How to Post on LinkedIn to Get a Job (the 5-Part Template That Works)

Hello and welcome to another week of the Chloe Careers Podcast. My name is Chloe. I'm your coach and host, and in this podcast we talk all things careers, job search, being a woman in business, being a woman in general, and how to start building the careers that you know that you're capable of. In today's episode, I'm going to be diving right into what you need to be doing differently to start getting interviews. I know there are a lot of people out there that are feeling the stress and the pressure of the job search, and you are sending out applications and you are not getting anywhere, to be, to be frank. So I'm going to be showing you or telling you what you need to be doing differently. But as always, we go into a bit of an update on me, what's been happening, what's new in my world. So I've had my new employee start, Izzy, which is amazing. So, you know, I've always had virtual assistants, I've had contractors, things like that, but getting an actual employee is a whole new milestone for business and You know, it just shows me that even when times are tough, like times have been tough as we know, uh, if you dig deep enough to get out of those hard times, uh, through, I don't know, just being like really honest with yourself and strategic with what needs to change and actually facing the, the raw honest truth of what's going on, and then you start doing the work to turn that around, you can really surprise yourself with how quickly things start to happen for you. Um, and I think, you know, for me in January, I was like, shit, do I have to get another job to support myself to get the business back up? And now I've just hired my first employee and that's like literally within 4 months. So things can turn around. I am proof of that happening and things are just gonna keep growing from here. I'm not exactly where I'm like back to where I wanna be, but what I'm conscious of is when I went through a lot of growth earlier on in the business, I, when I was doing like, you know, $20K months, that's when I should have hired people and I did not. And I learned that lesson. Like, I am like not near that $20K mark, like nowhere near it, to be honest. But I'm hiring people now to support me to continue to grow so I don't collapse again and everything falls on me. So we're being smarter, we're being more strategic, and we're just being a better business owner. And I'm here for this growth. Personal update, I have started dating. I've been going on, I've gone on a few dates actually with one specific person. I've been actually quite nervous going into this. And I'm someone that like when I go on a date, I'm not nervous. Like I'm like, whatever, like I'll just show up, do my thing. Like it'll all be great. But I think now that I'm attracting a very different type of man and I am putting out very different energy to what I was previously, you know, before I'd done a lot of work on myself. It kind of takes it to this new space of going like, oh, like this— there are people, the people like this do exist. Like this dream person you thought wasn't out there, like these— and you know, regardless of where this goes, it's like people like this do exist. And I think that scared me a little bit because I go, oh wow, like I don't have to live a life of just dating these emotionally avoidant, unavailable men. Um, I can actually you know, meet people that are secure and grounded and sure of themselves. And I'm like, I'm like, I'm that too. So, you know, that's been a whole thing for me, uh, and I'm really enjoying it. It's, my gosh, like, it's the first time I've been dating where I actually feel like I don't feel anxious, I don't feel nervous, um, and the stuff that I actually have been having any anxiety over is like this borderline self-sabotage where I go like, oh my God, maybe I'm the problem, like, maybe he just went like me and that's what it is. So That's the personal update. Aside from that, everything is ticking along. I've got a new masterclass coming out, a new masterclass I'm running in May for a career reset. I'll be having a new resource that will be launched with that as well. And then there's so many exciting things coming up for Chloe Spillane Careers post this financial year. So from July, and I can't wait to start talking about what is coming, and I'm just throwing myself out there and trying to make things work and trusting and backing myself that I can make it happen. So that's that, and that's an update on me. Um, oh, also I'm moving offices, so I, you're going to be seeing a different backdrop too if you watch these, um, by video, and I'm going to be in a new space. Uh, purely financial business decision, it's almost half the cost, so I'm like, well, that makes sense. Uh, and the office is a little bit bigger, so going to be in a new space probably from, I would say, June. And that's, that's all the updates from me. Okay, so let's get into the topic of today. The thing is If you are applying for jobs and you're not getting anywhere, you genuinely need another strategy. Like, something is not working and you cannot keep relying on applications if they're not, if you're not seeing any kind of shift. Like, yes, you can alter applications, you can optimize your LinkedIn, you can make your resume really stand out, all those bits and pieces, but you cannot just rely on that being your only, only channel to get roles. Now, I know that feels difficult to hear sometimes because the strategy most of us are using feels like the one that is what we should be focusing on. Like, you know, apply on Seek, apply on LinkedIn, apply on the company website, hit submit, all those kinds of things. Like, that's the process that you've been told and you've been taught, and it is