How to Use LinkedIn as Your Online CV

LinkedIn has become a huge splash on the social network scene and has focalized itself on being a job network and recruiting operation. It has allowed a chance to develop relationships with key players in the industries all over the world. All industry leads have seemed to find their way onto LinkedIn on account that such a successful resource pool has developed on there.

LinkedIn can be used as your online CV in the following ways:

Education – The education that you can list on you LinkedIn profile can be accounted for all throughout your life. You can list with direct links to your scholastic reporting and it will be permanently embedded on your profile. It grants a chance to show everyone where you come from with your education, as well as proper explanation room for the special notations you would like to mention.

• Job History– There is the option to properly list all your jobs and once again list the special notations you feel are worth mentioning. By allowing the special notation you allow people in the professional network field to see a personal touch on your application regarding past positions. By putting together a more personal profile on your job history it allows potential employers to learn a bit more about you.
• Hobbies and Networks – The option of listing your hobbies and becoming involved in various networks and groups allows you to put yourself out there and sell yourself as a great employee. By joining various networks and groups and contributing to them regularly you will draw positive attention to your profile and gain the exposure needed to find a job successfully
• Other Qualifications – By listing other qualifications and involvements you tie yourself to, it shows side interests as well as other things you’d like to learn about. There is an endless amount of room for interest and the more you explain yourself the more you tell potential employers about yourself and let them get to know your personality. 

LinkedIn allows you to fill out a very detailed analysis about yourself that never has to be redone and only further updated. Whereas CV’s and job applications require you to repeat over and over. This prevents the need to do such an inconvenient repetitive notion and allows you to centre your attention on actually communicating and becoming involved with those directly around you.

The More Involved the More Successful

The more time and attention you put into your profile the more successful it will inevitably be. The more detailed information you can give about yourself allows the chance to sell yourself to the potential employers reading about you. There is little that can be said in a few sentences about where you attend school and what kind of jobs you’ve worked, but relevancy is key.

If you work in a hospital and are looking for a job in nursing than it is relevant, if you work as a cashier and are looking for a job nursing, clearly using that as past experience will prove to be ineffective. LinkedIn is essentially as effective as you allow it to be, it is a tool governed at your disposal. By putting the proper time and effort in it can lead to getting involved in a very strong work force.

Richard McMunn is the founder of How2become.com and the author of this post. Richard spent 17 years in the Fire Service and now provides specialist recruitment training for those looking embark on a public sector career. You can also connect withHow2become on Twitter