Cracking a tech interview is one thing, but it's a whole other level of difficulty to get an interview at all.
Marketing yourself takes time, but there is a way to minimize your efforts: LinkedIn.
Let's see how you can use LinkedIn optimally to market yourself.
A thread. ↓
Marketing yourself takes time, but there is a way to minimize your efforts: LinkedIn.
Let's see how you can use LinkedIn optimally to market yourself.
A thread. ↓
0. Foreword
I have used LinkedIn for quite some time now and put some great effort into optimizing my profile and approach.
Before I decided to go down the content creator route, I had at least 10 recruiters (more often 20 to 30) contacting me daily about new roles.
I have used LinkedIn for quite some time now and put some great effort into optimizing my profile and approach.
Before I decided to go down the content creator route, I had at least 10 recruiters (more often 20 to 30) contacting me daily about new roles.
As soon as I set myself as "open to offers," I can't even catch up with all the messages I get anymore.
This is not to brag but to prove one point: LinkedIn gives you visibility, leading to potential interviews.
This is not to brag but to prove one point: LinkedIn gives you visibility, leading to potential interviews.
1. What is LinkedIn?
In case you don't know LinkedIn yet, here is a short introduction:
LinkedIn is a professional social network founded in 2002.
Its goal is to provide a platform where professionals can exchange opinions and connect with other professionals.
In case you don't know LinkedIn yet, here is a short introduction:
LinkedIn is a professional social network founded in 2002.
Its goal is to provide a platform where professionals can exchange opinions and connect with other professionals.
Users have a personal profile page to introduce themselves, list their skills, pin important content, and even more.
And LinkedIn supports posting content, working a lot like Twitter.
Each post can contain up to 1300 characters and additional media (video, image, slides).
And LinkedIn supports posting content, working a lot like Twitter.
Each post can contain up to 1300 characters and additional media (video, image, slides).
Content that does well on Twitter usually does well on LinkedIn, but it has far more organic reach, lasting longer.
While content on Twitter usually vanishes after a day, it remains relevant on LinkedIn.
While content on Twitter usually vanishes after a day, it remains relevant on LinkedIn.
Microsoft acquired LinkedIn in December 2016, but this hasn't had any negative impact yet.
2. Why LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is one of those platforms where many recruiters are active.
One of its core concepts is actually being a hiring platform.
When professionals can connect, why shouldn't companies and recruiters connect with their next potential hire?
LinkedIn is one of those platforms where many recruiters are active.
One of its core concepts is actually being a hiring platform.
When professionals can connect, why shouldn't companies and recruiters connect with their next potential hire?
And this is why LinkedIn can help you with marketing yourself.
With little work, you can gain a lot of visibility, be noticed by recruiters, and can increase your chances of being contacted by them.
There is nearly no easier way to get to this point without too much work.
With little work, you can gain a lot of visibility, be noticed by recruiters, and can increase your chances of being contacted by them.
There is nearly no easier way to get to this point without too much work.
Twitter, for example, takes a lot of effort to become and stay relevant, and while many people have found their dream job through Twitter, they either had to work for it longer, needed a little luck, or worked hard for it.
I would always recommend you to be active on Twitter, but I know how demanding life can be.
You have a full-time job, a family, children, friends, hobbies, and this all takes time to handle.
Creating a lot of content might take too much time, and that's fine.
You have a full-time job, a family, children, friends, hobbies, and this all takes time to handle.
Creating a lot of content might take too much time, and that's fine.
This is why LinkedIn can be a great way for you to get noticed.
It takes a one-time effort to set yourself up correctly, and everything after this is optional.
It takes a one-time effort to set yourself up correctly, and everything after this is optional.
3. Setting up your LinkedIn profile
The first step, if you aren't on the platform already, is to register yourself.
It only takes a few minutes, and then there you are, a fresh user.
Spend some time to set up your profile rudimentarily.
The first step, if you aren't on the platform already, is to register yourself.
It only takes a few minutes, and then there you are, a fresh user.
Spend some time to set up your profile rudimentarily.
