LinkedIn profiles – we’ve all got one, and it’s something that we periodically say we’re going to put more time into maintaining – but honestly, do you ever get round to it?
The last time I wrote about the world of LinkedIn was in 2017. So much has changed on the platform since then, I thought it was time for an update on this tool which is, to me, indispensable in digital automation recruitment.
As in digital automation itself, LinkedIn has realised that to keep abreast of rapid changes in the technology sector, it had to adapt to continue giving users what they want.
This year the features were enhanced, and it’s now easier to connect, to share important articles and news with your peers and connections and most importantly – an exponential increase in users has expanded the scope for your career prospects.
As an avid user who is continually surprised by the value of the platform, I thought I’d share with you some of the reasons why having an active LinkedIn presence is more important than ever for your digital automation career, at the end of the article I’ll share some of my top tips to enhance your career growth potential and job search using this fantastic tool.
Platform Growth
Earlier this month at the LinkedIn Talent Connect conference in Dallas, LinkedIn’s 2019 data was released – the results were part of the reason that prompted me to write this post.
The current figure for worldwide LinkedIn members was revealed to be 645 million, an increase of 70 million members from this time last year; a great stat that amuses me is that this is equal to two new members every second! As a recruiter who knows that your potential is only as big as your network, you can see why I consider LinkedIn to be fundamental to your career success.
Additionally, the number of member sessions that were logged this year was over 30 billion (a member session is a member visiting the LinkedIn site), again this had grown by 27% on the previous year. What does this data tell us? That LinkedIn engagement is growing at an excellent rate, in a time where other membership interfaces are dwindling (for example, Facebook has lost over 15 million members in the last two years).
So, new members are continually joining LinkedIn, but how can this benefit your digital automation career?
LinkedIn for Digital and Marketing Automation, and CRM
The global marketing automation sector is steadily growing, from an estimated USD 3.3 billion this year to USD 6.4 billion by 2024.
Despite this growth, employers continue to face the same challenges when it comes to hiring people with the most in-demand skills. In-house and external recruiters continue to struggle to locate talented marketing automation candidates – the kind that can add real value to a business.
There has emerged a kind of paradox – the digital automation market is booming, globally, there are over 18 million cloud computing jobs, but there is a worrying mismatch between the skills that many candidates possess and the skills needed for the most in-demand roles. This government report released earlier in 2019 highlighted how essential CRM skills are in the UK workforce – CRM accounts for around 17% of all digital occupations in the UK. The report also notes that there is an emerging specialised technical job market surrounding CRM skills, as companies look to build ever more sophisticated and customised programmes.
It is these specialised skills which digital and marketing automation employers are desperately seeking – so if you possess advanced CRM skills, this makes you a desirable target for employers. Having an active LinkedIn profile that demonstrates you have the skills which are relevant in the current battle for talent shows that you are aware of the current scope for opportunities in the digital automation sector. In my experience, this is the easiest way to get spotted by a potential new employer (offering a bigger salary).
There is some evidence to suggest that staying with the same company for more than two years will see you get paid up to 50% less than if you were to change employers, so it is always a good idea to be aware of your earning potential even if you like your current job – be mindful of if your current employer is reviewing your salary regularly and if not, then ask for regular reviews. I’ve seen many people move jobs just for money and then regret it as they were actually happy in their previous role and company.
Updated Features
LinkedIn is continually updating its features to keep up with recruiting trends, and what they are doing is working – last year, over 4 million members were hired through LinkedIn. Marrying LinkedIn and SaaS services together, this year, LinkedIn launched Talent Insights – a service which helps businesses make smarter recruiting decisions.
Something else that caught my eye is the return of a great feature in terms of sharing articles with your LinkedIn connections. I use LinkedIn to post my own blogs, but also to share articles that I know my 17,000 followers will benefit from.
I am pleased to tell you that LinkedIn has reintroduced the feature which allows all of your contacts to be notified when you share a great piece of content. This feature is really useful for active LinkedIn members as it increases the traffic to your profile and increases your engagement – high engagement is a must for any digital automation candidates looking to catch the eye of a recruiter.
Your Digital Automation Network
LinkedIn Optimisation
So you’re not optimising an article or a blog post to get more search engine hits, but the principle is the same – you’re optimising your profile for the highest ROI on your time spent honing your LinkedIn persona versus the amount of recognition you hope to get from it.
The better your profile, the more chance you have of receiving that tempting message from a new potential employer. Below are some of my suggestions for maximising the potential of your LinkedIn profile.
LinkedIn Tips
- Use the ‘articles’ feature regularly – this is the best way to demonstrate your knowledge and your authority in your sector. Try writing one article per month about a current issue and see how this increases your engagement.
- Make use of the LinkedIn #communities pages. I have found some of the best valuable pages and interesting people through this feature.
- Your picture – you might have been advised to use an image of your head and shoulders, but recent data shows that cropping your picture from around the elbows up is more successful in terms of clicks.
Finally
If you’re considering a career move but it’s been a while since you put yourself ‘out there’ and you need some advice, get in contact with us today. We can discuss your digital automation career options and put you in contact with a range of potential employers to further your career.
About Resource On Demand
Resource On Demand is Europe’s first specialist Salesforce Recruitment Company, now also focusing on growth Cloud markets.
We assist innovative and disruptive organisations to grow their technology teams. Supporting companies to fill Cloud roles that span across Digital Marketing, Marketing Automation, Human Capital Management and the growing Salesforce.com suite of skills.
The team at Resource On Demand have access to an extensive database of key talent, registering over 8000 Cloud professionals each year.
To find out how we can support you call us on 01322 272 532