From Connections to Job Offers: The Art of Networking with Hiring Managers on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 12 minutes

As a professional looking to advance your career, LinkedIn is a powerful tool that you can leverage to build your online presence and network with hiring managers. By connecting with the right people and engaging with them in the right way, you can increase your chances of landing your dream job or attracting new business opportunities. In this article, I’ll share with you some tips on how to network with hiring managers on LinkedIn and boost your online presence.

Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile

Use a Professional Profile Picture

Your profile picture is the first impression people will have of you on LinkedIn, so it’s important to choose a recent photo that accurately represents you. Make sure your face takes up around 60% of the picture, wear what you’d wear to work, and smile with your eyes.

Here are some recommendations for your LinkedIn profile picture:

Use a high-quality image: Your profile picture should be high-resolution and clear, with good lighting and no blurriness or pixelation.
Dress professionally: Dress as you would for work or a professional event. Avoid casual clothing, busy patterns, or anything too revealing.
Choose a neutral background: Avoid using distracting backgrounds or cluttered environments. A plain, neutral background is best.
Use a headshot: Your profile picture should focus on your face and shoulders, with minimal distractions in the background.
Smile: A genuine smile can help convey a positive and approachable personality. Avoid overly staged or serious expressions.
Maintain consistency: Use the same profile picture across all your professional platforms to help build your personal brand and make it easier for people to recognize you.
Avoid using filters or heavy editing: While it’s okay to enhance the brightness or contrast of your image, avoid using heavy filters or editing that may distort your appearance or make you look artificial.

Add a Background Photo

Adding a background photo is a great way to make your profile stand out and provide context about your interests and values. Choose an image that represents your personal brand and aligns with your professional goals.

Your LinkedIn background banner (also known as the cover photo) is another opportunity to make a strong visual impact on your profile. Here are some recommendations for choosing a background banner for your LinkedIn profile:

Choose a high-quality image: Like your profile picture, your background banner should be high-resolution and clear.
Keep it professional: Choose an image that aligns with your personal brand and professional goals. Avoid images that are too personal or unrelated to your career.
Showcase your expertise: Consider using an image that showcases your industry or area of expertise. For example, if you work in finance, you could use an image of a financial district or stock exchange.
Keep it simple: Avoid cluttered or busy images that may distract from your profile picture or make your profile look disorganized.
Use branding elements: If you have a personal logo or color scheme that you use across your professional platforms, consider incorporating these elements into your background banner.
Be creative: Your background banner is an opportunity to showcase your personality and creativity. Consider using an image that reflects your hobbies, interests, or personal values.
Test different options: If you’re not sure what kind of background banner to use, try out different options and see which one resonates with your audience and personal brand.

Craft a Compelling Headline

Your headline should go beyond just stating your job title. Use this field to communicate what makes you unique and passionate about your work. Look to sales reps or other professionals on LinkedIn for inspiration.

Creating a compelling headline for your LinkedIn profile can greatly impact your visibility and attract potential employers or business partners. Here are some tips to create an attention-grabbing headline:

Be specific: Your headline should clearly state what you do or the type of job you are seeking. Avoid using vague or generic terms that don’t provide any information about your skills or experience.
Use keywords: Include relevant keywords that describe your expertise, industry, or job function. This will make it easier for recruiters or hiring managers to find you when searching for candidates.
Highlight your unique value proposition: What sets you apart from other professionals in your field? Identify your strengths and highlight them in your headline.
Keep it short and sweet: Your headline should be concise and to the point. Aim for a maximum of 120 characters to ensure it’s easily scannable.
Make it attention-grabbing: Use strong action words, such as “expert,” “innovator,” or “thought leader,” to make your headline stand out. Avoid using jargon or buzzwords that might not resonate with your audience.

Example: “Experienced Marketing Manager | Digital Strategy | Social Media Expert”

In this example, the headline is specific, uses relevant keywords, highlights the person’s strengths, and is attention-grabbing. Remember, your headline is a reflection of your personal brand, so make sure it accurately represents who you are and what you have to offer.

Tell Your Story in the Summary

Use your summary to tell your personal story and explain how your skills and experiences can benefit others. Be authentic and write in your own voice to build a personal connection with your readers.

