The document provides veterans with essential tips for leveraging LinkedIn to enhance their career prospects and professional branding. It emphasizes the importance of creating a powerful profile, translating military skills into civilian terms, and utilizing keywords that recruiters search for. Additionally, it outlines practical steps for managing personal networks and gaining meaningful recommendations to improve job opportunities.

1. Tips for Vets
This presentation cannot be duplicated or shared | Linked In For Business © 2017

2. JoAnne Funch
LinkedIn Strategist,Trainer& Speaker
www.LinkedInForBusiness.net | joanne@linkedinforbusiness.net
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3. LinkedIn is the #1 professional online
platform for career growth, networking and
professional reputation management.
Currently 450M members on LI

4. 93% of recruiters tap into LinkedIn to find
qualified candidates
42% of recruiters have reconsidered a candidate
viewed in a social profile, leading to both
positive and negative re-assessments
Four in ten job seekers found their job through
personal connections

5. There is an endless black hole of online job listings
And hiring managers are faced with a mounting avalanche of resumesThere is an endless black hole of online job listings
And hiring managers are faced with mounting
stacks of resumes
Veterans have a unique skill set & challenges
Challenges;
 Translating military skills to
civilian jobs
 Replacing military jargon with
keyword used by recruiters &
hiring managers
 Veterans are often stereotyped in
the professional world as being
straight to the point or cut & dry
vs. flexible

6. My goal…
practical steps to leveraging LinkedIn

7. You Need a Powerful Profile
Why is a powerful profile important?
 Generally ranks in the top Google searches for your name
 Brings you credibility
 Shows you as an expert in your field
 Recruiters can find you based on your skills & expertise

8. How are you managing your personal &
professional brand?
TIP: Set up a “Google Alert”

9. LinkedIn is more than an online
resume – and not
“one and done”
MISTAKE #1

10. Begin with a professional photo
If you are not active duty, than wear
civilian clothes
Dress for the job you want!

11. Edit your public profile
Create a custom URL for your name
 Use this in your email signature
 Add to your resume

12. Leverage Your Headline:
Explain what it is you do
show your passion and value combined with
key words!

13. Give Prospects a Reason to Connect With You
 Have a compelling headline that grabs their attention and
makes prospects want to click on your profile
 Combine an attention-grabbing statement with one or two
keywords

14. First job out of military: Keep it generic and focus on
the outcome you desire
Product Manager | MBA |
Engineer | Passionate about Big
Data, Cloud and Mobile
His passions are about what
he “wants” to do

15. Example

16. MISTAKE #2 – not knowing key words
Recruiters use “Applicant Tracking Systems” ATS
To sort candidates

17. Leverage your skills & expertise
with the best key words
Know the key words recruiters use
You can learn this by
reading job ads carefully

18. Example: Find key words in job listings

20. Key word in job
descriptions:
Marketing,
Advertising.
Communications.
P & L
Management,
Analytical
Example:

21. Key Words - Be consistent!
Place your most important search or keywords
strategically throughout your profile.
Professional Headline
Summary section
Title Fields – inclu. Current & past work experience
Skills & Expertise
Recommendations

22. Mistake #3 – translating military skills
Translate your resume out of military jargon and into
language that shows your transferrable skills.
Working in the S-3 shop
of a deployed battalion
Created a unified plan of action, ensured coordination
between cross-functional teams, and provided
feedback to improve the process.

23. http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/skills-
translator/
RESOURCE: use as a guide only

25. SUMMARY: What you need to know
• 2000 characters to write your story
• Recommend you write in the 1st person only
• Know your audience and write FOR THEM
• What makes you credible & interesting?
• What have you accomplished? – this builds
trust

26. SUMMARY: What you need to know 2
• What makes you unique? – this is what
endears people to you
• Add stats if appropriate because it can build
authority
• Have a call to action: Call, email, etc.

27. SUMMARY TIP:

28. Summary Example – Showing accomplishments

29. Who & what
Credibility
& key
words
Successes &
Key words, credibility,
companies he did
work for

30. Experience Section – add military
Highlight
Achievements

31. Experience Section
Show military
transition
It is important to use skills-related words in your Experience titles
and descriptions. Your profile will come up higher in search results!

