How to switch from a survival job to a job in your field

A lot of times, we know that networks can get you a job and we try to leverage the networks we have to get what we want. However, as newcomers we really don’t have networks in our new country, so we turn to professional social media AKA LinkedIn to help us with that. Also, for those who on the other hand may not be new to Canada, the high unemployment rate due to the pandemic has led to an increase in the use of LinkedIn. Lots of people say that LinkedIn is very useful, and you want to agree based on all the posts of “Congratulate Dami on her new role!” There is only one problem, you have not had much luck.

For a very long time, people have told us about the tools that can help us reach our goals, people however don’t tell us how to maximize them. This knowledge seems to be an open secret that has eluded you to date. Well, if this is you, you are in the right place as we will be discussing some Dos and Don’ts to help you find the right footing in your LinkedIn journey. Hang tight as we journey together.

Here are a few things that you SHOULD do

Update your profile

Make sure that you update your profile with your most current information about your schooling, education, and volunteering experience. Make sure that your ‘About’ section is very comprehensive and truly tells someone who does not know you about you. Additionally, please ensure that your picture is professional – people should be able to see your face clearly. It should be closer to a passport photograph taken in a plain background as opposed to a full-length picture taken at a friend’s party.

Tell your story

If you are looking for a job and you want to make a post about it, tell a story so that people can feel like a part of your journey. Talk about your career path, hopes, dreams, the value that you added in your previous role (if you had one) and what you can bring to the table. It helps people connect with you and when people can connect with you, they are more likely to help you. It just seems like you could not be bothered when you say, “hey connections, I am looking for a new role, please like, comment and recommend me.” That would be a hard sell. So, tell your story!  

Research before reach out

When you are trying to connect with a person on LinkedIn, it’s important to do your due diligence by researching first. If you can find the information you seek from going through their profile, posts or on the internet, do it. As a recipient of a few such pointless messages on LinkedIn, I can attest to the fact that it is rather annoying. Realize that you may only get one shot at that person’s time, so make it count.

Provide context and be specific

I want to assume that the reason why you are reaching out to this person is because you know that they have something of value to give you. The same way you realize their value, is the same way countless of others do too, including themselves. So, they get tons of messages a day. You know how they choose whom to give time to – because it is not possible to give time to all?! They look for context. Don’t go in people’s inboxes and say “Hi” or “please let me know when you have time for a quick chat.” Most likely, they would not have time. Explaining how to reach out will make this point lengthy, so I have shared a few examples of people who reached out successfully [See video]

Quality over quantity

In sending connection requests to people on LinkedIn, try to avoid reaching out to people who have nothing in common with you. The point of LinkedIn unlike other social media platforms is not just to amass followers, it’s an opportunity to grow your professional network. Hence, sending messages to random strangers would most likely not fly on LinkedIn. So, spend time going through people’s profiles, find a mutual ground and then connect. Same goes for job applications on LinkedIn. People say the more you apply, the more your chances, I disagree. I say apply strategically and you will receive less rejections while simultaneously taking the opportunity to learn from them. Also, doing it this way saves you heart break.

Enjoy the process

What would you do if the first time you met some one they asked you to marry them or give them your home address? You would find that extremely weird right? So why do you so that on LinkedIn? The first thing you do when you connect with someone on LinkedIn shouldn’t be to say “give me a job.” You should build a connection with them based on their interests or the posts on their profile. Even if you want to ask for a job immediately, make it a value proposition or at least acknowledge their own journey before demanding that they share their social capital with you. [See examples in the video]

Realize that no one owes you anything

This is a touchy one for a lot of Newcomers, so I will try to make it as light as possible. While I agree that we should be each other’s keeper, it is not an obligation. A person does not have to help you because you come from the same town or country. No sis, nah bro. They can choose to help but you have no right to lay claim to their time or resources. So, don’t be bitter if you ask for a referral and you hear a no, it’s their reputation on the line and if they don’t want to lay it down for you, it’s their prerogative.

Here are a few things that you SHOULD NOT do

Don’t send a message without proof reading

I can hear you say, “well English is not my first language” and I share your sentiments. However, if you are going to type out a message to someone, the least you can do is to make sure that you check your grammar and spelling – it only really helps you grab and keep the person’s attention. Also, it makes one wonder what your resume – a full fledged document will look like if you cannot type only a few words well. So, I beg you always proofread messages before you post them – either privately or publicly. That said, sometimes life happens in the speed of things, so long as you course correct, you should be fine.

Be respectful

This goes without saying but be respectful of people’s time and opinions – even when you disagree. You shouldn’t troll anyone on any social media but especially avoid it on LinkedIn as this is the ‘home’ of your future employers. They literarily don’t have to go the extra mile to find you and all your activities, all they need to do is click around. Be respectful in every comment or post you make no matter how upset you are. There is always a better way to say something and if you are so upset you can’t find good words – say nothing.

Do not make private messages public

Except you have a personal relationship with a person, saying things like “please respond to my DM” or “I sent you an email and you didn’t reply” under people’s posts can be off putting. It would not make people reply, trust me. It is bullying. If you want to follow up, send a private message, if they don’t respond after following up – maybe they don’t want to and that’s OK. Also, don’t ask people personal questions on their posts of feed, it’s just wrong and can create the wrong impression about you.

Don’t misrepresent yourself

Your profile is like your resume. Both of them are like brochures to give people a sneak peak, people will hardly make decisions off of them alone. While they can open doors for you, you will be called upon to defend your profile. Ensure that whatever you write on your profile is your real person and not some persona you created to be impressive. Also, it’s important not to dumb down your achievements so that you don’t appear intimidating, that doesn’t help either. You may hear a few “you are overqualified for this role” and that is okay because you may just be dodging a bullet.

I hope these have been helpful! As a bonus, ensure to engage with posts on LinkedIn by liking, commenting, and sharing. If you want to take it a step higher, maybe even publishing your own posts, it makes you more visible. However, don’t claim write ups that are not yours, give credit to whom it is due. Do you have anything to add or subtract? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by: Dami Ogunmola

Edited by: Janey Buz