an option, but it is not the only option. So, what I can tell you from the recruiter side is for every role that I ever posted, I'd get, you know, hundreds of applications that would come through. But the reality is most of those applications, uh, weren't put through to interview, if I'm being completely honest. Most people that we would actually hire would come through our own headhunting referrals networks. It would be rare that jobs would be filled through a job ad. It is so crucial that you are looking at, well, what else can I be doing to get myself out there and to get seen? And the worst part of all of this is when you are consistently applying for jobs and you're not getting any results, you start to take it really personally. You start telling yourself you're not good enough, you're not qualified enough, you're not the right candidate. But none of those things are actually true. The only thing that's true is that you're playing a game where the odds are completely stacked against you and nobody's taught you another way to do it. So today we're going to be getting into what that looks like. Firstly, I wanted to, uh, run you through a few stories of some people I've worked with recently because I think it's really going to show you the shift that they did to start getting results. So one person specifically, she's been looking for work for close to a year. She was feeling exhausted, second-guessing everything, completely burnt out in the job search as we all start to get, and she was about to give up. What we focused on was, A, we, you know, utilized some AI tools as well as human, the human eye to optimize her resume, of course. But what I then encouraged her to do was to start getting on LinkedIn. Why I say this as a strategy to get on LinkedIn and to start putting yourself out there is because it creates exposure. And when you create exposure, you're getting more eyes on you. You are getting more people come across your profile and you're becoming more visible. And what that means is that for any recruiter that is doing a search for work in your space or trying to find someone like you, you are more likely to come up in their search. So what I did with this specific client is we put up a, we, we opt, like, got her LinkedIn obviously up to scratch and she put up her first post on LinkedIn. Uh, from that post, she then had 2 interviews come through. Those 2 interviews purely came through from the exposure that she built for herself by putting herself on LinkedIn. And when I say putting yourself, I'm gonna be giving you an exact strategy on how to do that. But that was literally putting a post on LinkedIn about her, what she does, what she brings, what she's looking for, and inviting people to reach out to her. So she's bringing opportunity in for her, which I think is one of the biggest shifts that we need to look at when we're thinking about our job search. It's like you're constantly putting applications in, you're constantly chasing. How can you get that energy to come back to you? Like, how can you bring the opportunity to you? So that was one example of someone that's been trying to find work for over a year, isn't getting anywhere, does some optimization on her resume, puts up a post on LinkedIn, and then has 2 interviews come through. Okay. The next story is someone who again wasn't getting much traction, wasn't seeing results come through. And again, pretty similarly, she put up a post on LinkedIn and she was shocked. She said, oh my God, I can't believe how many people are viewing my profile. Like, I've had over 2,000 people look at this post. Recruiters are connecting with me, looking at me. And she had an interview before actually putting this post up. But since putting up the post, someone like someone quite senior from that company looked at that post and connected with her. The two recruiters looked at that post and looked at her profile. So again, before she's even getting into an interview room, she's becoming more, more seen, more visible. People are being able to connect with her and see where she could fit with their team before she's even gone in for an interview. And one of the companies that was going through an interview with her, they looked at her post, phone screened her on the day, and then the phone screen went great. And then they asked her to come in for an interview the next day. So you can't tell me that that's a coincidence that she just put up a post and then all of a sudden she's getting people contact her asking her to come in for interviews within less than 24 hours. Okay. And the next one is someone else again who was, it's the same story, have been doing the same thing, sending out applications, getting nowhere, and then makes the shift and moves past these confidence barriers and fear of judgment, fear of what everyone's going to think. Like she openly said to me that she was concerned around people saying, Oh, like, why is this person posting on LinkedIn? That's so cringe. I can't believe she's doing that. But she said something really good, and it was the people that are thinking that are not her people. And I think that's such an important thing to know is that when you put yourself out there, there's always going to be people that want to run or bring you down. That's just a part of it, right? And those people are not the people that you want to be involved with. And also not the people that are going to get you a job anyway. So who really cares about what they think? So the people that actually encouraged her post, liked it, shared it, all those kind of things. From that post, she then had an interview opportunity come through, and she's had two more, two more interview opportunities come through, through people that connected with that post, or she knew someone who engaged