Job-seekers: How to market yourself on LinkedIn

Posting in groups and in your LinkedIn stream isn't just for recruiters - job-seekers can advertise what they're looking for as well. But it's important to stay away from the tired, stale terminology that most people use, such as this:

"I am a highly skilled, dynamic, and extremely motivated manager with extensive experience in the retail industry. If you are looking for a born leader who is resourceful and has exceptional communication skills, look no further. Check out my profile and contact me today!"

Posts like this don't attract attention because they don't say much. Let's look at it:

"...highly skilled, dynamic..."
When it's time to job search, trust me - absolutely everyone thinks they are highly skilled, dynamic, and much more. It means nothing because it's your opinion of yourself.

"...extremely motivated..."
Yeah, because you're out of work and looking for a job - of course you're motivated. (But what happens once you GET the job?) Again, this is something that almost everyone says, and it means very little.

"...extensive experience in the retail industry."
What does 'extensive' mean - 30 years? 5 years? 6 months? It can mean something different to everyone.

"...a born leader who is resourceful and has exceptional communication skills..."
I think you're getting the point - if you can't prove it, don't bother typing it.

"Check out my profile and contact me today!"
Do you have contact information on your profile?  My guess is maybe 1 out of every 10 LinkedIn members has contact information clearly listed on their profile.

My advice is this - provide recruiters with the information they're looking for, and you will attract their attention and make a strong first impression. Are they looking for someone who is highly skilled, dynamic, resourceful, etc? Yes. Will they believe that you are all of those things simply because you say you are? No.

What they want to know is this:

• What industry are you in? (hopefully retail!)
• What job function have you worked in? (store operations, visual merchandising, loss prevention, inventory planning, buying, allocation & replenishment, supply chain, marketing, human resources, franchise development, finance/accounting, etc.)​
• What job level are you at? (team lead, department supervisor, assistant store manager, store manager, area manager, district manager, regional manager, regional director, regional VP, COO, CEO, etc.)​
• What store counts and volumes have you managed? ($500 thousand? $5 million? $900 million? B volume? A++ volume? 3 stores? 30 stores? 400 stores?)​
• What type of stores do you have experience in? (specialty boutiques, small-box stores, big-box stores, department stores, convenience stores, fast food restaurants, etc.)​
• What product categories do you have experience with? (apparel, footwear, accessories, electronics, office supplies, sporting goods, home furniture & decor, housewares, cosmetics, auto, home improvement, etc.)​
• Where can you work? (Where are you located? Can you relocate? Where?)

Recruiters need to know things like this to establish whether you're a viable candidate or not. Stating that you're motivated, resourceful, and dynamic doesn't tell them anything - you could be an assistant manager at 7-Eleven and be all those things, or you could be a regional VP at Costco and be all those things. Make it clear who you are, what you are looking for, and what you have to offer, and you will attract more attention. Here are a couple examples:

"I am a top-ranked store manager seeking a new position in Southern California. My background includes 8 years' experience as a store manager with Gap Inc. - managed 4 different Banana Republic and Old Navy stores, with consistent advancement to higher-volume locations (up to $16M in sales). Led current store to the highest sales and overall performance rankings in the district for the last 2 years. Feel free to check out my profile and email me at name@email.com for more information."

"Top-performing district manager with diverse experience in apparel (Marshalls), footwear & sporting goods (Big 5), and home improvement (Orchard Supply Hardware). Oversaw up to 9 stores with $82M in sales. Drove an 8-store district to 1st in the region in 20XX while with Marshalls. Seeking a new position at the district or regional level in the northeast. Please visit my profile for a comprehensive list of achievements and email me at name@email.com for more information."


Hope that helps!​