LinkedIn’s global scale proves especially helpful for job-seeking professionals moving internationally.
David Berna was active on LinkedIn prior to relocating from France to Spain, but the guidance he received from his local relocation/career coach offered a more strategic approach. “With Silvia’s help, I was able to finetune my knowledge of LinkedIn and get tips that were specific to Spain. That was valuable since each country has its own way of handling relationships between recruiters and job candidates.”
With a varied background, David decided to get creative with how he presented himself on the social platform. “It can be difficult to identify an obvious career path when glancing at my CV,” he comments. “For that reason, I quickly came to the conclusion that simply applying to posted jobs wouldn’t achieve the best results for me.” His ideal role is project management with eCommerce and SaaS, but his background includes work as a sales engineer, technical account manager, and solutions architect.
Using LinkedIn strategically
To prove his project management skills, he created a project focused on an expansion strategy of his LinkedIn network and proactive approach to connecting with recruiters and hiring managers. This project stated clear goals, including:
- How many LinkedIn connections he wanted to establish in Madrid,
- The percentage of connections he wanted to agree to review his CV, and
- By how much he wanted to increase the views of his LinkedIn profile.
He then implemented his plan leveraging different LinkedIn features to drive people to his profile.
In addition to improvements to his LinkedIn profile, Silvia worked with David to create email templates that he customized each time he reached out to a new connection, recruiter, or hiring manager. This level of tailoring takes extra time, but allows David to be genuine in his outreach to best highlight how he is a match for the company or position.
The results of his LinkedIn project
David published the results of this project on his LinkedIn profile for his connections and potential hiring managers to see. “After several conversations, I have noticed that recruiters are impressed with the project and results,” David states. “It has helped me get interviews and even a job offer.”
David is grateful for the learning experience this project provided. “It has allowed me to remain active and keep a positive mindset about my job search in Spain,” he shares. His local network continues to grow, which is important for David. He believes the most difficult part of the relocation was leaving family and friends to start from scratch in Madrid. Now, he has a community in his new country.
“While working with Silvia, I received great tips on how to improve my CV and LinkedIn profile, as well as how to present my ideas in a clear way,” David says. “She has been an amazing motivator, always giving me positive feedback, encouraging me to keep going, and valuing my actions. This has been very important while facing something as stressful as a job search in a new market.”
In Silvia’s words, “David couldn’t be a better job seeker. He is 120% motivated and proactive!”
Relocating to a new city or country poses challenges for job seekers, but with a little creativity, you can expand your connections and networking abilities just like David did. How will you take an out-of-the-box approach to networking?