#Linkedin let recruiters know you re open to work for free#

Or if you’ve helped friends, family or colleagues for free using your expertise, you are now a consultant. For example, join an association that represents your job target, and run a committee for them. Some unpaid experience can be even more valuable than your paid experience! Don’t relegate this work to the “Volunteer” section at the bottom of your resume, put it right at the top of your experience to fill that gap. Getting interviews using these channels makes all the difference, and this is how most of my clients land jobs these days. Then you will be seen as a person, not just a piece of paper. Network to get introductions, and contact “strangers” directly. Don’t just “apply” or rely on headhunters, because that’s where your current employment gap will hurt you the most.If you do happen to be currently unemployed, by the way, here are a few ways to overcome this bias (I’ll dive into this issue in more detail in a future post): This unfair and unfortunate bias has been documented see this UCLA study for example. So you don’t want to put any verbiage in your profile that serves to underscore your currently unemployed status. There Is A Bias Against Hiring The Unemployed

This preference is partly the result of the psychology around playing hard-to-get, and partly because of a bias against those who are unemployed.

In fact, some recruiters will often unfairly give a preference to what they term “passive” candidates, i.e. They Will Contact You AnywayĮveryone who uses LinkedIn for hiring (including both recruiters and hiring managers) knows to contact people who don’t appear to be actively looking, if these people fit the bill. Otherwise, how else would an employer know to contact them? So they’ll add phrases like “open to new opportunities” or “seeking a position in…”Īs I discuss in my book Advanced LinkedIn, however, you’re making a mistake if you add anything to your profile that indicates you’re looking. Here’s why. As a result, many jobseekers think their profile needs to say that they are actively searching. While having a resume means you’re looking for a job, having a LinkedIn profile doesn’t send the same signal.