By Lydia Laughlin, Senior Consultant
The holiday season is fast approaching and is usually considered a quieter period in hiring.
It’s an ideal time to boost your LinkedIn presence, build meaningful connections, and set yourself up for success early in the new year, a peak hiring period.
Here are some key strategies to help you make the most of LinkedIn over the holidays.
1. Optimize Your Profile to Stand Out
- Update Your Profile Picture and Background: Use a professional, friendly photo and consider a background that reflects your industry or personal brand.
- Revise Your Headline: Craft an eye-catching headline that goes beyond your job title, including skills or unique value propositions to make it clear why someone should connect with you.
- Enhance Your “About” Section: Tell a compelling story about your career journey and include keywords relevant to your field, helping recruiters and connections understand your goals.
- Use Descriptions in your Experience Section: Update descriptions with scope statements full of keywords.
- Fill Out the Skills Section: Add in key skills relevant to your target to increase your relevancy for those roles and pin your top skills under each of your recent roles.
2. Use Recommendations to Build Credibility
- Request Recommendations: Reach out to former colleagues, managers, or clients for recommendations highlighting your skills and character.
- Provide Recommendations: Write meaningful recommendations for colleagues or mentors who have positively impacted you. This can lead to them recommending you in return, adding to your social proof.
3. Connect and Reconnect with Purpose
The holidays are a great time to expand and strengthen your LinkedIn network with people who could help you achieve your career goals in the coming year.
- Engage with Seasonal Messages: Send holiday greetings or end-of-year wishes to connections, which can naturally rekindle relationships and keep you top-of-mind.
- Personalized Connection Requests: When sending new connection requests, include a personal note. Reference any shared experiences, common contacts, or reasons you’re reaching out.
- Follow Industry Leaders and Join Relevant Groups: Find groups and leaders in your field, join discussions, and comment on posts to gain visibility and build connections.
4. Share Valuable Content to Boost Engagement
- Post an End-of-Year Reflection: Share a post about your career highlights or lessons learned in the past year, making it insightful and relevant for your industry. It’s a great way to show your expertise and start a conversation.
- Share Industry Insights and Trends for the New Year: Post about key trends emerging in your industry, showing you’re engaged and knowledgeable.
- Celebrate Wins and Recognize Others: Congratulate connections on their achievements or wish them well for the holidays. It’s a small gesture that leaves a positive impression.
5. Plan for January’s Hiring Surge
Use the holiday period to set up job alerts and monitor companies that may post new positions in January.
- Set Job Alerts on LinkedIn: This way, you’re instantly notified when new roles in your field are posted.
- Research Target Companies: Follow companies you are interested in, monitor their updates, and be ready to apply when new roles open up after the holiday break.
- Prepare Application Materials: Have an updated resume and cover letter templates ready for January applications.
6. Take Advantage of LinkedIn Learning
- Use LinkedIn Learning Courses to Enhance Your Skills: Completing a course can not only boost your skills but also show up on your profile, enhancing your credibility.
- Highlight New Skills on Your Profile: Once you complete a course, add the new skills and certifications to your profile for recruiters and connections to see.
7. Stay Active and Consistent
- Maintain a Positive Presence During the Holidays: This helps to keep you visible to recruiters and connections. Commit to engaging a few times a week, whether by posting content, commenting on updates, or engaging with posts from industry leaders.
Using LinkedIn effectively over the holidays can be a powerful way to kickstart the new year.
With your optimized profile, strengthened connections, and enhanced skills, you’ll be well-prepared for the January hiring rush. Good luck!