach out to people you want to meet and do it the old-fashioned way, by phone. LinkedIn Is NOT a Quick Fix Heres a modern day analogy:   If you were overweight, (no, I am not saying you are) would you go to the drug store and buy a package of diet pills or would you set up an exercise and diet program? The quick fix isnt the right long-term solution. So what steps will you take this week to be found?