With over 700 million users worldwide, LinkedIn is a gateway to building new connections, sourcing the latest opportunities, and getting yourself known in the maritime industry. So, how can you use LinkedIn for your job search?
We have put together an expert guide on how to play the LinkedIn game and get noticed by recruiters and hiring managers.
This insight includes information on the following:
Standing out from the crowd
The pandemic has moved more people online and LinkedIn is busier than ever, meaning it is becoming harder to get noticed by recruiters and employers. You need to ensure your profile is optimised to its full potential.
Engagement is key
Now that you have perfected your LinkedIn profile you will want to focus on how you engage. LinkedIn rewards users who engage and spend time on the platform. It was designed for business leaders, job seekers, employees, and employers to build connections and create conversations with one another (engagement).
Engagement is the key to building connections and conversations. Try to allocate some time daily to find ways to engage with current maritime and shipping connections and establish new ones.
You can actively engage by liking and sharing posts by recruiters and commenting on relevant job adverts. Commenting on industry news or sharing your opinion when asked is a great way to show you are engaged.
Connect with relevant recruiters
Building relationships with recruiters in the maritime industry is the most productive way to find the latest opportunities. A recruiter will already have the jobs and you will not have to go searching for them. Be selective of who you connect with though and do your research – you do not want to end up with a LinkedIn full of irrelevant connections. Accept connection requests from relevant recruiters too.
Creating posts on LinkedIn
A key way to get noticed on LinkedIn is by publishing your own organic content as well as sharing interesting stories and insights. This will show your current connections your passion and your knowledge of your industry.
If a connection replies to your post, make sure you reply and tag them in it. This will alert them that you have replied as well as show LinkedIn your engagement.
Research has shown that the first 60 minutes after posting is the golden hour, so use this time to engage with people whilst aiming to get as much engagement on your own post.
When to post
LinkedIn is a platform that moves at a rapid pace. A LinkedIn post has a lifespan of 48 hours, so choosing your posting time window will be key to getting noticed in your job search.
Before the global COVID-19 pandemic, mornings were a popular time to engage on LinkedIn. However, this has changed in recent months. Social media moves quickly, so be sure to monitor this and keep track of what times work for you.
Suggested times to post:
Pre pandemic:
Wednesday: 8 -10 am and Noon
Thursday: 9 am
Friday: 9 am
During pandemic:
Wednesday: 3 pm
Thursday: 9 - 10 am
Friday: 11 am-Noon
Posting frequency
Do you have to post daily? No, but you will miss out on 60% more reach on your posts if you don’t. We advise aiming to share one post per working day and to stay on top of all comments. If you don’t have anything to post that day, that is fine. Just ensure you engage with other people. It is better to post valuable content over content that provides no credibility to your personal brand or your job search.
If you want to post more than once per day, leave three hours in between each post.
Getting the most out of your posts
Try to include a visual image with accompanying text. These posts have been proven to get the best results and can reach up to 100% of your connections. A text post with a document can reach 50-80% of your connections. A narrative video reaches 20-70% of your connections.
You have 1,300 characters (150-200 words) for your post, so make them count. Posting the most important information or asking a question in your opening sentence will enable more people to be drawn to your post. Always use a call to action – what do you want people to do after reading your post?
Tag relevant people in your network
Tagging relevant people in your posts or comments is a great way to get noticed by them. It will not boost your post, but it will mean the person you are trying to get in front of will be more likely to see your content.
The power of three – hashtags
Always use hashtags in your posts but as a rule of thumb stick to three industry-relevant hashtags. Any more and your post will be marked as spam. Hashtags will increase your chances of getting noticed by relevant people by 50%.
Job search hashtags could include, #seafarerjobs #technicalsuperintendent, #maritimeindustry
Job search functionality
Using the job search functionality on LinkedIn is an effective way to search for jobs. By filtering your location, job title and salary, LinkedIn will show you all the jobs and employers relevant to you. Most job descriptions will have the recruiter or hiring manager linked to them, so if the job is of interest be sure to send them a personalised message and connection request.
At Faststream Recruitment Group, we specialise in supporting candidates to find their next opportunity, and we only ever share opportunities and career content that is relevant to our audience. We also take pride in building personal, long-lasting relationships with our candidates. So, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn and get underway with your job search.
