On LinkedIn, is it true that I need a job to get a job?
On LinkedIn, have you heard that you need a job to get a job? But what if you don’t have a job? What do you do?
How do you get a job listing on LinkedIn if you don’t have a job? There are ways to accomplish this.
If your job search is going tickety-boo, then you don’t need to list a job. But if not, then you may need a strategy change.
As they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Stick with the plan. But if your job search is taking longer than you thought or you are not getting calls, you have to reevaluate your process and take a good look at your LinkedIn profile.
One area to consider on your LinkedIn profile is your work experience. Do you have a job with a start date and an end date, or do you have a job with a start date and a – present? If it’s the first scenario, you may need to change that and see if it makes a difference.
Only certain gatekeepers know the algorithm at LinkedIn, so we cannot verify this information, but we can research and see what others are saying.
So how do you get a “to present” job when you don’t have a job?
Simple! One option is to volunteer for a nonprofit. If you believe in their mission, it should be a delight to help pay it forward. The only thing is that you hope they have a LinkedIn Company Page.
Also, you would want to put this work experience in your experience section and not the volunteer section. Once you land a job, you can put it in the volunteer section.
For the job title, hopefully, you can contribute your knowledge and skills so that the title and keywords you use will help you in your future forward position. Make the last word(s) of the 100 characters “volunteer” or “nonprofit volunteer” so that it’s clear that it is unpaid work and you are readily available.
If you visit my nonprofit’s company page, you will see 25 employees listed who are volunteers either filling the gap, working or self-employed and believe in the mission, or board members. Each one of them could embellish their job titles to 100 characters.
For further information on this topic, read some articles. They may vary in their opinions or spark some ideas for you.
Unemployed? Create a “Current” Role on LinkedIn to Score Higher for Jobs
The Best LinkedIn Job Title When You are Unemployed (but follow my suggestion for keywords for the embellished job title)
What to Put on Linkedin When You Are Unemployed
3 Options to Update Your LinkedIn Job Title and Employer When Unemployed
Good luck, and let me know if this technique made a difference for you!
NEXT STEPS
- Subscribe to my newsletter on LinkedIn for bright ideas to manage your career.
- Join as a member at https://greatcareers.org/membership of the #1 business networking association on the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Book of Lists two years in a row!
- Register on the events page for our upcoming events.
AUTHOR BIO
Lynne M. Williams is the Executive Director of the Great Careers Network, a volunteer-run 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides career education and networking connections for 1) job seekers in career transition, including veterans, and 2) employed and self-employed for career management. She is also the President of ChemPharma.net and runs a Clubhouse session every Friday at 11 AM ET on the Thought Leadership Branding Club.
Aside from writing keyword-focused content for ATS resumes and LinkedIn profiles, Lynne is currently writing her doctoral dissertation on LinkedIn for Job Seekers. She is a contributing author on “Applying to Positions” in Find Your Fit: A Practical Guide to Landing the Job You Love along with the late Dick Bolles, the author of What Color is Your Parachute?, and is also a speaker on career topics.
This article is also published on: vista.today, montco.today, delco.today, bucksco.today, and may also be in the author’s LinkedIn newsletter. A list of articles can also be found in a Google doc.
