LinkedIn is ever-evolving, and if you’re currently in job search mode, there are specific assets of LinkedIn that you should be capitalizing on. Since the inception of the pandemic, LinkedIn has continued to ramp up its features, enabling you to rapidly connect with key persons of interest, pursue remote and hybrid work opportunities while signaling to recruiters that you’re “open to work,” as well as practice for interviews with LinkedIn’s AI-powered software.
As I mentioned in my prior article about building your personal brand on LinkedIn, you don’t have to be a content creator on LinkedIn or an influencer to reap the benefits of the platform. There are many ways to dive into the platform to grow your network and legal career opportunities.
Get Clear On Your Career Direction And Know The Job Titles You’re Seeking
Before you begin your job search with LinkedIn, it’s important to crystalize your career direction. The reason for this is simple: there are different skills you’ll want to portray depending on whether you’re seeking a partner-level role at a law firm or corporate counsel role at a company in a specific industry.
I encourage you to consider working with a career coach or executive coach if you’re feeling stuck or unsure of your next career move. Sometimes it takes a few sessions or even a few months of working with a career coach to gain clarity and a deeper perspective of what role you see yourself in.
The key is to create a career management strategy that works for you and incorporates your goals for the next five, 10, and even 15 years. Once you’ve gotten clear on your career direction, then you can update your resume and LinkedIn profile because you’ll know the exact target you’re going after. Additionally, you’ll be able to refine your skills and narrowly tailor the list of people who are in similar roles and targeted positions of interest. The key is to have a refined job search strategy, rather than a “spray and pray” method of applying.
Turn Your Job Search Settings On And Get Familiar With LinkedIn’s Jobs Portal
The LinkedIn jobs portal is a key area of interest for job seekers. While I don’t believe it’s an end point for many seeking high-level legal roles, the LinkedIn jobs portal will allow you to see what’s out there in particular industries and geographic areas. If you’re subscribed to LinkedIn premium, you’ll get deeper insights (what LinkedIn terms as “competitive intelligence insights”) into roles as far as the demographics of applicants as well as the most frequently listed skills in the skills and endorsements section.
Remember, LinkedIn is merely a tool to advance and optimize your career — use the jobs portal as one facet of that tool to see what roles are out there, and also to see what companies are hiring.
In addition to the LinkedIn jobs portal, you’ll want to consider roles that aren’t publicly posted, i.e., access the hidden job market by reaching out to legal recruiters. I recommend casting a wide net and reaching out to multiple legal recruiters. You can also ask around in your personal rolodex for who landed a role working with a legal recruiter and who they recommend contacting.
Keep in mind that remote jobs are notoriously more competitive, precisely because they’re more coveted for those who may not want to relocate to a particular geographic area. You’ll want to consider turning on the “open to” button that lets recruiters using LinkedIn’s recruiter tool reach out to you directly. When using this tool, it’s important to select the right job titles as LinkedIn only allows you to select a maximum of five at a time. For example, if you’re a GC, you’ll want to select these particular job titles: general counsel, head of legal, and chief legal officer. If you’re the sole counsel at a company, you might want to consider a deputy GC role as well, particularly for a company that has a larger legal department.
Even with LinkedIn’s jobs portal, don’t overlook outside job search boards such as goinhouse.com (be sure to sign up for their weekly emails), as well as job offerings listed via the Association of Corporate Counsel’s job board.
Practice For Upcoming Interviews With LinkedIn’s AI-Powered Interview Preparation Tool
If you haven’t interviewed in a few years, your interviewing skills might be rusty and need some practice. Consider using LinkedIn’s interview prep tool to ramp up your responses to common interview questions. If you’re subscribed to LinkedIn premium (LinkedIn’s paid service), you’ll have access to sample answers that you can use as fodder for generating your own practice responses.
LinkedIn’s AI-powered system will allow you to video or write your response, while also giving you instant feedback on your response. This includes details on how fast you speak (rating your words spoken per minute), if you’re using filler words (i.e., um, so, etc.) or sensitive phrases, as well as tips on how to improve your answer. You can also save your videos to review later and practice again, thus enabling you to get comfortable in front of the camera.
While LinkedIn’s interview prep tool does not include specific legal-focused competencies, you can still utilize the tool to practice responses to questions about challenging projects you’ve worked on, employment gaps you’ve had, and why you want to leave your current role. Again, the key is to practice for the upcoming interview on camera while also getting AI-generated feedback on your responses.
Have a LinkedIn-related question for me? Drop me an email or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Wendi Weiner is an attorney, career expert, and founder of The Writing Guru, an award-winning executive resume writing services company. Wendi creates powerful career and personal brands for attorneys, executives, and C-suite/Board leaders for their job search and digital footprint. She also writes for major publications about alternative careers for lawyers, personal branding, LinkedIn storytelling, career strategy, and the job search process. You can reach her by email at wendi@writingguru.net, connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow her on Twitter @thewritingguru.