with that post and they referred her on. So again, like multiple people getting opportunities from putting themselves out there on LinkedIn. That specific person, actually, she has 3 processes that she's going through right now. She's got one offer on the table and she's in final stages for another interview round, and she's at second stage for another one. And the key thing from all 3 of these 3 people, what they said to me is that once they made the shift of going, okay, well, this isn't working, let me try something different, everything started to change for them. So momentum picked up. People were picking up the phone and calling them. Interviews started rolling in. I believe there's a lot around like energetics and mindset shifts in your job search because if you're just trawling away doing application day after day, not getting anywhere, feeling really down on yourself, losing confidence, like that's going to project through your job search and your applications. Whereas if you're like, okay, well, this isn't working, let me try something different. And you shift energy into going, okay, well, I'm going to put myself out there and see if someone reacts. Like, that energy shift, people are going to see that, they're going to feel that, they're going to read that, and they're going to respond to that. And this is exactly what these people have said. They're like, oh my God, I can't believe that a week ago nothing was happening and now I have 2 interviews in a week. Like, that is how it works. That is how it happens. And that is when you kind of like jump on that momentum and you're like, yes, okay, I can do this. Like, I can dive in, I can, I can make this happen for me. So I really wanted to share those examples to kind of make it clear to you that these things can happen for you. So What are we going to do for you to start making that shift yourself? So step 1 is you're going to get online. Now, I want to ask you this. What are you using your LinkedIn profile for right now? Because for most of us listening, the answer is probably nothing. It probably sits there. It's a digital CV. It's been updated maybe twice in the last 5 years. It's basically, you know, something that you're just not touching. You only touch it if you need to. This is essentially going to be— this is a wasted asset. LinkedIn is the single biggest tool you have for being found by recruiters and hiring managers. As someone that recruited, I can tell you this is where we headhunted and literally found people and would try to reach out to people. And most of us are letting, letting this sit dormant. So the step one is for you to decide that your profile is going to start working for you. You're actually going to put energy into it. So it needs to position you. It needs to tell people what you do, who you help, and what you bring. Okay. It's not just a list of past job titles. It's your career story, your career narrative, and what makes you stand out from everyone else. I always say, if you had the CEO of your favorite company look at your LinkedIn profile, what would you want them to think of you? What would you want them to walk away with? That's what I want you to think on. Okay. Step 2, who are you connected with right now? If your network is mostly people that you, that you have worked with across your career, that's not really a network for the role that you want next. Now, I will say that there could be people in that network that you could reach out to previously, that you previously worked with, but I guess what I'm really focusing on is the people that you work with now, if you are still in work and you're looking for another opportunity, the people you work with now, or like, you know, the posts that your company does, there you don't want to be interacting with that too much because the more you, whoever you are interacting with, whatever the content is you're interacting with, the LinkedIn algorithm will show you more of that. So that's the only, that's the circle that you'll keep yourself in if you keep interacting with that content. What I want you to think about is where you've been through your career, like every team, every project, every contractor, every client, supplier, stakeholder, manager, whatever it is. I want you to go across your entire network, friends of friends, even like, you know, friends of family, whatever it is. And every single people, every single one of those people is a potential door to your next role. Now, if you're someone that's mid or late career, you're going to have plenty of doors that you can walk through. If you've just started your career, that's okay. You can speak to people that are like within your people within university schools. What are those people doing? What are teachers, professors, who do they know? How can they help you? All of that. Look at your network of the people that you currently have and figure out, okay, who can I reach out to from my past? Now, a lot of us will come across a barrier here, like a block, and we'll go, oh, that's really embarrassing. I can't reach out to someone like my manager from 2 jobs ago. I can't reach out to my colleague from that other company because they're like, oh my God, she's a failure. Oh my God, I can't believe she's reaching out. Oh, that's so embarrassing. Oh, she didn't make it. She didn't do this. You do that, whatever it is, people want to help you more than you think. Most of us at some point in our career have been made redundant, have lost a job, have, you know, had something negative happen in our career so that when someone comes to us for help, we're like, yes, I want to help you. And if someone doesn't want to help you, then they're an asshole and we don't want to be involved with them anyway. Move past the barrier of the cringe factor