32. Utilize STAR Statements (Situation / Task / Action /
Result) to communicate your accomplishments
As a logistics officer in Afghanistan, my mission was to
resupply troops across a wide area. I led a training program of
126 soldiers, process improvement studies, and convoy and
supply optimization planning. My difficult work across two
months saved $10 million, 2,450 man hours and reduced
dangerous convoys totalling 1,000 miles. I was recognized with
a military award for my actions.
https://job-interview-answers.com/job-interview-tips/job-interview-answers/star-interview-action-verbs/

33. What Recruiters Look For
• Skills
• Education history
• Training (certifications)
• Recommendations
• Well-rounded
• Military service
• Location

34. Add multi media:
Summary & Experience Sections
Get creative!
 Add images showing your work

35. Add Volunteer Experiences

36. Skills & Expertise
• Recruiters search key words

37. Endorsements

38. Skills & Expertise
• List up to 50 – these are what people endorse you on
(if you don’t fill them in, LI will suggest)
• LI auto populates skills they are tracking!
• Search this section for more key words
• Don’t be afraid to delete skills that are not relevant

40. “Personal recommendations, word of mouth, are
the number one driver of buying decisions.”
– Forbes Magazine

41. Recommendations
Tips for gaining meaningful recommendations…
• Request specifically what you want someone to
recommend you for, use key words in the language
• Always ask what results the person gained from
working with you and highlight specific skills

42. Example

43. CONCLUSION
Common traits of good profiles:
Fully completed & current
Compelling headlines
Summary that is clear, concise, you know their
strengths, accomplishments & results
Good profile picture
Current endorsements & recommendations
Image in header
They are actively engaged

46. Inviting
People To
Your
Network
• WHAT TO STAND OUT?
Never send default invitation, always
personalize & tell people why you are
sending the invitation
• Connect with people you know – be
strategic

47. Nurture connections
TAP YOUR CONNECTIONS
1. Target companies where you have connections even if
no job is immediately available
2. Determine specific target position(s), and request
introductions to recruiters and others that could help you

48. Reach Out to Connections
Don’t send generic emails – be personal, be specific as to what
you are looking for then ask for potential referrals at a meeting.
Example:
Subject: Seeking your advice on my next career move
You’ve always been supportive of me. So I wanted to reach out and let you know
that I’m making a career/job change. I’m transforming my role from sales into
marketing and I’m really excited to make the move!
Would you have time in the next week
or so for a brief phone chat so I can
seek your advice?
I’d really value your perspective.
Thank You, JoAnne

49. Follow Company Pages
• Focus on the companies you have the most
connections and/or want to work

50. Job Search Tab

51. Example – Best Buy (search companies
from jobs tab)

52. Build
professional
knowledge –
Understand
Company
Culture

53. Who’s
viewed my
profile
Job seekers: see what type of
companies are looking at your profile
 (upgrade account to see all)

54. Join Groups to support your brand & follow topics of interest
TIP: Recruiters watch this for how connected you are to your industry
and shows our interests

55. Stand Out?

56. Become more intentional about who you connect
and engage with

57. Maximize Visibility  Comment on status
updates in newsfeed,
company pages &
company pages
 Create your own status
update on the topics you
want to be known for
 More advanced
strategy: Write your
own article and publish

58. Visibility creates opportunity!

59. LinkedIn on Cell Phone or Mobile Device
 Check company pages,
CEO’s, employees, for
latest news or status
updates before
interview
GET THE APP: Android: Google Play/APP STORE
iphone: itunes/APP Store

60. LinkedIn Jobs APP

61. Vets – 1 year free job seeker account
https://linkedinforgood.linkedin.com/programs/veterans

62. What’s is your big takeaway?
“You never hire a resume.
You hire a person.”
– Mark Payne, Fahrenheit 212

63.  Rise to the top of the candidate choices
with a professionally updated profile!
$100 off a LinkedIn Professional Profile Update
http://linkedinforbusiness.net/career/
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**Expires May 30, 2017, Limited to first 10
joanne@linkedinforbusiness.net
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This presentation cannot be duplicated or shared | Linked In For Business © 2017