5 LinkedIn strategies from industry recruitment powerhouse Dawn Penfold
The meetings industry job market is Dawn Penfold’s passion and profession. A former meeting professional, she founded Meetingjobs in 1990 to fill a need for a professional recruitment company serving this industry. She merged with Cadre in 2021 to connect candidates and hiring officials for freelance positions.
LinkedIn, says Penfold, “is the go-to place for planners on a job search and a great place to network.” But it’s not enough to post a LinkedIn profile and leave it languishing.
Here are Penfold’s top tips on how to use it effectively:
1. The first thing a recruiter does after receiving a resume is check out the applicant’s profile. The number one rule is to make sure that your resume matches your LinkedIn profile. Make sure that your profile is up to date, and that your photo is professional but shows some personality.
2. Be careful what you apply for. After you apply for a position, LinkedIn will come up with others that match the job description. Don’t click yes, because the application will go directly to a hiring official who will call you. It’s important to be be selective, and to sound intelligent about the details of every application.
3. Don’t ever select “open to work” if you’re an employee.
4. Be creative with your branding. For example, you can customize your LinkedIn “ring” with a phrase like “special events diva” or other wording that defines you as a meetings specialist.
5. Hiring recruiters spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. It’s a great place to network with fellow planners and define your expertise in specific industry niches, like pharma, association, etc. Hiring recruiters will notice.
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