of reaching out to people from your past and think of it more from that perspective of people want to help me. People want to help me because people want to do good things and people also have egos. Like if you go to someone and you ask them for help and you ask like, want to know like what they're doing and what they're doing in their career, they'll for sure like want to talk about themselves and what's happening. Okay, so tap into that network. Step 3 is to engage. What and who are you engaging with? Because this is again how the algorithm works and how visibility works on a general scheme. The more you show up in other people's worlds, the more they're going to show up in yours. So comment on posts, reply to people, share your perspective on what someone else has shared. This is more like the warm-up, you know, it's how you, how you become familiar to people in your industry without having to post, you know, something yet. So if you're not quite ready to post, which is going to be the next thing I tell you to do, start warming yourself up by actually engaging with the content of people you want to work with, companies you want to work for, managers you want to have. Okay, the step 4 is putting up a post right now. This is going to be your task from this, from this episode, is to put a post on LinkedIn if you haven't already. I know a couple of people that listen to this podcast might have already done this, but this is maybe, you know, you can keep posting, get another post up, keep the momentum. Don't just do one and ghost, like keep going. What I'm going to do though to help you out is give you a structure. And this structure is the exact post framework that I teach in the masterclass and I have in the Job Search Formula as well. And it works because I just gave you 3 examples of people that got interviews off the back of it. Okay. So let's go into it. It's got 5 parts. The first part is part 1. You're going to open with, I'm your name and I'm putting this out here because... and you tell people why. You know, you could be between roles, you're open to opportunities, you're looking for your next chapter, whatever that truth is, you share that in that part. Part 2, I'm currently... and you share what you're working on right now, a project, a focus area, what you're learning. Part 3 is, here's what I can offer. And then you list it out in dot points plainly. I would do 3 to 5 dot points max. The skills, the value, and the things that you bring, what makes you stand out. Part 4 is, this is some of the work I've been doing recently. So give them proof, give them, you know, quick examples and real outcomes of what you've done. Part 5, if this sounds like something you or your team need, or if you have someone to refer me to, I'd love to connect. And then you provide your contact detail. That's it. 5 parts, clear, professional, direct, and it tell— it works because it tells people who you are, what you do, the value, the value you bring, and how they can reach out to you, like you're inviting people in. So I'm just going to go through those 5 parts again without extending over. So part 1, I'm X and I'm putting this out here because. Part 2, I'm currently. Part 3, Here's what I can offer. Part 4, some of the work I've been doing recently. Part 5, if this sounds like something you or your team need, or if you have someone to refer me to, I'd love to connect. Okay, so now it's your turn to start thinking about how you're going to start making those shifts. As I said, if you're not quite ready to do the full post, it's okay. It could just be one thing that you focus on for your LinkedIn. It might be engaging with content. It might be rewriting your LinkedIn headline to be more optimized for people to reach out to you. Maybe it's reaching out to 10 people from the past who you've lost touch with, maybe even 5 people, even just one, like just start, do one thing today that's going to take you in the direction of where you want to be, like one step forward instead of staying in the same place. That's better than nothing. Now, if this episode really hits something close to home for you, if you are someone that is going, I cannot stay on this job search hamster wheel, I have to do something differently, then I want you to know that I go so much deeper on all this kind of work in my Job Search Formula course. This framework, the post template, and all the exact moves that my clients have used to be able to land roles and also myself before I started my business. So the link to sign up is in the show notes and you also get access to the free Job Search Masterclass, uh, through that program as well. If you are someone that wants to see change in your job search, I highly recommend jumping in the Job Search Formula because it will give you the exact strategies that you need to start getting interviews. Everything from the mindset shifts you need to make, your job search audit, your job application strategy, how to utilize LinkedIn, using or building a networking strategy. And I've also got everything around like application strategy and how to use the best and what are the best AI tools to support you in your job search. So get in the Job Search Formula. It will absolutely get you interviews. I've got 3 people that have just given us proof, and I look forward to seeing you inside. Wonderful. If you found this episode helpful, if you've got some key takeaways, I would love if you could give me a review wherever you listen to your podcasts or share with your friends on your social media. Give me a follow, rating, all the things, all the things. Please, please, please. I love it. Thank you so much. I'll leave you today with this: opportunity is out there. We just need to know where to look. Awesome. Thanks everyone. I will see you next week.