Struggling to Find a Job on LinkedIn? Stop Looking for One. Try This Instead.
If you’re looking for work right now but you’re not having the success you thought you would, let me ask you something: where is your focus?
I see so many people laser-focused on the “job” part of the job search. And hey — if you’re a job-seeker, that makes sense, right?
Here’s the problem. On the other end of every job application you submit, every phone call, and every interview is a person who has to make decisions about whether they’re interested in hiring you.
If you’re thinking too much about the job and not enough about the people who make the job decisions, it’s no wonder you’re not getting as far as you’re hoping for.
What if you shifted your attention a little bit — what if you changed your job search into a people search?
Literally.
On LinkedIn.
Seriously, drop your cursor in the search bar. Let’s go.
A people-first job seeker does people-focused company research.
Good job-seekers visit a company’s website to learn about culture, values, and news.
Great job-seekers go straight to the source — the people who work for the company.
Do this right now: think of a company you want to work for today. Search for that company on LinkedIn.
I chose Built Technologies, a fast-growing company in Nashville.
Most job seekers will land on the company page and click the “About” section.
Some might even scroll through the company’s posts.
Nobody goes here:
Built Technologies employs 230 people. Great. What are you supposed to do with that information?
Let’s look at how these data are arranged.
LinkedIn already sorts these people by where they live and where they studied. That’s great for you, because you’re looking for people who already share a community or network with you. It gives you an entry point into a conversation.
I’m in Nashville, so I clicked the Greater Nashville Area, TN to find the people I want to get in touch with.
Here’s where LinkedIn gets cool. You know what’s better than Googling “Culture at Built Technologies”? Talking to the people who create the culture at Built Technologies.
Scroll through all of the people (in your area) who might have an answer to your questions about culture, hiring, and anything else on your hitlist.
I’m going to connect with Scott Clatur, because he’s the Head of People for Built, and that sounds like someone who I might want to build a relationship with.
Click connect — but don’t ask for a job.
Yet.
A people-first job seeker asks for conversations, not jobs (on first contact).
When you click “Connect” on LinkedIn, you’ll be prompted with the option to add a note to your request.
Always add a note.
People these days are jaded by spam, scams, and pushy people who want something from you.
You need to establish right away that you’re not out for any of that.
Which means DO NOT ASK FOR A JOB in your note.
You’re a people-first candidate. If your note doesn’t show that you’re interested in the person, you’re doing it wrong.
So what does that look like?
It doesn’t have to be crazy. Your note needs three parts: flattery, asking for a specific amount of their time, and a specific question.
I won’t dig too deep into DM techniques right now because I’ve already written about it, but I’ll give you the bullet points.
Flattery:
Hi Scott! I’ve always wanted to work at Built and I’ve heard a ton of great things.
Ask for his time:
Do you have seven minutes to chat with me?
With a specific question:
I’d love to learn about what makes Built so special.
Take that recipe and keep sending connection requests to the people who work at the target company.
Will they get back to you? Maybe. Maybe not.
But you’re far, FAR more likely to get a response if you keep the word “job” out of the conversation and use my next tip.
A people-first job seeker learns from the people in their network.
Look back at my “specific question” for Scott. I told him I want to learn what makes Built so special.
Think about that word — learn.
Make that your mantra through your networking journey.
Once you start getting responses from people, you need to engage with them thoughtfully. The more you understand their company culture, the more clearly you’ll understand the actionable steps you need to take to work for that company.
Take notes and write down any recurring themes in the conversations you have with people from your target company. Then build your own projects or create content relating to those themes. Better yet — solve one of their business problems.
I’ve met tons of people who haven’t submitted a job application in years because they’ve spent so much time networking, developing professional relationships, and learning about companies through LinkedIn.
These are the kinds of people who get hired through referrals instead of applications.
And it starts with a willingness to learn.
A people-first job seeker follows up with their new connections.
You’ve had a conversation with someone from your dream company. You asked them about their company culture, and you’ve learned a little bit about their values, their culture, and their hiring practices.
What’s next?
Successful job-seekers follow up with their connections.
there are a lot of ways to follow up, and I’ve talked about them extensively, but if you’re not checking in with employers every few weeks, you’re not really networking.
Comment on their LinkedIn posts.
Create content that solves a business problem they’re having.
Once you’ve established a relationship, you’ll be amazed at the doors that will open for you professionally.
