How to use LinkedIn to network and get a job.

I am sure you heard somewhere from someone to sign up for LinkedIn to get new jobs.

So you broke down and created a profile but have not gotten the results you wanted. 

It has either sat there for months or years doing nothing for the job hunt or led to every travel recruiter under the sun reaching out to you.

Before you say "It's doesn't work." I want to offer that it could be how you are using it.

Don't believe me?

Here are personal examples of how LinkedIn has resulted in new jobs.

In 2017, I used a connection with a recruiter at ONS Congress in Denver, CO. We connected on LinkedIn and when I reached out to him for potential job opportunities a few months later, he connected me with a job that hadn't even been posted online yet. Less than a month later, I was offered that position.

In February 2021, a recruiter reached out to me looking to fill a remote navigation position. While I wasn't looking, I shared this position with my community and about a month later I received a thank you for that recruiter that one of connections washired into that role. 

LinkedIn is even good for nurse entrepreneurs. I have used LinkedIn to build a network for The Burnout Ward and have connected with some amazing nurses with plans for collaboration.

So how have I learned to use LinkedIn successfully?

Here is my secret, you get out of LinkedIn what you put into it.

If you want to be successful with LinkedIn you have to use it like it's a networking platform not just a place to get a job.

And it doesn't have to be hard things, here are the key things you need to do:

1. Set up your profile and creating a headline that highlights who you are and what you want to do. ie "Oncology nurse navigator with passion for addressing healthcare disparity and improving patient outcomes."

2. Connect with people and companies you either work at or are interested in working at and build relationships with them.

3. When you meet someone who works at an organization you are interested in, make it a point to connect with them on LinkedIn instead of Facebook.

4. And most importantly, following up with people you build connections with and nurture the relationship. 

LinkedIn can be an amazing tool to help you connect with people that you might normally been able to connect with. 

Don't be afraid to add it to your job hunting tool kit and feel free to friend me on there! 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkbuffington/

I believe in you and your possibilities,

Mary B.

P.S.

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