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Communicating one's interests discretely on LinkedIn

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(@atlantic2004-1gmail-com)
Active Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 11
Topic starter  

Hello,

Any tips please on conveying interest in changing jobs/sectors without arousing the suspicions of ones current employer/colleagues who are also on Linkedin? 

For example, I work in medical practice and am interested in using my current skills in industry.  I do not want to give any grounds for suspicion that I am less than fully committed to my current position; I continue to take pride in my work.

 

This topic was modified 3 years ago by SBrian

   
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DX
 DX
(@dx)
Estimable Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 223
 

Hi SBrian,

First tip for Linkedin per your request is to Turn Off Your Update Visibility to Your Profile.  That should be in your profile settings.  If you don't do that, all changes you make will be visible (announced) to your network.  

Second, use common sense.  Given your situation, you don't want to put on your headline that you're actively looking as you have a job.  Others who don't have a job and are looking for a transition will then note that in their headline (where the most put their job title), don't do that.   Also don't publically post or like a post unless you want every one to see, that especially pertains to job posts.    Stay silent in other words. 

Third, DO Click the box in your profile that says that you're open and looking for opportunity.  Reality is most of have it clicked on anyways as default, nobody cares really except for the recruiter that is looking for candidates.    It's nothing your colleagues should care about (a simple, I forgot to turn it off or whatever, if inquired will be suffice).  Again no one cares, so keep it clicked on.  All good. We all have it on, even my boss(es).  For the record I had it turned off, but that didn't stop anyone, however rather to run the risk of someone by-passing my profile, I turned it back on, so keep it on. 

Fourth, keep an optimized profile that is within your risk threshold in the odd chance that somebody finds something attractive in your profile.  That's for your risk-threshold and specific for you.  

And last and not least, Linkedin is usually NOT the tool for job/career transition if you're expected someone to find you and support you on that front. Sure, it can happen but in general the profile has to have something that really really really (did I say really enough?) attracts attention. I'll add another "really" for emphasis.  Remember that recruiters/head hunters are combing through perhaps a few hundred profiles a day, they are using search patterns , so something has to pop out.  But that goes off your topic. 

In my career, having done transitions across sector (academia to industry), function (scientific to commercial), and geography (trans-oceanic), I have predominantly driven that myself  through networking (I used Linkedin messaging for example, which is part of  private cold-call networking), and in some cases direct application in the absence of a network/recruiter willing to work with me.  I'm usually quiet targeted and in one transition I only applied to one job where I basicially was the best fit from a transition perspective, i.e. I had both direct and indirect/transposable experience.   I have found recruiters, but no through Linkedin, rather word of mouth, back to networking that helped in some form or another in one of my transitions.   Linkedin may help later in career once a good amount experience is had and the risk for a recruiter/head hunter or talent scout finding something interesting in your profile, worthy of an "InMessage" or phone call goes up! 

So hope it helps, in summary, keep updates you profile visibility in OFF.  Have an optimized profile in the frame of your specific risk-threshold for information and language applied, keep the option to be open for opportunity/jobs in ON position, and outside of that, do your own networking, both within Linkedin (private channels) and outside of Linkedin.  Stay quiet, don't go liking and commenting in posts related to areas you're intersted in (nothing to say you can, with common-sense) comment/like post related to your current profession.   

Good luck! 

DX 

 


   
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(@atlantic2004-1gmail-com)
Active Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 11
Topic starter  

Thank you DX.

 


   
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