There are more job listings on LinkedIn in October than any other month. Fall has arrived and that means the low season summer hiring period is over. Hiring managers are back from vacation and ready to add talent that matches their newly completed annual business plans. Interestingly, 89% of hiring managers take less than four weeks to fill a position, so if you begin applying now, you could be in a new job by Thanksgiving. This research comes from a recent Linkedin blog post and appearance on CBS television. There are 8.2 million vacant jobs currently posted on LinkedIn just within the United States; unquestionably, there must be one job that would be perfect for you.
Monday is the top day hiring managers post opportunities. They likely spent the past week and weekend fine-tuning the description.
First-mover advantage. Professionals who are the top 25 to apply to the opening are 3x more likely to land the job, according to LinkedIn. Therefore, ensuring you are a “first mover” applicant shows your enthusiasm for the role, which in turn can give you a 300% edge. By the time the recruiter posts a job, they have been editing the details with the hiring manager for a long time, so they are anxious to get the job filled quickly.
Narrow your job search parameters. Use the filters in LinkedIn’s job search area to locate the job that’s a good fit for you. Sort by job function, experience level, industry, organization name, keywords (e.g. cloud computing), and whether working remotely is an option. Try different permutations of words that relate to your core strengths such as financial planning, FP&A, financial analysis, or sales AND business development, or data analysis, data modeling and data visualization, etc. Narrow and expand the skill keywords you add to the search filter.
Add hard skills to your profile and resume. More than 85% of employers say that hard skills are important for workforce planning and nearly 90% think validating a job applicant’s skills is a critical step in the recruiting process. Be sure your Linkedin profile and resume contain keywords that match the job description for which you are applying. To help verify your skills to the potential hiring manager, use LinkedIn’s new Skill Assessment tool. You can test and highlight verified skills giving you the opportunity to increase visibility and engagement with job recruiters or small businesses looking to retain someone with your skills. Early research reveals a 30% increase in the possibility of being hired if you have passed a LinkedIn Skill Assessment.
Publish your passion. Increase engagement with your digital network by displaying your enthusiasm for your industry and skills by adding images, videos, and certifications to your profile. Post thought-provoking content– especially videos posts. After you apply for a position, use LinkedIn’s InMail to send your resume and cover letter to the recruiter and the hiring executive – your future boss.
Update your LinkedIn profile, resume, and letter. Hiring managers rely on algorithms in LinkedIn and Applicant Tracking Systems to filter and reject the flood of approximately 250 resumes that are received for each corporate job opening. Profiles and resumes with the most matching keywords and a higher-grade level of readability may score better on software that is used by Human Resource departments and external executive search firms.
As certified resume and profile writers, we know the keywords and layout that can get applicants past the job application black hole also known as the “technology gate” and on to a human. Learn more by reviewing the free examples on our website. Click here to read the original Linkedin blog post