linkedin – Be Gallant Coaching

In today’s digital age, LinkedIn has become the go-to platform for professionals seeking career blah blah blah.

Now that we got that out the way, let’s talk tangible stuff.

LinkedIn can be incredibly useful, but it can also be overwhelming and confusing. So much so that a lot of people–including some of my clients–just avoid it and miss out on its benefits. So allow me to simplify things by giving you a few keys to help you unlock your search via LinkedIn.

1. Use LinkedIn to Find Jobs and Info, But Don’t Apply Directly On LinkedIn

It may seem counterintuitive, but one of the most effective strategies for job hunting on LinkedIn is to avoid applying directly through the platform. Instead, use LinkedIn as a research tool to gather information about potential employers, their respective industries, and what jobs are even available.

Once you’ve found a role you like and gathered enough info, apply directly on the company site, or even better, directly with a recruiter.

I repeat, always apply directly on the company site, or directly with a recruiter.

Start by exploring company profiles to gain insights into their culture, values, and recent developments. Take note of any connections you have who work at these companies and reach out to them for informational interviews or advice.

By taking a proactive approach to research and networking on LinkedIn, you can gain a deeper understanding of potential employers and position yourself as a qualified candidate when the time comes to apply.

2. Don’t Pay Attention to the Number of Applicants Displayed on Job Postings

I regularly hear education and non-profit professionals (and really people from a lot of career fields) talk about how discouraging it is to see a job posting with 500 applicants, but PAY IT NO MIND. Three reasons for that:

The number of applicants is just one piece of the puzzle, and it doesn’t necessarily reflect the quality of your candidacy.
If it’s NOT an Easy Apply posting, then the “Apply” button you see is basically just a link to the original posting on the company website. Once you leave LinkedIn, the platform has no way of knowing whether you applied or not, so it just counts EVERYONE that clicked the Apply button/link as an applicant. Try it out yourself. Click the button and then go back to LinkedIn and refresh the page a couple times. You’ll see the number go up. In other words…that number means practically nothing to you.
If it IS an Easy Apply posting, a whole lotta those applicants are not going to be particularly qualified. They just applied because it was…easy. Again, that number basically has no meaning.

So anyway, instead of focusing on the competition, focus on crafting a tailored application that highlights your skills, experiences, results, and alignment with the company’s values. Personalize your resume and cover letter to demonstrate your genuine interest in the role and your potential contributions to the organization.

Get to know your BRAND! Speaking of which, let’s pause…

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Do you know your brand? Knowing your brand and how to convey it well is what will ultimately distinguish you from other candidates with similar skills, experience, and qualifications.

So yes, you need to know your brand in and out and how to convey it. If you don’t, peep the end of this post.

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Remember, recruiters are looking for candidates who stand out from the crowd, so use this opportunity to showcase your unique qualifications and passion for the position. By staying focused on your strengths and what sets you apart, you can increase your chances of catching the recruiter’s attention, regardless of the number of applicants.

3. Use the Jobs Section to Identify Hiring Managers or People Who Work at the Company

While the Jobs section on LinkedIn is a valuable resource for finding job listings, it can also be a powerful tool for networking and making connections within your target companies.

Some postings will literally tell you who the hiring manager or recruiter is. That’s golden information! Send them a connection request and engage with their content to build rapport and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the opportunity.

Take advantage of the fact that LinkedIn shows you if you have connections or fellow alumni at the companies you’re looking at to identify potential contacts. Reach out to them with personalized messages expressing your interest in the company and asking for advice or insights into the hiring process.

And you can also look at the People tab on the company profile to identify in-house recruiters or talent acquisition pros. You’ll wanna reach out to them too.

When you leverage the Jobs section strategically, you can not only uncover job opportunities but also expand your network and increase your chances of getting noticed by hiring decision-makers.

And there you have it! Take this strategy and apply it to your search. Keep at it and eventually you’ll break through!

Build Your Transferable Brand

Professionals that are really tapped into their brand tend to have way more success in their career and job searches than those who are not.

They’re more confident, better at conveying how they drive impact (which is ultimately what an employer cares about), and they understand how their skills are translatable to multiple roles and industries.

If you’re having trouble landing interviews or job offers, there’s probably a branding component that you’re falling short on.

I want to invite you to take part in my short-term branding program, where you and I will work together to build out your brand and your ability to successfully and quickly convey it to your benefit.

Using your brand will help you set yourself apart from others via the stories you craft in your resume and cover letter, interviews, LinkedIn, and networking opportunities. The transferability of your skills and the value of your impact will be clearer to those you come in contact with.