Your LinkedIn “About” section is an opportunity to showcase your personal brand, highlight your accomplishments, and tell your professional story. Here are some tips on how to write an effective About section for your LinkedIn profile:

Start with a hook: Your first sentence should grab the reader’s attention and encourage them to keep reading. Consider starting with a personal anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a bold statement.
Share your background: Give a brief overview of your professional background, including your current role and industry experience. Use bullet points to make your achievements and key skills stand out.
Emphasize your unique value proposition: What makes you stand out from other professionals in your field? Identify your strengths and explain how they benefit your clients or employers.
Include your professional goals: Share your aspirations and what you hope to achieve in your career. Be specific and realistic.
Show your personality: Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through in your About section. Use a conversational tone and share your interests or hobbies outside of work.
Use keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords throughout your About section to optimize your profile for search engines and help recruiters find you.
Be concise: Keep your About section to 3-4 short paragraphs. Use bullet points to break up large blocks of text and make it easy to read.

Example: “I am a passionate marketing professional with over 10 years of experience in the technology industry. Throughout my career, I have successfully developed and executed marketing campaigns that have generated significant ROI for my clients. My expertise includes branding, social media, and content marketing. I am always seeking new challenges and opportunities to grow my skills and make a positive impact in the world. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, cooking, and volunteering at a local animal shelter.”

In this example, the person starts with a hook, shares their background, emphasizes their unique value proposition, shows their personality, and includes their professional goals. Remember, your About section should be a reflection of your personal brand and help you stand out from other professionals in your field.

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Connect with Relevant People

Once your profile is optimized, you can start connecting with relevant people on LinkedIn. This includes:

Colleagues and former colleagues
People you’ve worked with on projects
Industry peers and thought leaders
Recruiters and hiring managers

Connecting with relevant hiring managers on LinkedIn can be challenging, but there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of success. By following the following tips, you can increase your chances of connecting with relevant hiring managers on LinkedIn. Remember to be patient, persistent, and professional in your approach:

Research companies: Before you reach out to hiring managers, research the companies you’re interested in working for. Look for companies that align with your skills, experience, and career goals. This will help you identify the relevant hiring managers to connect with. Use their People tab to see employees and locate the hiring manager you want to contact. Be sure to connect with employees of your target company so that you can expand your network and get inside knowledge on the company’s ways of working. You may even be able to use a current employee to refer you to the hiring manager.
Company vacancies: You can find the relevant hiring manager by searching on LinkedIn for jobs you are interested in applying for. Within the job post there is a section called Meet the hiring team. Here you will see who is responsible for hiring the position. Use LinkedIn Premium to send an inmail or start following that person and be sure to engage with their posts.
Use advanced search: LinkedIn’s advanced search feature allows you to search for people by industry, job title, company, and more. Use this feature to find hiring managers who are relevant to your career goals.
Check out LinkedIn recommendations: LinkedIn recommendations can be a great way to identify relevant hiring managers. Look for recommendations from people who work at the companies you’re interested in and see if they’re connected to any relevant hiring managers.
Join LinkedIn groups: Join LinkedIn groups related to your industry or profession. This is a great way to connect with like-minded professionals and stay up-to-date with the latest news and trends in your field.

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Personalise Your Connection Request

Never send a request without a message. When you reach out to hiring managers, make sure to personalize your connection request. Mention why you’re interested in connecting with them and how your skills and experience align with their needs.

here are two templates for connecting with hiring managers on LinkedIn:

Template 1:

Hi [Hiring Manager’s Name],

I came across your profile on LinkedIn and was impressed by your work with [Company Name]. I’m currently exploring new opportunities in [Industry/Field] and would love to connect with you to learn more about your experience and insights.

Best, [Your Name]

Template 2:

Hi [Hiring Manager’s Name],

I saw that you’re currently hiring for [Job Title] at [Company Name]. I’m a [Your Profession] with [Number of Years] of experience in [Industry/Field] and I think I could be a great fit for the role. I would love to connect with you and learn more about the position.