Be sure to write a headline, fill in the About section, set a nice profile picture of you, and fill in some of your skills.
You will optimize these later, but this is already enough to be found.
You will optimize these later, but this is already enough to be found.
4. Optimize your LinkedIn profile
Optimization is what really brings you further on LinkedIn.
Recruiters can search for candidates by keywords.
Imagine it like optimizing a website (SEO) for keywords.
Optimization is what really brings you further on LinkedIn.
Recruiters can search for candidates by keywords.
Imagine it like optimizing a website (SEO) for keywords.
You want some content to be relevant for certain users' searches, and try to rank this page as high as possible.
The same principle applies to LinkedIn, only that you optimize your profile.
When a recruiter searches for a candidate, you want to rank as highly as possible.
The same principle applies to LinkedIn, only that you optimize your profile.
When a recruiter searches for a candidate, you want to rank as highly as possible.
The keyword search is based on certain strings and boolean logic.
An example:
("engineer" OR "developer" OR "dev") AND "javascript" AND ("react" OR "vue").
As you see, this search string contains some parts of a title and skills.
An example:
("engineer" OR "developer" OR "dev") AND "javascript" AND ("react" OR "vue").
As you see, this search string contains some parts of a title and skills.
LinkedIn will use the following sections of your profile to look for them:
- Your headline
- Your About section
- Your skills section
The more hits it gets, the more relevant you become for this particular search.
- Your headline
- Your About section
- Your skills section
The more hits it gets, the more relevant you become for this particular search.
It still takes a certain human component to check whether you are really relevant, which is why you should not just drop a keyword cloud and hope for the best.
You need it to look human and professional enough for recruiters to really consider you.
You need it to look human and professional enough for recruiters to really consider you.
-> Lay out your strategy
You should first get an idea of what you are actually looking for.
If you want to work as a frontend developer, you shouldn't mention more backend skills than frontend ones.
You should first get an idea of what you are actually looking for.
If you want to work as a frontend developer, you shouldn't mention more backend skills than frontend ones.
Your profile is like your CV.
Keep it relevant, and don't flood it with everything you know.
It may seem tempting to do so because you know so much, but this can also backfire and leave the impression that you are not really focused.
Keep it relevant, and don't flood it with everything you know.
It may seem tempting to do so because you know so much, but this can also backfire and leave the impression that you are not really focused.
The number one rule is: Sell yourself as a professional specialist.
You can still change your profile anytime and optimize it for something different.
This is why you should write down what you actually look for.
And when you have done that, add what skills are relevant.
You can still change your profile anytime and optimize it for something different.
This is why you should write down what you actually look for.
And when you have done that, add what skills are relevant.
From these skills, find the main skills that are definitely worth mentioning.
For a frontend developer, e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and a frontend framework are definitely worthy of being mentioned.
But your knowledge of Webpack or Parcel might not be a main skill.
For a frontend developer, e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and a frontend framework are definitely worthy of being mentioned.
But your knowledge of Webpack or Parcel might not be a main skill.
-> Optimize your headline
When you have laid out your strategy, you should start with your headline.
It should contain who you are, how much experience you have, and the skills you identified as your main ones.
When you have laid out your strategy, you should start with your headline.
It should contain who you are, how much experience you have, and the skills you identified as your main ones.
Although a headline like "I love developing software" might sound great, it doesn't help you get found in recruiter searches.
Here is a good example of a headline:
"Software engineer - 5 years of experience - HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React"
Here is a good example of a headline:
"Software engineer - 5 years of experience - HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React"
Your headline is the first thing a recruiter sees when you show up in their keyword search.
It affirms them that they might have found a suitable candidate.
It shows:
- You are a software engineer
- Have 5 years of professional experience
- Your main skills
It affirms them that they might have found a suitable candidate.
It shows:
- You are a software engineer
- Have 5 years of professional experience
- Your main skills
Especially stating your experience is important.
There is no native way on LinkedIn to state how much experience you really have reliably.
One could add up the months in your work history, but people often want to leave out certain positions.
