A rose by any other name…
➔ We’ve mentioned it here before – and you’ve probably heard it 100 times yourself – LinkedIn is a crucial tool in finding a job in today’s economy. Of course this is true for candidates of all ages – not just the 50+ job seeker. So let’s just burst that bubble – somewhat.
The numbers bear this out
Whether it’s recruiters reaching out to job searchers, or companies fact-checking job candidates, or people who have landed jobs through LinkedIn connections, the numbers can be staggering. Note: some recruiters claim that 70-80 percent of their candidates are the result of LinkedIn searches.
Despite what we just said, LinkedIn is not a place to get a job… it’s a place to build relationships. Granted, any of those relationships may lead to a job, but as you work through the process keep this in mind: you’re building relationships. In that respect, networking on LinkedIn is very similar to networking on a personal (or in-person) level.
Of course, not all of your new-found relationships will result in a job. But, even if there is no job at the end of that relationship rainbow, your new contacts/relationships may pay dividends down the road as a supplier, a vendor, a collaborator, etc. Or, if you ever find yourself out on street again, revert back to your LinkedIn contacts. You never know.
So, if you’re trying to build relationships on LinkedIn, why would you rely on the standard invite when requesting someone to Link with you? This is a relationship. This is personal. Make it sound like it’s personal. Let your contact know that this is not some cookie-cutter, standard invite.
You can personalize your invites in any number of ways. That’s one advantage of LinkedIn. You have the ability to modify, to customize, to personalize your LinkedIn invites. And it only takes two-to-three-to-five minutes to achieve it. There is no good reason not to.