We all know that LinkedIn is the biggest and best place for professional networking. That goes without saying, right? There are over 1 billion users in over 200 countries, with the United States boasting approximately 200 million users. With 48.5% engaging on the platform monthly, it's certainly the best place to begin developing a U.S.-based network and landing an H-1B visa.
As a founder and professional resume writer at Virtuoso Resumes, I’ve spent the last ten years observing what works — and what doesn’t — when it comes to leveraging LinkedIn for a job search.
Comment, Like, and Share on LinkedIn.
The best way, by far, to engage on LinkedIn is to comment, share, and write original posts. This will amplify your voice, build new relationships, and position you as an engaged professional. I recommend following and commenting on industry influencers in addition to folks in your network. Plus, don't be afraid to comment or reply to individuals you don't know! Remember, connecting is the key that opens the door to opportunities!
Ultimately, commenting, liking, and sharing are all about developing a personal brand. You want to be professional at all times yet add clear value to the conversation as an authentic, genuine individual. Be honest and personable. Real opinions and thoughts are what win the day on LinkedIn. The more honest I am, the more my posts are reposted and liked. (In fact, I’m pretty sure that is what led me to write this blog on H1BExpert.com.)
Connect with Everyone.
Visibility on LinkedIn is all about the numbers. Simply put, the larger your network, the more you show up in searches. How does that work? If you connect with me, that makes you a second-level connection to every recruiter in my network and a third-level connection with the recruiters they are connected with. It’s that simple. People are also more likely to connect with individuals who have more connections, as they are most likely to be actual humans (vs. spammers or bots).
Need an additional reason to connect with everyone? More connections means that your posts will be visible to a wider audience. Just note that LinkedIn will limit you to about 20 connection requests per day and about 100 per week. Exceeding this number may put you in LinkedIn jail, so be careful here.
You Need to Reach All-Star Status.
All-Star status on LinkedIn means that your profile is 100% complete. Each section is thoroughly filled out, present, and accounted for. This is important because, according to LinkedIn, users with All-Star profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities and be found in searches. In addition, adding a profile photo can translate into 21 times more profile views and make you 9 times more likely to get connection requests.
Even more important is that LinkedIn’s algorithm gives priority to All-Star profiles and ranks them higher in search results.
Use Every Possible LinkedIn Feature.
The best part of LinkedIn, beyond the interactions, are the features you can tap into as a job seeker. Here are my favorites:
1. Show Off in the Skills Section – LinkedIn recently increased the number of skills you can have from 50 to 100! This doubles your opportunity showcase hard skills and add relevant keywords. What you might not know is how heavily LinkedIn Recruiter weights this section of your profile. Fill it out and use it!
2. Join Groups – Joining professional groups related to your industry, role, or the companies you're interested in allows you to participate in discussions, demonstrate your expertise, and connect with members who may have job opportunities.
3. Create Job Search Alerts – Set up job alerts on LinkedIn for your target roles, companies, and locations to be notified of new openings that match your criteria.
4. Utilize the Resume Builder – Another feature you may not know about is LinkedIn’s resume builder in the job search tab. Simply add your targeted job title, and LinkedIn will give you the top skills that need to be on your profile.
Hopefully, all of these strategies will help you supercharge your job search and truly use LinkedIn for what it was intended: networking and leveraging your personal brand on LinkedIn into the role of your dreams. And, as always, Virtuoso Resumes is ready to help.
Krista Morris, Chief Resume Writer, Founder and Recruiter at Virtuoso Resumes, is a professional resume writer & TORI winner with 15+ years of job-winning LinkedIn and resume writing services experience. All of the content mentioned herein represents the individual opinions of the author or authors, but none of it should be taken as legal advice. All content is provided freely and without any warranties, guarantees, or liabilities. In no event shall the writers or providers of this content be liable for any damages or other liability resulting from the opinions shared herein.
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