There is no native way on LinkedIn to state how much experience you really have reliably.
One could add up the months in your work history, but people often want to leave out certain positions.
-> Optimize your About section
The About section is your bio.
You can tell users who visit your page about yourself and what you do.
LinkedIn also looks for keywords in this section of your profile.
The About section is your bio.
You can tell users who visit your page about yourself and what you do.
LinkedIn also looks for keywords in this section of your profile.
Your next goal is to embed the main keywords into your About section, as well, while writing a tempting text that makes you interesting.
The About section is perfect for adding more information about you than would have fit in your headline.
The About section is perfect for adding more information about you than would have fit in your headline.
Write a text that contains all the keywords and makes you definitely look interesting.
Here is an example:
"I am a software engineer with 5 years of professional experience, currently specializing in frontend development.
Here is an example:
"I am a software engineer with 5 years of professional experience, currently specializing in frontend development.
I work a lot with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and regularly use React and Vue to build single-page applications and marketing landing pages.
Currently, I am a part of a team of five as a senior engineer where I focus on accessibility and component-driven approaches."
Currently, I am a part of a team of five as a senior engineer where I focus on accessibility and component-driven approaches."
You can, of course, add more and state some of your side skills if you wish to, but this text already frames a certain picture of you that also contains the most important keywords.
-> Optimize your skills section
The skills section of your profile is where you drop all the techs you work with.
Mention all the skills you identified as relevant to the positions you look for here.
The skills section of your profile is where you drop all the techs you work with.
Mention all the skills you identified as relevant to the positions you look for here.
This is where you can also list all those secondary skills like bundlers, other frameworks, and soft skills.
Especially the latter is not completely irrelevant.
If you are a good communicator, list it. If you know agile methodologies, list them.
Especially the latter is not completely irrelevant.
If you are a good communicator, list it. If you know agile methodologies, list them.
Do yourself a favor to really only list what is relevant for the positions you look for.
You might know Postgres, Express, Fastify, and what else, but ask yourself if those skills are really relevant.
If you can't answer "yes" with 100% confidence, leave them out.
You might know Postgres, Express, Fastify, and what else, but ask yourself if those skills are really relevant.
If you can't answer "yes" with 100% confidence, leave them out.
-> Set yourself as open to offers
The last thing to do is to add your job preferences and set yourself as looking for work.
Add up to 5 fitting titles for what you look for and add a place where you look for work.
The last thing to do is to add your job preferences and set yourself as looking for work.
Add up to 5 fitting titles for what you look for and add a place where you look for work.
This place can be where you currently live, the next tech hub, or a city you want to move to for a job.
If you are open to remote work, definitely check the box.
Don't forget to mark the type of work (full-time, part-time, contract, etc.) you look for.
If you are open to remote work, definitely check the box.
Don't forget to mark the type of work (full-time, part-time, contract, etc.) you look for.
5. Optionally post content
Posting content is completely optional, but it can help you to gain even more visibility.
One valuable post a day can already help you to get connections.
And one connection might be enough to lead to an interview or even your next job.
Posting content is completely optional, but it can help you to gain even more visibility.
One valuable post a day can already help you to get connections.
And one connection might be enough to lead to an interview or even your next job.
That's thanks to the huge organic reach of content on LinkedIn.
Posts often stay relevant for days and are shown on other user's timelines regularly.
The algorithm does its best to show relevant content, and not only "what's happening now?"
That's an opportunity you can use.
Posts often stay relevant for days and are shown on other user's timelines regularly.
The algorithm does its best to show relevant content, and not only "what's happening now?"
That's an opportunity you can use.
6. Thread end
That's it for this thread. 💛
I hope you found something useful for you in it. 🙏🏼
If you enjoyed reading this thread, feel free to drop a like, retweet the first tweet, and follow me (@oliverjumpertz) for more content like this.
That's it for this thread. 💛
I hope you found something useful for you in it. 🙏🏼
If you enjoyed reading this thread, feel free to drop a like, retweet the first tweet, and follow me (@oliverjumpertz) for more content like this.
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