Beef Up Your LinkedIn Strategy!

Are you REALLY using LinkedIn to its fullest?

“Who are even getting these jobs?!”, a subscriber remarked in my LinkedIn DMs. He had applied for dozens of jobs and had received rejection after rejection, despite meeting the posted qualifications.

It’s a valid question, and one I’ve grappled with too. How can you meet all the qualifications—maybe even be OVERqualified—and still receive an auto-rejection? You cast a wide net, you got your resume and cover letter reviewed and tailored them for the kinds of jobs you apply to, you added folks on LinkedIn nonstop and commented on posts about openings—what more could you be doing?

Wait. Rethink that last one. ‘You added folks on LinkedIn nonstop.’ And?

I can’t remember who asked me this simple question to challenge this strategy, but thank goodness for them.

What are you doing with those connections? Just adding them isn’t enough. Recall that LinkedIn, before becoming the professional social media it is today, was a networking platform first. Networking isn’t just amassing connections or followers or dropping one-off comments declaring “interest”; it involves direct conversation and interpersonal exchange. See where I’m going with this?

Just adding connections on LinkedIn and commenting on posts here and there, more often than not, will not lead to much—you just become one of many faces on someone’s feed. So how do you stand out?

It’s time to bolster your LinkedIn strategy.

Like I often say, I practice what I preach and beefing up my approach has yielded more interviews. Those I’ve networked with also say it shows intention, initiative, and confidence—three things employers ADORE! I’m not a professional career counselor by any means, but those I look to for mentorship also swear by this approach.

Let me be clear—this approach isn’t novel. In fact, it’s actually putting together pieces of networking advice you’ve probably gotten over the years and making it into an actionable set of steps.

Without further ado…

1. Apply to a job you are 1) actually interested in and 2) a strong fit for—maybe you have a lot of relevant experience, maybe your academic background aligns with the skillset needed, maybe you have coursework or projects directly connected to the topic—whatever the reason/s, this job wouldn’t be a reach. It’s on target.

   1. NOTE: I still believe you should cast a wide net, but, realistically, the time needed for this strategy likely means you can’t do it for every single job you apply to. Like I’ve always said, be discerning! Pick your best ones!

2. Go to the company’s LinkedIn page, then go to the People tab. Buckle up—we’re using our resources and the tech skills being Gen Z/Millenials gave us!

3. You’re looking for folks who fit any of the following:

   1. You’re already connected to them (IDEAL!)

   2. You have mutual connections (designated with ‘2nd’ on LinkedIn)

   3. You have something in common. Think same city, same educational institution, same past employer, same core interests, SOMETHING!

      1. NOTE: Why prioritize folks fitting into any of these three buckets? They are more likely to respond to someone they don’t deem as a random stranger, or someone they actually have a CONNECTION to. With LinkedIn, it’s crucial to put the literal definition of “connection” into practice and treat it less like a replacement for “follower”!

4. Send an invite to these folks. Bonus points if they are either a recruiter/talent acquisition specialist, hold a high title (Director, VP, etc), or have the same/similar job title to the one you are applying for. You can send a personalized message if you want, but, when you only have a few on the Free Plan, it isn’t entirely necessary here.

   1. NOTE: Why these individuals?

      1. Think of recruiters/talent acquisition specialists as the keeper of the keys. They are the first ones who see your application and move you on to a hiring manager. This would give them a face to a name and an opportunity for you to make a good impression!

      2. Directors, VPs, other “higher-ups” have influence. You make a meaningful connection with them, you might have someone to advocate for you in the recruitment process.

      3. Folks with similar job titles are likely the ones who would work alongside the new hire. They want the hiring manager to pick someone they can get along with. Similar idea as above—you want someone who will advocate for you. This would also be an enriching conversation for you, as they can give you a vivid picture of what the job actually entails!

5. When you have connected with these folks (sometimes you can actually message recruiters without connecting), you’re going to send them a nice message like this. Be sure to modify this script and make it your own to stand out!

   1. Greeting + name + identifier (ex: recent MPH graduate in Epidemiology from XYZ University)

   2. Reference commonality mentioned in Step 4 (ex: I was looking to expand my public health network and noticed you also know Dr. Smith! Small world!)

   3. Mention your job hunt (ex: I also saw you work for DEF. I actually just applied for Position 123945 with them, as it matches my interest in JKL)

   4. The Ask. NOTE: you are not asking about the position or asking for their help with getting the job—you are demonstrating interest. (Ex: I’ve always been interested in the organization, and I would love to learn more about it as I pursue my options. I would particularly love to hear more about your experience with DEF and the company culture. Would you be willing to meet on Zoom or Teams for a brief informal chat [whenever]?

   5. Be sure to say thank you!

6. Wait and follow through when possible!

   1. NOTE: Acknowledge that some folks aren’t active on LinkedIn, some don’t have the capacity to help out, etc. Sometimes the strategy works and sometimes it doesn’t. If you do get a response and they are willing to chat with you, prepare! Write questions! Know what you want out of the chat and how to kindly ask for their help after learning more about the organization—whether it be putting in a good word, sending other opportunities they know of, etc. Then, maintain the connection and follow up—ask how they are, give updates, etc.

Someone once told me that most public health hiring processes come down to who knows who. For early-career professionals, it’s easy to think that this could put us at an inherent disadvantage, but maybe it doesn’t’ have to. We’re tech savvy and have tools, like LinkedIn, at our disposal to change that—we just have to know how to use them to our greatest advantage!

So make those connections! Send messages! Schedule informational calls! Make LinkedIn work for you! Cold messaging can be daunting—it’s scary to put yourself out there—but who knows? It could lead to something good :)

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LinkedIn, if you want to cut a brand deal, you know where to find me ;)