Linda Ryan; National Program Manager for BCCA-IN
Understand the value of LinkedIn
LinkedIn has many treats; it can be used as an online representation of your career highlights; a method for professional networking, and a way to connect with the industries and recruiters in the city where you are living or moving to.
Know how to connect
LinkedIn is a professional social networking forum. Yes, you can leverage it when job hunting but it's primary purpose is sharing, learning and connecting. So when using it to connect with peers in your industry, try these simple tricks:
- Send a connection request and don’t add a note. What have you got to lose!
- Send a connection request to a recruiter summarizing why you’re a solid fit for the role they're advertising and ask "if it's possible to connect to learn more".
- Send a connection request to a peer and add a note like this:
Hi <insert first name or contact>, I am moving to the area and would value some local industry insights. Any thoughts?”
Hi <insert first name of contact>, I’m a<n> <insert your profession title> moving to <insert city that contact is in>. Would you have 5 minutes to share some local industry insights? Thanks.”
Leverage strategies to build relationships
Some simple actions for building relationships on LinkedIn include:
- Making meaningful and polite comments on articles;
- Adding positive comments to other people’s comments;
- Using the Like icons on posts or articles.
And remember, never get involved in political debates, opinion snowballs, or contentious conversations. LinkedIn is a professional forum, not a personal soapbox!
Update your Location section
Yes, we are living in an era of increased remote work possibilities but still having your home country listed as your LinkedIn location, will hinder rather than help you. Recruiters and employers, even professionals in your industry, will want to connect with 'local' peers, so the more local you seem, the more relevant you are (or at least, the more you have in common on a very basic level).
You can get around this by ensuring you list ‘Canadian Permanent Resident’ or other relevant legal status on your profile (in the Name/Title section) and/or by changing your location to the city/province you’re moving to. Feel free to say 'Relocating to X' if you feel that's more of an accurate reflection of your geographic status.
Fine tune your About section
This section of your profile is a combination of your career biography and your value pitch to potential employers and contacts. It should be detailed but brief, so that it doesn't go below the line and force the reader to click the 'More...' button. It will take time to get this right, so write, proof and rewrite it several times. Once you've got it right, you can add to it and reuse your pitch on your resume, in networking conversations, interviews etc. The key things you should describe are:
- Your profession e.g. Civil Engineer, Nurse, Accountant, Business or Project Manager etc.
- Level of education;
- The industries you’ve worked in e.g. construction, healthcare, logistics...
- The size and scope of projects you’ve been involved in (quantify them);
- If you’re progressing (‘challenging’) or have acquired any Canadian credential (with a relevant professional body);
- If you’ve registered for membership with a relevant professional association in Canada; and
- That you’re a ‘Canadian Permanent Resident’ (or other legal status).
Ensure your Experience section is a match
Newcomers often apply for a range of roles and seniorities to test the job market. It's an understandable tactic and a valuable learning exercise but don't spread yourself too thin. Be careful about the range of roles you're applying for because whatever you apply for should be supported by your LinkedIn profile and more specifically your Experience section. 'Less is more' when it comes to submitting job applications and I'd say the same for the level of detail you list in your Experience section. Three to five bullet points that sell your seniority, technical skills and/or unique achievements will work better for you than too much information.
Build your Recommendations and Endorsements sections
Having peer-to-peer recommendations on your profile and professionals who endorse your skills, is super important for your LinkedIn profile. For newcomers, going through the process of securing these recommendations and endorsements is also the first test of your home-country professional relationships because it's a valuable indication of who you can count on for references when you're successfully shortlisted for that first job in Canada!
My best advice is to give freely and hopefully you'll receive in return. Seek out and provide recommendations and endorsements for past colleagues (be authentic) and in return you will receive a percentage back.
Also be prepared to draft a factual recommendation and approach a past manager or colleague to see if they'd be happy to post it on your LinkedIn profile. It makes things easier if you've proactively scripted a recommendation they can edit and use.
From a recruiter's perspective the Recommendations and Endorsements section of LinkedIn profiles are great indications of the truth in a candidate's resume. These elements take time to gather, so the sooner you invest energy in getting them done pre-arrival, the better!
Know that your profile is organic
Try not to achieve perfection initially with your LinkedIn profile. But please follow the tips above before you start connecting and applying for jobs. Like you career, your profile will evolve over time; be prepared to revisit it as you network, build connections, move locations, acquire courses, secure credentials and join professional organizations.
Linda Ryan is the National Program Manager with BCCA-
Integrating Newcomers, a government funded, Canada-wide, free, pre-arrival career coaching service for high skilled construction professionals immigrating to Canada (*BCCA-IN).