LinkedIn Creates New Job Opportunities: How to Jumpstart Your Personal Brand By Dr. Daryl D. Green

Knoxville, Tennessee Apr 28, 2019 (Issuewire.com)  - I got on campus early. I like to visit where students are meeting (i.e., student union, café) before I interview them. I sit back and read the student newspaper. I watch how students behave with each other. I check out how they dress around campus. With my campus visits, I enjoy visiting the classroom, sharing my role as a professional with DOE, and presenting career advice. I soon learn that most students are operating in a bubble. What about current events? Reading the news? How do these issues impact your future livelihood? I chat today with a group of senior students. Yes, I make jokes. But- I also share the realities of the difficult employment picture before they graduate. I ask them if they have any job strategies. Most said ‘no.’ At the end of the day, I wondered if I had made a difference. Clearly, students needed to do something different!

Today’s job seekers face a landscape of great opportunities as employers look due to growing competition and limited job openings. In fact, college graduates are under tremendous pressure to land a high-paying job to cover their college debt. In recruiting young engineers and scientists at the Department of Energy, I soon discussed a major disconnect between what employers desired from potential employees (i.e., college students) and what today’s job seekers expect of employers. According to a Glassdoor.com survey, each corporate job on average attracts over 250 job applicants. Of those individuals applying, four to six will be called for an interview. However, one person will get a job offer. With that said, individuals need to implement the right job strategies to be successful. This article examines how LinkedIn.com can help you build your professional brand for greater job opportunities.

Getting started on LinkedIn is easy. According to one employment study, 89% of employment recruiters have hired through LinkedIn.com. College students may flock to popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. However, LinkedIn is the website that makes them credible to future employers while building their own personal brand. Connecting with the right person can increase career networking opportunities with the basic “Six Degrees of Separation” principle. When a person is established on LinkedIn, the individuals can see how their connections are linked to other influential people. To get the most attention on LinkedIn, individuals need to achieve the “All-Star” status. Some of the requirements include a completed LinkedIn profile, including a professional photo and summary. Below are steps to build an effective LinkedIn Profile:

• Submit a professional photo.
• Create a catchy headline aimed at potential employers.
• Write an incredible summary statement.
• Select a unique LinkedIn URL for your profile.
• Obtain recommendations from professors, employers, coaches, and other influencers who can speak to your character and leadership abilities.
• Post relevant articles on your LinkedIn profile (i.e., LinkedIn Pulse) that demonstrate your critical thinking and writing style.
• List appropriate work and volunteer experiences.
• Upload presentations and written documents that showcase your professional abilities.
• Follow businesses and organizations that are potential employers or contacts.
• Join LinkedIn Groups that add to your professional network.

With fierce competition for jobs, job seekers need to present a great image to future employers. LinkedIn provides an excellent gateway to more employment opportunities online. This article demonstrated that LinkedIn.com can help you build your professional brand for greater job opportunities. Unlike traditional social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn allows individuals to establish professional networks, obtain needed resources, and foster a professional relationship with prospective employers, clients, and partners. Management guru Tom Peters explains, “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.” Creating an effective LinkedIn Profile can garnish great career and professional networking opportunities. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

For more information about Dr. Daryl Green and to have a media interview with him on this subject, visit http://www.drdarylgreen.com  or contact 405-585-4414.

© 2019 by Daryl D. Green

About Dr. Daryl D. Green

Dr. Daryl D. Green is an internationally acknowledged author and researcher. He is the Dickinson Chair at the Oklahoma Baptist University. Dr. Green writes a syndicated online column and blog. Moreover, he has been quoted in major media outlets, including USA Today, Associated Press, Ebony, and BET. In 2016, he retired from the federal government as a senior program manager. Dr. Green has spent more than 20 years helping organizations and thousands of individuals make good decisions through his lectures, seminars, and columns.

Media Contact

Dr. Daryl Green , AG Strategic Management, LLC Daryl.green@okbu.edu 865-602-7858 5322 Lance Drive , Knoxville, TN 37909 http://www.drdarylgreen.com