The results: greater confidence, better job offers, more aligned work, and better compensation.

And it’s only two sessions! If you’re still job searching and considering a pivot, meet with me for two sessions and I’ll have you up and running with a newly crafted brand you can actively use to your advantage this spring.

Early bird pricing is only $295 and will last until May 5th. Click here and let’s get started!

We’re at the beginning of spring, so now is a great time to get active on this! Don’t let the spring energy pass you by!

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard the common resume advice:

“Tailor your resume to each job posting you apply to!”

It’s how you get more interviews. Sorta (go here to understand what I mean).

But I’ve been seeing some information floating around about resume tailoring that could be a little confusing.

Specifically, I’ve been seeing people on LinkedIn post things like “Tailoring your resume for each job posting is a waste of your time and energy! You don’t need to do all that”

Aaaaww snap! Which is it then? What should a job seeker like you do?

I wrote about it briefly in this LinkedIn post, but let’s explore a little more here.

SHOULD YOU TAILOR YOUR RESUME FOR EACH JOB POSTING?

The short answer to this is still “yes” but there’s some nuance involved. Before we get into all that nuance, though, it’s worth it to discuss why it’s important to tailor your resume.

It’s pretty simple, truth be told. You tailor your resume to show you’re qualified and actually should be applying to the posting. Seems obvious, but the truth is a lot of people apply to jobs that they’re either not super qualified for, or not at all qualified for.

Recruiters and hiring managers don’t want to spend a whole lot of time combing through each and every resume–they want to quickly glance at them and be able to determine who’s worth taking a longer look at and who isn’t. Tailoring your resume helps whoever’s reading it understand that at the very least you’re one of the ones that’s worth that deeper look and potentially moving on to the call/interview stage.

The question, though, is do you need to tailor your resume every time you submit an application. I mean, what if your resume is already in pretty good shape?

The answer: yes and no (dang it! Why’s it always “yes and no” or “it depends”?! Why can’t it ever not depend??).

Here’s the thing. You need to determine what industry and type of job you’re generally going to be applying for. Are you applying for Customer Success Manager jobs? Social Media Marketing Strategist jobs? Project Manager jobs?

Many companies and institutions have the same types of jobs, and Customer Success Managers across companies play very similar roles. They kinda do the same things, with maybe a couple differences from company to company.

So if you’re a non-profit recruiter or a higher education resident director, you’re going to need to first take your resume from being a “recruiter” or “resident director” resume to being a “customer success manager” resume.

Similarly, if you’re also applying for project manager jobs, you’re also going to need to make another version of your resume that’s a “project manager” resume. And so on and so forth. The tailoring involved in this step will probably take you a while.

Once you’ve done that, though, things get a little simpler. When you submit your resume for a specific Customer Success Manager job, you should tailor it to fit that specific posting, but this should not take you very long to do. I’m talking minutes.

You’ve already done the heavy lifting of tailoring when you first made your “Customer Success Manager” resume, ensuring that the marketable skills and outcomes you described are relevant and appealing for customer success manager jobs. The tailoring at this step is just making sure you use the words in the specific posting you’re applying for (i.e. if the job posting says “management” instead of “supervision”, you want to make sure you reflect that in your resume), and double check that your resume hits on the key skills/results described in that posting.

There’s some variability between Customer Success Manager jobs from company to company, but probably not very much. So while you should be tailoring your resume to each job you apply for, it should not at all take you very much time to do it…if you’ve done your job of creating the right “base” resume to begin with.

WRAPPING UP

It’s not that tailoring your resume is a waste of time. It’s not. I mean, it can be, but not necessarily. It really just depends on if you’re doing it the right way.

Make sure you have the right “base” resume(s), and go from there. When done well, you can then tailor your resume to each job in a matter of 5-10 minutes.

Y’all got this. And if you have questions, let me know! Send me an email at brandon@begallantcoaching.com and I promise I’ll get back to you.

WEBINAR ANNOUNCEMENT!

Very soon I’ll be hosting a free webinar on an important mindset shift that will make you a stronger candidate. I’m talking more interviews, more offers, better offers. I’ll give you a hint.

If you’re applying for jobs, that makes you an applicant. So I bet you’re also thinking like an applicant. That’s not a good thing. I will send you an invite soon, but if you want to make sure you get it, just drop your name, email, and “invite me!” in the form below and I’ll make sure you get it.

~Brandon

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