This slide was presented on May 4th for a UNT Career Center webinar.

1. Using LinkedIn To Find A Job
Greg Allbright
University of North Texas ‘97, ’00
@gregallbright
@change4adollar
linkedin.com/in/gregallbright
www.changedfw.com

4. Overview
Three Main Themes
• What can you do to set yourself apart. Differentiate yourself in a professional
way.
• Groups
• Its business NETWORKING. 1st and 2nd connections are key.
Let’s Get Started!

5. Getting Started
Professional headline - describe yourself as the job you want or
how you can help, not your title
Instead of: Ronald Dullen, CPA, MBA Consultant to Industry, Non-Profits and the Wealthy, CEO
Try: Solving urgent leadership problems… when your CEO steps down, Ron Dullen steps up
Instead of: President of Office Computer Concepts, LLC
Try: Building the Tools that Make Your Business Life Easier!
www.linkedin-makeover.com

6. Getting Started
Professional Headshot. Would you hire the person as they
appear in their headshot?

7. BE HUMAN
Getting Started
Story about guy who
made a mistake,
admitted it and talked
about how he messed up,
Profile Summary - 1st Person, Tell your story. fixed, and what he
learned
• Why should people care about you?
• Who are you as a person, and what do you bring to the workplace
that is different than anyone else?
• What are you passionate about?
• What was something you did in your past that you were proud
about that's related to the career or industry you are interested in.

8. Getting Started
Groups - The company you keep says a lot about you.
• Builds network, helps connect to people, builds visibility
• Alumni, University, Former employer, Professional groups
• Job seeker groups in your field, trade leads and
referrals. Help more than you receive.
• Find industry specific groups and start and add to
discussions.

9. Getting Started
Recommendations, Give and Get some!
• Three are required for getting 100% of your profile completed
• Get one for each job, school, and/or volunteer position
• Only ask who you would want to write one for as well
That concludes “Getting
• Its okay to ask they be edited Started”, let’s take some
questions.
• Say “Thank you!”

10. Build Infrastructure and
create campaigns
Getting Started
Connect your Social Media
• Whatever you are doing/Should be doing to set a professional
image
• Use #in hashtag for professional and appropriate tweets and
updates
• Linkedin settings: share only tweets that contain #in or #li

11. Always Be Connecting
When you meet people off-line:
• connect with them on Linkedin;
• say thank you and have a brief conversation about safe,
mutually relevant topics
Get to know your 1st degree connections.
• Let them know you are looking, what you are looking for, and
who you would like to get in front of.

12. Always Be Connecting
2nd degree connections are where the action is:
• Greg Allbright: 760 1st degree,135,000 second degree.
• Ask for an introduction to 2nd, through 1st.
• Not typical with 3rd degree.
Things to do with your introduction
• Ask for a job. Ask for advice. Ask for a referral that might be
able to help

13. Always be Searching
• Find every company you would like to work for, who are the 1st and
2nd connections
Who
• Search by industry, who are the 1st and 2nd connections conn
do yo
your
• Search for subject matter experts in jobs, fields, or companies you intro
want. Ask them to help, provide feedback, etc.
Use it to prepare for interviews.
• Find the person, who are their connections
• Find the companies, their competitors, vendors, leadership,
who is connected to you
Concludes Always be
connecting and
searching. Let’s take
some questions.

14. Why HR Professionals Use LinkedIn
• They use LinkedIn b/c budgets are tight
• Monster and CareerBuilder serve a purpose, but you have to pay to
post positions and look at resumes
• Not as easy to gauge quality like LinkedIn where you see
recommendations and connections
• Helps them do the same thing a job seeker wants to do: Research
companies, find SME's, similar industry and position types, group
discussion and former colleagues

15. Why HR Professionals Use LinkedIn
Kay Luo, Director of Corporate Communications at LinkedIn
"The main reason that companies are using LinkedIn is to find passive job
candidates. Another reason why companies are using LinkedIn, is because referrals
from their employees are highly valued because they typically have a higher success
rate (hence the popular "employee referral bonuses"). LinkedIn helps companies
leverage the networks of their employees."
Let them read the quote,
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/networking/a/linkedin.htm wait . 10 seconds
How important passive
candidates really are...
•

16. Why HR Professionals Use LinkedIn
"We are currently using LinkedIn at our company as our #1 resource for finding key
talent. I think it is very important that students are aware of how to use this tool."
- Large company recruiter
If a large employer that uses best practices in their recruitment. So if they are doing
it, you should assume others are doing as well.
Remarkable statement,
Big company and
primary

17. Why HR Professionals Use LinkedIn
Advice from HR professionals:
• This is a professional forum to network with not only recruiters but others in your
field. Keep it professional.
• Recommendations - make sure to have at least 3-5
• Photo - A must have. It makes you more marketable and gives people a sense of
who they are dealing with. A professional picture is preferred.
• Groups - Target groups that interest you and are in your field. Signup for the updates
so you can learn more about what is going on around you and stay up to date with
industry trends.

18. Why HR Professionals Use LinkedIn
Advice continued:
• Give details - Do not just list the title of your company and the years you worked
there. Give details on what you did in the role.
Results make you stand out, and apart from the crowd
• Recruiters want to see results. Quantify them.
“I worked on a collaborative team at Chilis to find new ways to increase sales. The results being
that we were # 1 in the chain for the Summer of 2010.
• All things being equal, the better you show results, the more you are likely to get an
interview.

19. Why HR Professionals Use LinkedIn
Advice continued:
• They should include info on any related work and internships. If they can get the
hiring managers they interned for to give recommendations that is valuable.
• LinkedIn introductions: I will read those resumes out of a sense of duty to the person
doing the recommending when they may not otherwise get my attention.
Concludes how Hr
Interesting dynamic. They care about who introduced you,
professionals use
so they are taking time to read your resume.
Linkedin, let’s take some
questions.
Importance of having a strong relationship with 1st
connections

20. Only Two Slides Left!
Tidbits
• Update your profile regularly. Every time you update your whole network will be
notified and you’ll get exposure.
• Keep doing this regularly when you get a job.
• Help more than you receive. The next person you help may help you in the future.
• Other resources - http://linkedintelligence.com/smart-ways-to-use-linkedin/

21. A Gift For UNT Students and Alumni
Complimentary one-on-one sessions on how to use social media to find a job
• Build out your online infrastructure (FB, Twitter, Blog)
• Launch an online campaign to promote your job search
• Email me to set up a one hour session - Greg@Changedfw.org
Thank you to the career
center for having me.
Final Questions?