Manufacturing is built on relationships. Leaders in industry focus on one thing above all else: your professional brand. But where do you start to build that? How do you get your brand in front of people who make hiring decisions? The answer: LinkedIn.
If you’re early in your career, LinkedIn can feel like a weird mix of job board, social media site and advertising space. That is ok! Now is the time to learn the basics, which can help you develop this tool into a real driver of change. You do not need to be an influencer, you just need to have a strategy!
What is LinkedIn?
- LinkedIn is a networking site for professionals - with some aspects of social media included
- Globally, there are over 1.1 billion users from 200 countries
- It was launched in 2003 and acquired by Microsoft in 2016. This acquisition connected LinkedIn to the MS office suite of tools, making it a daily part of corporate life.
- 30 million jobs are posted on LinkedIn each year
- 67 million companies
Why should I use LinkedIn?
- 90% of people say they use LinkedIn to search for Jobs
- It’s searchable on both ends – recruiters and hiring mangers can search for talent and the talent can search for companies and people. This allows you to learn more about the opportunity you apply for
- Credibility based – there are sections for an array of experience and achievements, including volunteer roles and school projects
- You can explore real-world careers without guessing. LinkedIn lets you search for people doing the job, to see what their day-to-day is like
- It can lead to early opportunities. Many internships and summer programs are posted on LinkedIn
- Turning your network into a career advantage – building the right network connects you to the right leaders and hiring managers
What should I include in my profile?
- Photo – headshot if possible. Try to avoid an unprofessional selfie or cropped group photo
- Headline – Write more than “student”. This is the tagline you will use to grab the attention of a potential employer
- A good headline usually includes: (who you are) + (what you are interested in) + (1-2 proof points)
- Some examples:
- Student | Interested in Manufacturing & Skilled Trades | Reliable + Coachable
- Robotics Student | Interested in Manufacturing Automation | Building + Troubleshooting
- Future Manufacturing Engineer | High School Student | STEM + Hands-On Projects
- Student | Interested in Quality & Lean Manufacturing | Detail-Oriented
- High School Student | Future Manufacturing Professional | Safety + Teamwork Mindset
- Experience – part-time jobs, volunteering, clubs, sports teams. Include a few simple bullet points for each, to display responsibilities
- Projects – this can be a great tool. You can list school projects here, allowing employers to see your interests and passions
Best practices:
- Connect with professionals – include a note.
- Start with: teachers, coaches, mentors, friends in manufacturing, local college staff, members of GCAMP and VIA!!
- Example of a note: “Hello Mr./Mrs. XYZ, I’m building my LinkedIn network, hoping to learn more about Manufacturing. Want to connect?”
- Follow companies, people, schools and more!
- Be sure to avoid controversial topics and pages
- Begin to apply for jobs!
Moving forward:
Create a plan and a routine. Try to add a few people and follow a few new pages each week. If you chose to leave comments, make sure they are appropriate and professional. As you gain more experience, make sure to update your page. New certifications? Graduation from High School? Exciting extra-curricular project complete? These are all great things to add to your LinkedIn page!
*** Chris Litvack is the Recruiting Specialist for Flexco North America and sits on the Board of Directors for GCAMP. Learn more about his professional brand through his LinkedIn page - www.linkedin.com/in/chrislitvack/.
