Do you ever wonder how to encourage recruiters to come to you with a new role? Are you in college looking for an internship: an entry level employee looking for their next step: or a seasoned veteran of the workforce who wants to share their wisdom with a new company & team? Keep reading to learn how you can improve your chances of being recruited and let your skills work for you, even when you aren’t working.
Post Your Stories
Sharing stories is my favorite way to increase your chance of being recruited. You can select whichever medium you prefer, although I have seen the best results come from LinkedIn. This is probably because of LinkedIn’s popularity for recruiting projects. Sharing your stories about work experiences, lessons learned, projects, or even people that you like to connect with increases the likelihood that your profile will show up in an X-RAY or BOOLEAN search. The key words from your posts or articles may appear in the search as a recruiter sources the talent they are targeting. Additionally, when a recruiter views your page, you can give them a closer look into the skills you have and the way that you communicate through writing (or speaking if you share videos).
Connect With People Outside of Your Company
People that are not already in your network or inner circle will be the people most likely to refer you to new information and opportunities. Your coworkers likely know information similar to what you know. If you make an intentional choice to connect with new people outside of your company (or existing network) then you build pathways to the latest information and potential opportunities down the line. One conversation you have may spark a new, non-work-related connection to introduce you to their colleague who has expressed interest in your skillset. One chat can lead to another, and you could very well be in your dream job sooner than you thought.
Create a Portfolio to Accompany Your Resume
Graphic Designers, Artists, Photographers, and Musicians all have portfolios of work where we can see what skills they have before we even talk to them. Why shouldn’t other professions do the same? If you are not in a creative field and wondering, “Well how would I create a portfolio?” I have one simple solution: Power Point! Recruiters will often click on your LinkedIn page to look for information they can use to present you to hiring teams or determine if you are a fit for a role. Imagine if you had a public portfolio highlighting your projects and key accomplishments, this differs from your resume which is usually more bland. Your portfolio can include photos, light music, and other eye-catching effects to highlight your expertise AND your creativity.
Ready to be Recruited?
Being recruited can feel amazing but remember the burden of being so awesome involves replying to all the recruiters who want to message you! Connecting with new professionals outside of your circle, sharing your stories on platforms like LinkedIn or YouTube, and creating an engaging portfolio to highlight your career accomplishments will help recruiters come to you and share your value proposition on your behalf. Ready to have opportunities knocking on YOUR door?
