LinkedIn is the most powerful website for career-minded professionals who want to connect, engage in discussions, and share their success stories. People who use this platform find job opportunities to develop and strengthen their professional relationships. It’s also a place where you can find mentors to teach you the skills you need to grow in your career, no matter the industry.
But even though LinkedIn can help many professionals grow their careers, it’s especially useful for tech and IT – provided, you use this tool right. Below, we will explain how you could use LinkedIn as your main propulsor for a thriving career in tech.
Build a Strong Profile
Growing your career in tech starts with building a strong LinkedIn profile. You can do this by uploading a professional photo and writing a compelling headline that highlights your expertise. It’s very important that your profile summary is concise and impactful, mentioning your skills, experience, and career aspirations. In the work history section, mention specific achievements and the results you obtained at work throughout the years. If you want your profile to be even more attractive, add relevant courses, certifications, and technical skills.
A 5-star LinkedIn profile would not be complete if you didn’t engage with the community and share industry insights. Join groups that are relevant to your industry or area of expertise and connect with professionals each time you get the chance to do it. To validate your skills, solicit endorsements and recommendations. An interesting and complete LinkedIn profile doesn’t only attract recruiters, but also establishes you as a credible professional in the tech sector.
Expand and Strengthen Your Network
Once you fill out a complete LinkedIn profile, start connecting and interacting with colleagues, industry peers, and thought leaders. If you want to build genuine relationships that last, personalize connection requests – send a custom message with every request you make. To find people you could connect with, join relevant groups where other professionals think like you and actively participate in discussions.
Also, keep in mind that you won’t gain visibility unless you share insightful content. Commenting on other people’s posts is also very important for enhancing visibility. Keep in mind that the more proof of mutual support your profile displays, the more people will want to connect. Whenever you achieve a milestone in your career, get a certification, or an award, mention it to your network. A robust and engaged network not only opens new opportunities but also fosters future professional development and collaborations.
Showcase Your Expertise
Leveraging LinkedIn for career growth in tech means showcasing your expertise, too. Share your knowledge by publishing posts or articles on industry trends, best practices you have learned about, and innovative technologies. Your accomplishments should be highlighted through case studies and detailed project descriptions. The “Featured” section can help you display your most impressive work. Here, other professionals can read about your presentations, reports, or discover your most interesting blog posts.
Know that if you don’t regularly update your profile with new skills, certifications, or accomplishments, no one will know that you have already grown in your career to the present point in time. The tech community is very active on LinkedIn, so if you don’t engage with content from other tech experts, you can’t demonstrate that you are actively involved in the professional tech community. In other words, it’s essential to position yourself as a thought leader by consistently showcasing your expertise.
Use the Contact and Job Search Features
The platform’s contact search and networking features can significantly boost your career growth in tech. For example, recruiters will know you’re seeking new opportunities if you use the “Open to Work” feature. Fortunately, LinkedIn offers a job search feature to help you find openings that match your skills and interests. You could also set up job alerts to remain informed about new opportunities. When applying, use the “Easy Apply” feature to speed things up.
But a built-in job search is not the only way to boost your employment chances with LinkedIn. Sometimes, the best strategy for active job seekers is to take the initiative and contact potential employers first. The platform’s networking feature can also be very helpful if you follow tech companies and join relevant groups where you could come across potential employers.
From there, you could use SignalHire’s tool to search for contacts on Linkedin – this Chrome/Firefox plugin can give you access to verified emails of potential employers, even if a user’s LinkedIn profile keeps this information private. After all, sending a direct email shows your genuine interest in collaboration and portrays you as a determined person – and many employers are actively looking for such candidates.
Or, you could use the SignalHire contact database to search for potential employers in bulk – this feature is available on the main website. The reason to consider this service for active job search is that the database is designed specifically for recruiters, but it works equally well in reverse – that is, when applicants are actively looking for employers’ contact data.
Monitor Your Strategy and Adjust It
If you want your career in tech to grow sustainably, you must regularly monitor and adjust your LinkedIn strategy. This involves tracking the performance of your posts and interactions to see what resonates with your audience. Using LinkedIn’s analytics, you can evaluate profile views, engagement rates, and connection growth. Regularly assess the effectiveness of your job search and networking. If some of the strategies you have implemented didn’t bring you any results, be prepared to change them.
The changes could involve updating your profile, refining your content, or expanding your network. It’s very important to be adaptable and responsive to changes as a tech professional with a presence on LinkedIn. This way, you can ensure that your interaction on the platform is effective. When you refine your LinkedIn networking strategy based on factual results, you get a chance to maximize career opportunities. On the other hand, make sure you don’t obsess over changing your strategy either. Be moderate and update your profile whenever the industry dictates.
Seek Guidance and Mentorship
Don’t think for a moment that if you are in tech, you don’t need guidance or a mentor who can share some career growth experience with you. On the contrary, you need both just like any other professional, in any of the expert fields. When leveraging LinkedIn for career growth in tech, identify like-minded professionals and thought leaders in your niche. Send them thoughtful messages expressing your admiration for their work or ask for their advice.
Once again, join relevant industry groups and participate in discussions to discover potential mentors. Experienced professionals who organize or attend webinars and virtual events can fascinate you with their stories, and you will eventually want to interact with them for more. There’s nothing more valuable than personalized guidance, so don’t hesitate to take advantage of it when leveraging LinkedIn for career growth in tech.
Final Word: Have Patience
Remember that patience and persistence are key when leveraging LinkedIn for career growth in tech. It takes time to build a strong network, gain visibility, and land new opportunities. Besides, your LinkedIn level of engagement depends on your work experience and the contacts in your list. Career growth, no matter if it’s in tech or another field of expertise, is a marathon and not a sprint. Don’t rush it and never despair even if you see that others have made it in multinationals, and you haven’t (yet). Keep in mind that your small victories are as important as theirs.