LINKEDIN - Exactly What To
Do After Someone Visits Your LinkedIn Profile
Here's how to tap
into LinkedIn's "Who’s Viewed Your Profile" section to convert
strangers into full-blown connections.
LinkedIn. It’s a powerful platform that
connects you with millions of professionals across the globe. Blah, blah, blah.
Sure, that’s amazing and all—but, it’s not even close to my favorite part about
this networking tool.
What’s the
very best
thing about LinkedIn? You already know the answer. It’s easy: The
fact that with just one click of a button you can see exactly who’s been
creepin’ on you at any given point in time. And nothing makes me transform into
Nancy Drew faster than when someone anonymous takes a gander at my perfectly
quantified bullet points.
Obviously, those
people that looked at your profile were intrigued by something about
you, meaning you have a captive audience right at your fingertips. The
"Who’s Viewed Your Profile" section is quite literally a treasure
trove of strangers just waiting to blossom into full-blown connections.
But, there’s only
one problem: Most of us never actually do anything with the
information that’s there. Instead, we take a quick scroll through those names,
think, "Huh, I wonder what she wanted!" and then move on with our
days.
Well, no more, my
eager-to-network friends! This sneaky feature is quite literally the crown
jewel of LinkedIn. So, it’s time you start leveraging that
wealth of knowledge.
"That sounds great!" you’re
thinking to yourself, "But . . . uhhh . . . how?" Whether you’re
currently hunting for a new gig or are just looking to meet some new people,
I’ve got the details on exactly what you should do when someone takes a look at
your profile—so that you can start using that information to your advantage.
So, you’re on the lookout for a new
opportunity you can dive into. Well, LinkedIn is about to be your new best
friend. The people who take a look at your page could very well be the
connection you need to an awesome company that’s currently hiring.
The people who
take a look at your page could very well be the connection you need to an
awesome company that’s currently hiring.
When a hiring
manager views your profile:
You scroll through those names and then
immediately gasp with excitement! The hiring manager (or the department head,
etc.) for that job you recently applied for looked at your profile—that must be
a good sign, right?
Yes, that’s definitely a good sign. You can
breathe a sigh of relief that he or she was interested enough in your materials
to dig in a little further. But, when it comes to what you should do next, your
best bet is to just remain patient.
Don’t let your
excitement tempt you into immediately sending an overly eager (read: pesky)
message and connection request. Instead, accept that this was likely just
another step in the hiring
process. If you haven’t heard anything about the job
or hiring timeline in a couple of weeks? Well, at least you have the name of
someone you can personally follow up with—rather than using that genericjobs@company.com email
address.
When someone from
an awesome company views your profile:
You don’t
recognize the name or company of that person who took a look at your page. But
you did some digging and found out that he actually works for a really awesome
employer—an employer that you now want to work for yourself.
First things first, visit the
"Careers" page for that company and see if they’re currently hiring
for any positions that fall in line with your experience. If so, pull your
materials together and apply!
Then, head back to that person’s profile and
send a personalized connection request. It doesn’t need to be anything overly
complicated. Something simple like this should do the trick:
Hey John,
Great to connect with you here!
I see you work as a Project Manager at
Company X. I recently submitted my application for an open Account Executive
position there, and am looking forward to finding out more about the
opportunity—it seems like an awesome place!
Best,
Kat
Kat
Don’t let your
excitement tempt you into immediately sending an overly eager message and connection request.
You’re not seeking a traditional full-time
job. However, you are hoping to bring in a few extra side projects to refine
your skills and boost your monthly income. As a freelancer myself, I can tell
you that LinkedIn can be an absolute hotbed for landing extra work. And I’ve
used the list of who’s viewed my profile numerous times to my advantage.
Of course, you want to be somewhat
selective—meaning you don’t need to send a personalized message to every single
person who appears in that section. However, if you see someone that interests
you, go ahead and reach out!
"But, what on
earth do I say?"
you’re likely thinking to yourself now. Don’t panic—a
simple introductory message will do just fine. This is just the start of your
conversation. Your only goal here is to have your connection request approved,
so that you can send longer messages than the 300
characters that LinkedIn allowswhen sending an
invitation. Here’s an example:
Hi Susan,
I hope you’re doing well!
My name is Kat, and I’m a Midwest-based
freelance writer. I see you work for Company Z. I’ve admired their work for
quite some time, so I thought I’d connect with you here!
Looking forward to keeping in touch, Susan.
Best,
Kat
Kat
You’re not eagerly
searching for a new job, and you have enough on your plate already—so, no side
gigs for you, thank you very much. Instead, you’re hoping to just use LinkedIn
to make some new
connections and grow your web of professional
contacts.
This is just
the start of your conversation. Your only goal here is to have your connection
request approved.
Well, LinkedIn
was quite literally designed for this purpose—but, you’ll
really only see awesome results if you’re willing to put in a little of the
legwork. So, if you see someone in the "Who’s Viewed Your Profile"
section that piques your interest, it’s definitely beneficial to reach out with
a personalized connection request.
Luckily, these types of messages are the
easiest to send, as there’s no pressure involved—you aren’t expecting anything
other than an accepted request and perhaps a friendly conversation.
Start by perusing that person’s profile to
see if you have anything in common (like the same alma mater or the fact that
you both volunteer for animal rescues). After you’ve identified that, a simple
introduction like this one should help to start things off on the right foot
and lay the groundwork for a beneficial connection:
Hey Philip,
Hope you’re having a great week!
My name is Kat, and I’m a Midwest-based
freelance writer. I’m always looking to expand my network of contacts
(especially with fellow UWM alumni—go Panthers!), so I’d love to connect with
you here.
Looking forward to keeping in touch and
finding ways to help each other out, Philip.
Best,
Kat
Kat
There you have
it—your comprehensive guide to what you should do when someone views your LinkedIn
profile.
Again, there’s no
law stating that you have to craft the perfectly polished, personalized message
to absolutely every single person that takes a gander at your
page—that could get exhausting in a hurry. But, if you notice someone who you
think could benefit your career, it’s definitely worth it to gather your
courage, fire off a message, and kick start a relationship.
After all, the old cliché is true—you never
quite know who you’ll meet.
KAT BOOGAARD, http://www.fastcompany.com/3061199/hit-the-ground-running/exactly-what-to-do-after-someone-visits-your-linkedin-profile
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