Tips from our Job Search Professional on how to use LinkedIn efficiently.
"Recent statistics show that there are now 2.3 Million LinkedIn users in New Zealand as of March 2021. This accounts for 47.1% of the country’s entire population.
It also has been reported that almost 70% of recruiters and hiring managers use LinkedIn to source top talent. For many organisations, LinkedIn is the go-to after their database.
Often recruiters and hiring managers avoid advertising on job boards, particularly at senior level or for specialised roles and instead focus on referrals, the company’s database and LinkedIn.
Another interesting take on this matter is that your CV is a very limiting medium, and it only allows you to deliver a targeted message to a specific audience.
In short, your CV does not give the reader the whole picture of who you are. LinkedIn can bridge this gap, as it takes a more dynamic approach to representing your experience, your skills, your objectives, what you know, what you’re interested in within a professional context.
This is also the reason why, when candidates feel they want to elaborate, they add so many things to their CV and this is not what you want to do. In fact, this is one of the most common mistakes people make in their CV."
In New Zealand's environment we have a very hidden job market, meaning that you cannot see all roles that are currently open.
This makes your job search heavily network based and tools such as LinkedIn a substantial part of your Job Search.
"A few months back when COVID-19 shook the NZ job market, I was one of the many recruiters who were suddenly back in the job market. The market was pretty bleak back then and I didn’t have my hopes high. Despite this, I didn’t lose hope."
I made sure that my headline reflected what I was looking for, I made sure that my picture was warm and welcoming, yet professional, and I made sure that my page showed who I am and what I wanted to achieve.
I still regularly publish career-related content, almost daily. This helped me gain a position as a front runner in my industry.
My profile views are growing and with this I receive messages from employers and ex-colleagues wanting to catch up.
If you are a job seeker, this is a proactive way to attract people to your profile and invite opportunities, so this is what you aim for.
LinkedIn has always been an innovative company ever since its conception. New features have been added and improved to help professionals like us use the platform to its fullest. Features that are not only helpful for marketers but job seekers as well. Come to think of it, isn’t job searching just marketing as well?
Whether it's using the Linkedin generated 3d barcode or using cover stories to create a short video intro about your job search, there are tons of features to exploit to get yourself noticed by top employers in NZ. There's a ton of information about this online.
Social media algorithms are important to understand especially if you want to get more reach out of your posts.
The algorithm is an automated calculation that decides which posts will make it to the top of the feed and which don’t.
You definitely want this to work in your favour, as all recruiters are on LinkedIn. On the flip side, you also want to be cautious of this, as if you make an inappropriate online comment, this can obviously affect your job search really negatively.
Understanding how the LinkedIn platform works can greatly affect whether you should add questions to your post that encourages comments, or selecting a photo that stirs engagement.
For the most part, LinkedIn rewards people with a high engagement track record, and your post will be showcased more often in comparison to other people's.
Once you understand the dynamics of the Hidden Job Market, it becomes clear that networking is an important part of your overall job search strategy.
Research conducted by Linkedin in 2016 found that 85% of its users had found jobs through networking, and although that may already have been a while ago, this finding is still relevant in 2021.
Because of the pandemic Nee Zealand employers are now even more receptive to online means of communication.
It goes without saying that without a strong network in NZ, your posts may just fall into the wrong feed, affecting your chances of being heard and seen by NZ employers.
It is great to see that Linkedin adds new features to keep their platform engaging and helpful to job seekers. It is indeed one of the many tools you can use to find a career in NZ, but even when you do all of these correctly, there is still no guarantee that a recruiter would reach out.
Please be aware that there is also a chance that your Social Media is affecting your job search to your disadvantage.
It is important to note that your goal as a job seeker is to boost your chances of getting heard, whether it be writing a great CV, networking with Kiwis or creating an outstanding LinkedIn profile. You need to implement a strong job search strategy to be successful.
Our Job Search professionals will work with you on maximizing your potential by providing you with a bespoke job search service that will help you navigate the New Zealand job market.
Find out more about our Job Seeker Service.
Anna was worth her weight in gold---she was fantastic at helping me format my CV and search for jobs that suited my skill set. In the end, I got a great job in a great city. Carsten and his team were very thorough and helpful when it came time to apply for and get our visas. They are now helping us with our resident visas, and I'm certain that the process will be the same. I'd recommend them highly.
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NZIC guided me all the way through getting my first work visa to permanent residency. Their job seeking support was key when I first arrived in NZ, communication was always easy and clear. I'm very thankful for their help and definitely recommend their services.
Dear Jannie, just want to drop a note to thank for your everything. Your help is much appreciated! You are a wonderful and professional job search coach! I am so lucky to have you supporting me!
