Utilizing LinkedIn to uncover Company Info and Employment opportunities

By: Liz Lynch on August 27th, 2009 at 5:41 am

Liz Lynch is founder of the Center for Networking Excellence and author of Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online (McGraw-Hill, 2008). She writes, speaks and consults to experienced professionals on how to seamlessly integrate social media and traditional networking to save time and accelerate results.

I was interviewed by CNN this week to give some quick tips on using social networking for a job search beyond just updating your status to say you’re looking for a job.

In the segment I focused most on LinkedIn not only because there are now close to 45 million professionals who are members of that site, but because more and more recruiters and hiring managers are using it to find candidates directly rather than relying on job boards. With the unemployment rate at its highest level in 26 years, a posting on an online job board can inundate a recruiter with hundreds or thousands of resumes, a large percentage of which are likely to be unqualified for the job.

An article in The Wall Street Journal last month, for example, told of a law firm that posted a position and received responses from almost 1,000 people, half of whom did not even have a law degree!

But I also focused on LinkedIn because I feel there are some underutilized features that job seekers can leverage to help them find opportunities that are just starting to bubble up before they’re widely advertised. And by the way, it’s a great tool for entrepreneurs too to help them be proactive in identifying unmet needs and proposing solutions.

The company who’s who

One of these features is the Companies page. From the top menu of the home page of LinkedIn, click on the “Companies” option and type in a company name or keyword in the search box. LinkedIn will show you an employee listing, including specifically anyone in your network who works there, used to work there, or is connected to someone who does.

Speaking to a few people within each group can be enormously valuable for getting different perspectives on the potential opportunities within your target companies.
For example:

Current employees are invaluable resources for getting a handle on what is happening at the company now and the direction it’s going. Plus, they can be great allies for helping you get your resume to the right people and putting in a good word for you (if they know you, of
course!).

New promotions and changes may be in the market to hire new positions as they expand their department or replace existing under performers.

New hires can hint at where there may be growth opportunities within the company. Even if you can’t speak to them directly, you can get a sense if certain divisions have been on a hiring spree and target them first.

Recent departures might be more open to talking about the challenges the company is having, which leaders might be great to work for and who might be a nightmare (good info to know before you accept a job, right?).

This is incredible market intelligence that would have been near impossible to perform just a few years ago.

To assist you in crafting your outreach emails to these folks, I’d like to point you to two recent posts from my Personal Branding Blog colleagues: Monica O’Brien outlined a terrific sample template for requesting a brief informational interview over the phone, and Chad Leavitt shared great strategies for how to effectively contact recruiters you might find on that employee list.
All the information you need is at your fingertips, now go for it!


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Re-Energizing a Stale Job Search

By Katherine Spencer Lee — January 2009

Today’s economic conditions have made the job market more competitive. But when days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months, your frustration can grow and your enthusiasm and motivation can wane. Instead of allowing yourself to fall victim to inertia, take a close look at your job-search process to determine where you could make improvements. Here are a few suggestions:

• Revisit old possibilities. Think about any employment interviews you’ve had. Although you didn’t receive an offer, if the meeting went well, there’s a possibility the door has not closed completely. While many businesses are tightening their belts in this economy, some continue to hire, and those could include companies that you’ve met with already.

Also, the person hired for a position you applied for may not have worked out. Contact the hiring managers you interviewed with to express your continued interest and to find out if any new openings exist. You never know what may have changed since you were last in touch.

• Widen your search. Chances are you’ve turned to the Internet for job leads. If so, surf beyond the bigger sites. These job boards may contain the most listings, but the postings you find often aren’t as targeted as ones from Web sites that focus on a specific industry or geographic area. Reading technology publications or perusing online message boards can clue you in to the hottest specialties and growing segments of IT.

Also, don’t make the mistake of looking at only those positions that have been posted in the past week or two. An opportunity from a couple of months ago might still be available, especially if the role requires hard-to-find skills. A dated online job advertisement doesn’t reflect the quality of the company or the potential desirability of the position.

• Expand your network. Resumes from referrals often land near the top of the pile, so the more people you know who can recommend you for a position, the better. Of course, if your network consists only of friends and family, you’re putting yourself at a competitive disadvantage. Reach out to former co-workers and managers, your business contacts and high school and college alumni. Another great way to expand your network is through Web sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook.

• Educate yourself. If jobs that interest you require a skill or certificate you lack, consider attending a seminar or taking a class online or at a local university to enhance your skill set. For example, if you’re a database administrator who doesn’t have a Microsoft Certified Database Administrator certification, you probably are limiting the number of positions for which you can apply.

According to the “Robert Half Technology 2009 Salary Guide,” there will be particular demand in the year ahead for IT professionals with Web 2.0 development skills and those with knowledge of Microsoft .NET, SQL Server, SharePoint or Java.

• Consider a staffing firm. Staffing professionals have their own networks of business contacts, as well as knowledge of positions that aren’t widely advertised. They also can offer assistance with your application materials and provide training opportunities. In addition, these firms can find you contract positions while you search for a full-time job or an interim assignment that could lead to a full-time role.

If you’ve become frustrated with finding a job, keep in mind that highly skilled individuals always are in demand, no matter the market conditions. By using the above techniques, you’ll help cement your status as one of those sought-after candidates — and increase your chances of connecting with employers who are looking for someone like you.

Katherine Spencer Lee is executive director of Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis. She can be reached at editor@certmag.com.