Here are two templates you can use:

Best, [Your Name]

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Engage With Your Growing Network

Engaging with your network on LinkedIn is an important part of growing your online presence and building relationships with other professionals. Here are some ways to engage with your network:

Like and comment on posts: When you see a post that resonates with you, like it and leave a comment. This will help you start conversations with other professionals and get your name out there.
Share relevant content: Share content that’s relevant to your industry or profession, such as articles or blog posts. This will help you establish yourself as a thought leader and attract the attention of hiring managers and other professionals.
Congratulate people on milestones: When you see that someone in your network has a work anniversary or a new job, congratulate them. This will help you build relationships with other professionals and show that you’re paying attention to what they’re doing.
Send messages: Send messages to people in your network to stay in touch and see how they’re doing. This can be a great way to build relationships and stay top-of-mind with hiring managers and other professionals.
Participate in groups: Join LinkedIn groups related to your industry or profession and participate in discussions. This will help you connect with like-minded professionals and learn from their experiences.

By engaging with your network in these ways, you can build relationships with other professionals, establish yourself as a thought leader, and attract the attention of hiring managers and other decision-makers in your industry.

Allow Your Posts To Be Viewed By Anyone

LinkedIn now gives you the option to choose who gets to see each post you make. To grow your network and attract hiring managers, it is essential that each post relevant to them is set so that it can be viewed by anyone. This increases the chances of 2nd and 3rd connections seeing your posts.

Create Your Own Content

Creating your own content on LinkedIn is a great way to establish yourself as an expert and attract the attention of hiring managers. Here are some steps you can take when creating your own content:

Define your target audience: Before you start creating content, define your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? What are their interests and pain points? This will help you create content that’s relevant and valuable to your target audience.
Choose your topics: Choose topics that are relevant to your industry or profession and that your target audience will find interesting. Look for gaps in the market or topics that aren’t being covered by other thought leaders.
Create high-quality content: When creating content, make sure it’s high-quality and well-written. Use data and statistics to back up your claims, and provide actionable advice that your target audience can implement.
Use multimedia: Use multimedia, such as images and videos, to make your content more engaging and shareable. Visual content is more likely to be shared and can help you reach a wider audience.
Post regularly: Post regularly to keep your audience engaged and to stay top-of-mind with hiring managers and other decision-makers. Consistency is key when it comes to building your online presence.
Promote your content: Once you’ve created your content, promote it on LinkedIn and other social media channels. This will help you reach a wider audience and attract the attention of hiring managers and other decision-makers.

By following these steps, you can create high-quality content that positions you as an expert in your industry or profession and attracts the attention of hiring managers and other decision-makers. Remember to focus on creating content that’s relevant and valuable to your target audience, and to promote your content to reach a wider audience.

Use LinkedIn Premium to Your Advantage

LinkedIn Premium is a paid subscription service that offers additional features and benefits to help you network and find new job opportunities. Some of the benefits of LinkedIn Premium include:

Increased visibility in search results
Access to detailed insights on who’s viewed your profile
The ability to message anyone on LinkedIn, even if you’re not connected
Access to online courses and training resources

If you’re serious about building your online presence and networking with hiring managers on LinkedIn, it may be worth investing in a LinkedIn Premium subscription.

Keep Your Profile Updated

Make sure to regularly update your profile with new skills, experiences, and accomplishments. This will keep your profile fresh and ensure that it accurately represents your personal brand.

I recently conducted a survey on LinkedIn asking our community when they last updated their LinkedIn Profile. The results were shocking. Nearly half of all respondents hadn’t updated their LinkedIn Profile in over a year. Use the start of each quarter as a reminder to update your LinkedIn Profile with your latest skills, certifications and achievements. That way you are more likely to attract for more senior opportunities.

Final Thoughts

Networking with hiring managers on LinkedIn is a powerful way to boost your online presence and advance your career. By optimizing your profile, connecting with relevant people, engaging with your network, joining and participating in relevant groups, and using LinkedIn Premium to your advantage, you can increase your chances of landing your dream job or attracting new business opportunities. Remember to always be professional, add value to your connections, and stay active and engaged on LinkedIn. Good luck!

Do you need help optimising your LinkedIn Profile?

I have helped countless professionals in over 20 countries to optimise their LinkedIn Profiles for job opportunities. From helping these professionals , I have created best practices which I have bundled into a LinkedIn Masterclass. Are you interested in attending?

Email me today.

Best of luck,

Dave Crumby

Your Career Optimiser | Certified Leadership and Management Consultant

Winner of Most Supportive Career Branding Service 2022