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Did you know that LinkedIn was originally meant to have been a platform for job hunters before it became a business platform too?

In fact, I joined LinkedIn way back in 2008 to reconnect with my globally scattered colleagues and create a database of my contacts to keep in touch. In time it became a means of offering mutual support for our lead referrals and enhancing our network.

Since then the network has gone on to include new contacts some of whom are fellow coaches and others with whom there is synergy for mutually beneficial business opportunities. Some of these contacts are now considered friends and our association has moved on to emails and Skype calls to ‘catch up’. Both parties have nurtured the connection.

I was listening to a webinar by JoAnne Funch of Marketing Dish last week and she referred to the choice of nurturing relationships or building a database.

I’m an admirer of Ms Funch and I listen to her and read her guidance very carefully because she is on the money.

JoAnne’s words hit a nerve.

Along the way, I too have found myself become an involuntary member of an online Yellow Pages Directory.

I’ve culled my contacts to contain real people who engage with me –even if it is only to wish me on my birthday or acknowledge my greetings.

The past week, I received 2 LinkedIn invitations where 1 person mentioned their reason to connect was for the purposes of finding a job even though he knew I was not in Executive Search.

Considering he had over 50 connections in common with me who were better equipped for the task, I felt he really should have approached them. As it turned out nobody responded.

Had he cultivated the connections?

The answer was no. I suggested he update his profile and start building relationships with contacts who could get him a job interview.

Then I got another invite from a lady who was looking for a job for a Chartered Accountant friend of hers with 2-years’ work experience and wanted access to my network. She stated as much in her invitation email.

We have 1 mutual connection in common and I told her that he was a better referral fit for her friend. The lady couldn’t recognize the contact until I sent her a link to his profile.

As for me, she hadn’t checked my profile properly and might as well have done a 1 click connection. I have resources for job hunters and gave her a link to share with her friend.

Her response? She’d think about.  You can see why I didn’t connect with her.

These 2 experiences and the webinar got me thinking about job hunters and the way they use LinkedIn or even understand the dynamics of this platform.

One of the best ways to open doors for possible job interviews is to get referred for the position but nobody is going to refer a complete stranger.

This holds true in the offline world and is equally important in the online world, whether you are looking for a job or a business referral.

I’ve already written about trusting strangers on LinkedIn and being a savvy networker.

I’ve also explained the finer nuances of job hunting in the online world in my Kindle book 5 Reasons your Job Hun is failing

In this post, I’m going to focus on 5 tips that I can give job hunters on LinkedIn.

Build Relationships even before you need them by making it about them first

In other words, keep in touch and be of service. One of the easiest ways to do this is to share an article or link to one with personalized message to your connection telling them that you thought they might find it interesting.

It serves 3 purposes – keeps you top of mind in case an opportunity comes to their attention, helps get a conversation started and establish your professional presence.

Create a schedule to keep in touch

This is an excellent way to nurture and build relationships. It could be a friendly email every few months to check in or even greet them for a special occasion. LinkedIn makes it easy to do this with their notifications service.

Create a profile that shows you as a professional and as a person, not a cut and paste of your resume

Gone are the days when simply uploading your resume worked. There are lots of talented professionals out there looking for a job and your task is to stand above the noise.

Showcase your talents and skills and if you did something exemplary during your career or school days, like a hobby or passion show it.

One recent example that I can share is from a LinkedIn expert who invited me to connect. I have been following him for the longest while and knew of his expertise.

This time, while I was preparing to respond to his invite, I checked the profile again. I discovered we had both written for our respective school and university newsletters.

Imagine my delight at finding a mutual interest. It also explained why I enjoyed reading his books – he got his experience way back before he joined the workforce!

Learn how to ask for a referral for a job

This is where building a relationship earlier helps because the person from whom you are asking for a referral or introduction can easily decline, especially if they don’t know you.

That’s the mistake the 2 job hunters I mentioned earlier made with me and I’m sure with others too, especially the first person.

He simply sent me a message he was looking for a job. His LinkedIn profile was incomplete and he wasn’t willing to get on the phone to talk to me.

A better approach especially when requesting a referral from someone who doesn’t know you that well, write to them with reference to what you have been doing and your current work history and the specific job that you are looking at.

Ask them if they are comfortable giving you a reference. Offer to forward your updated resume so that the referrer has something to work with.

Give them the option to decline if they aren’t comfortable with it.

I remember when I was setting up my credentials as an independent IFRS Consultant, a family friend and colleague approached highly respected Alumnus on my behalf who agreed to see my resume and portfolio of professional work.

He was impressed but had the principle that if he was going to refer anyone, he had to talk to them too. By chance, he was visiting New Delhi. We met up over a cup of coffee and he got a chance to assess me as a professional and ask in detail about my work.

I landed one of the biggest projects I could have envisaged that helped me meet half of my business plan revenue target that year.

You can get more guidance on framing the letter or email in this post from Happy Schools that provides a framework for your referral request. How to Ask a Stranger in LinkedIn for Job Referral

Let your referrer know if someone contacts you

Getting a referral for a job might not lead to getting the job if the hirer doesn’t think you’re a good fit. The fact a potential employer reached out to you based on a recommendation is an important enough event for you to reach out to the referrer. Update them about it.

Thanking them for the introduction has the added benefit that perhaps the referrer can reinforce the recommendation once they know the company is interested.

Besides, it’s good manners and if that introduction doesn’t work out, the referrer might be willing to look out for something better suited to you.

Follow these 5 tips and your job hunt on LinkedIn will lead to better results than you might be having right now.

At the end of the day, it’s all about building relationships and becoming a real human behind a LinkedIn profile.

It can take anywhere between 6-8 months to land the perfect job. Building a viable network instead of a database of strangers is always a better strategy.

Have you ever used LinkedIn to find a job or potential leads?

What advice would you add to these 5 tips?