LinkedIn, more than Facebook or Twitter, is the best tool among the social media sites in finding freight broker jobs. After all, it's the only social networking site for professionals.
Did you know that 15% of job hunters in 2011 got hired using LinkedIn? Sadly, only 35% of these lucky hires knew how to use the site's tools to their advantage. Here are the top nine strategies they employed which you can use to power your job hunting activities.
1. Create LinkedIn's most attractive freight broker profile ever.
You'll see most profiles on LinkedIn are bland, incomplete, and forgettable. Make your profile stick in the minds of hiring managers by crafting a profile that uses industry buzz words. Words like logistics, freight broker, trucking, carrier, shipping and the like strategically placed in your description, qualification highlights and work experience will make you more visible on search queries.
2. Use LinkedIn's job search feature to look for jobs.
The Jobs section yields a powerful tool which you can use to look for openings for freight brokers: Job Search. The best thing is, you can use additional filters in your job search to find positions in particular locations or companies.
3. The "companies in your network" link on the job search results page offers additional opportunities.
The profiles of other freight brokers you're connected with include their and their connections' companies. LinkedIn's search results include this information, giving you more leads to freight broker jobs that you won't normally find on a regular jobs board page. Use this to your advantage.
4. Start connecting with other brokers, former colleagues and other industry denizens.
Search for people who you've worked with in the past, classmates from freight broker training school, or employees from shippers and carriers. Connect with them and offer your help when it's needed. Observe proper decorum when linking up with new connections though. You don't want them to have a negative image of you. Once you've built at least 20 connections, start asking for leads to positions.
5. Advise your contacts that you're in the market for a position.
Don't be shy and get the word out to your contacts that you're looking to be hired as a broker. When you do, you're not only tapping into opportunities from your first level contacts, your also tapping into their first and second level connections... and that's one deep well of potential for broker jobs.
6. Get recommendations from your LinkedIn contacts.
Freight brokers and agents you've worked with in the past can serve as your references. Recommendations published on your LinkedIn profile attract hiring managers like flowers to bees. Make sure to request that your contacts highlight your strengths so as to boost your profile's overall appeal.
7. Track updates from your dream company.
If there are freight brokerage companies you want to work for, find them on LinkedIn and follow them. Once you're tracking their activities, you'll have access to their regular updates-company events, new openings for freight brokers and so on. If you happen to know someone working in these companies, ask them to pass along your resume to human resource as well. An employee referral is always a plus when applying in certain companies.
8. Use Groups to display your smarts.
LinkedIn's Groups feature is exactly what it is: a group of people with the same interests, work in the same industries, or have similar job descriptions. Find one or several that's right up your alley and connect with other brokers, shippers, truckers or carriers. Share industry updates, respond to questions, or help out in member projects and conundrums. As you participate in the discussions,
you're displaying your capabilities. You just never know: one of those who've been watching you may call you one day to interview for their freight broker opening.
9. Exploit Company Insights to the full.
On each company's profile page is an Insights page where you'll find the most number of connections their employees have with the employees of other companies. Explore companies in this section for possible leads. The chances are high that they may also be looking to hire freight brokers.
So there you go: the top strategies on looking for broker jobs on LinkedIn. Employ one or several and you'll find that getting employed as a freight broker has never been easier.
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