TCW #007 | The Not-so-Subtle Art of Job Searching in the Open
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TCW #007 | The Not-so-Subtle Art of Job Searching in the Open
How to use LinkedIn posts to create exponential inbound interest during your job search (without taking all your time or sounding one bit desperate).
In today’s issue, I’ll teach you how to Job Search in the Open and leverage LinkedIn network effects to exponentially expand the reach of your job search.
Candidates who don’t harness the power of LinkedIn network effects are leaving a lot on the table. They are also unintentionally job searching the hard way.
Why am I teaching this now? If you’re in tech, you know that job searching right now is tough stuff.
With 260,532 tech workers laid off in the last 13 months, it’s the most crowded talent market most of us have ever seen.
In any tough market, you can’t just rely on cold, outbound applications. You need to cultivate some inbound interest, too.
How?
You need to get more eyeballs on your LinkedIn profile.
I’ll teach you how to get 300x more eyeballs on your profile without spending hours per day or sounding lame (or desperate).
If you do this well, you’ll turn LinkedIn from where you search for jobs to where hiring managers search for you.
Make your own luck 🍀 so they say — and it’s a lot easier than you think.
Let’s dive in.
Why Eyeballs Matter
In the talent market, you are the head of Sales and Marketing.
If you think of yourself that way, it’s easy to see that every job search is a marketing funnel.
As with any marketing funnel, you need a robust top-of-funnel to get bottom-of-funnel results.
For a job search:
the top of your funnel is eyeballs on your resume or LinkedIn profile 👀
the bottom of your funnel is a job offer
Eyeballs → interest → referrals or conversations → interviews → offers.
The Value of Weak Connections
If you’re like most candidates, you’re going to get a job at a place where you don’t have a lot of 1st-degree connections.
A 2016 LinkedIn study explains this phenomenon:
Researchers used LinkedIn data to show that candidates are more often referred to jobs by weak connections (2nd and 3rd-degree).
That means they got an offer without an inside friend or a personal reference. And you can too.
You need to get your message out to your 2nd and 3rd-degree connections.
“Building in public” is a meme term on Twitter that refers to being public about your wins and losses with your followers (to gain their trust and to gain more followers).
And it WORKS.
You can use the same principles to get outsized reach in your job search on LinkedIn.
How?
You need to Job Search in the Open
It’s a two-step process. Here’s how it goes:
STEP 1: On a daily basis, reflect on what happened in your day.
This can be what you’ve done in your job search or what you’ve learned (this can include reading, tinkering, even family stuff).
Then, write a post.
Why daily?
Only about 10% of your connections will see any given post that you write.
…This means you can post 10 times before everyone in your immediate network will see anything about your job search!
Tip: the most common hesitation I hear from candidates is that they don’t want to post every day and look desperate for attention. The truth is that most people won’t even see your posts UNTIL they get BIG and go semi-viral.
How virality works
How LinkedIn algorithms work:
When first posted, your post only goes out to a small subset of your 1st-degree connections (5-10%). This is a canary, to see if the post is getting any engagement (and if it has a shot at going viral).
If your post gets some engagement, LinkedIn will show it to a larger set of your 1st-degree connections. Then more, then more (as engagement grows).
So, when people see your posts at any reasonable frequency, it’s because your posts have high engagement (where you look like a badass with lots of traction).
As engagement grows for your post (ie when your 1st-degree connections comment), THEIR connections (your 2nd-degree connections) see the post.
👆That’s your goal.
Then if they comment, your 3rd-degree connections see the post.
👆That’s your goal.
Even if only a small fraction of the 2nd and 3rd-degree connections click your profile, you’ve extended your job search reach into the target audience. That was the goal.
TLDR: Post daily, and don’t worry about blasting your LinkedIn 1st-degree connections and hoarding the mic — they’ll only see ~5-10% of your posts, and this isn’t really even for them anyway. You’re trying to reach weak connections.
2. On a weekly basis, post a longer “weekly reflection” on your job search.
This should summarize your job search for the week, including inputs (applications, networking, learning / skills refreshers) and outputs (coffee chats, interviews, certifications, offers).
Include data, ideally.
Lead with optimism. (People like optimistic posts, it’s human nature)
Use hashtags. (Some recruiters search with hashtags)
Fan the flames of engagement. (Inspire comments. Ask for a like.)
Don't be shy, peeps! If you want a job, tell the world.
And then tell them again and again...until you have a job.
BONUS: some post themes that work well.
Theme 1: The Data Miner
I’m seeing traction for posts that share job search data (number of applications, number of 1st round interviews, number of onsites, number of offers).
This is probably because other 1st-degree connections are also job searching, so they find the data useful and then they like or comment on your post.
A couple of things that Andrew does well in his post:
#opentowork. He makes it clear that he’s actively looking.
Specific. He makes it clear exactly what he wants (UX Leadership)
Gives (data and intel) before asking for help.
Tip: Always give before you ask, and you'll find the world is a lot more generous.
Look how many people 💜 his post because he shared interesting data!
Theme 2: The Thinker / Learner / Tinkerer
You know I’m obsessed with a growth mindset!
We are all visual people, and we love seeing posts with interesting visuals.
A successful approach I’ve seen is people showing what they’re learning (and building) to sharpen their skills during a job search.
A couple of things that Alejandro does well in his post:
Growth mindset. “Passionate student of the tech field.”
Skill-based SEO juice. (REST API, Python, Flask, XCTest)
Speaks positively about his past roles and employer (optimism for the win)
Theme 3: Sense of Urgency
I’ve seen a few high-urgency, intimate posts recently with a TON of likes and comments.
If you’re getting to the edge of your savings and need an immediate opportunity, it’s worth considering an urgent and direct post like this one:
What Stephanie does well in her post:
So human. You can’t help but feel for her in this post (and want to help).
Direct. This post is much longer than the screenshot above. In her full post, she is specific about what she is looking for (and when she can start).
Leave nothing on the table. If you use this approach, go all in. You’ll likely only use this tactic once.
Update: Stephanie’s post got 710,000 views, 8090 likes, 854 reposts, and 773 comments. From this post alone, she got 100s of DMs and back-to-back interviews for 2 full weeks. She starts her new job soon.
What next?
Find the approach that works for you, and start Job Searching in the Open today.
Post daily updates. Post weekly reflections.
Remember: only 5-10% of your network sees the posts that don’t take off, and the ones that do will extend your reach 300x or more. You’ll reach your weak connections (2nd and 3rd-degree) who are more likely to help you land the next gig.
🎉 That’s a wrap!
The Subtle Art of Networking (in the digital age) is a new multi-week series at The Career Whispers. In this series, I’ll explore clever and effective ways to network into your next tech gig. All posts in the series:
TCW #005: Networking with Hiring Managers, Part 1: Find Them (and Engage)
TCW #006: Networking with Hiring Managers, Part 2: How to Connect (+ What to Say)
TCW #007: The Not-so-Subtle Art of Job Searching in the Open
TCW #008: Online Communities: The Secret Sauce of a Modern Job Search
TCW #009: The Subtle Art of the Professional Blurb
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