It wasn’t all that long ago that we presented some tips on how to become an all-star on LinkedIn. One of those pieces of advice was the importance of groups. In fact, we recommended that you join at least 50 different groups. Why? Well, that’s rather simple. Not only is that a requirement for all-star status, groups are also one of the best resources on LinkedIn. Not only can groups help you network, you can also discover who’s hiring or even get advice on key elements like how to properly write a resume.
But, which groups should I join on LinkedIn?
That’s probably the most important question you should be asking. For starters, a great place to start is by narrowing down your search by industry and location. So, for example, if you are an accountant in St. Louis, you should join several St. Louis accounting and finance groups.
It also wouldn’t hurt to join any other groups that are related to your field. While that group may be located in another part of the country, it’s still an opportunity to discuss the industry. You may discover the latest trends or some other useful tips that are related to your profession. Also, you could strike up a conversation with an individual who has connections to an influential person in your neck of the woods.
So, you found some groups to join. Now what?
One of the best pieces of advice that you can give you is to join discussions. After all, if you’re not chatting with other people, how else are you going to get noticed? Scroll through a group’s message and look for the topics that interest you. It’s not only a chance to exchange ideas and learn something useful, it’s the best way to engage people who have some influence or connections. In fact, once you join a group, you’ll be able to email members directly.
Another way to make yourself visible within your groups is by starting a new thread. It could be anything from asking a question, sharing a relevant article or simply introducing yourself to the group. This gives you the opportunity to make your presence known, as well as, giving group members a little insight into who you are as an individual and professional.
Finally, if you join a group that is related to your profession, aka a niche group, you might have the chance to get a lead on a potential job opening that either hasn’t been posted yet or widely announced. Striking up a relationship with people who have this kind of information is one of the best reasons to actively participate in groups.
However, there are also a lot of mainstream groups that are just as valuable as though related to your field. When you join these groups, you’ll be making your job hunt much easier by getting updates, job postings, the chance to ask questions and, of course, network. With all that in mind, here are the top 8 LinkedIn groups you need to join if you want to secure a job.
1. JOBS: Job Openings, Job Leads and Job Connections
Here is the largest jobs group on LinkedIn – which you can’t argue with almost 1.7 million members. This group has perfected the art of networking, connecting, and collaborating with it’s extensive network, as well as hosting and sharing insightful job related topics with either articles or discussions. JOBS also assists job seekers with issues like their resumes and allows members to post and search for jobs.
2. A Job Needed – A Job Posted
This is group has self-proclaimed itself as a “career connection group” and has a very serious no spam policy. What this group does best is connect job seekers with relevant recruiters, as well as locating specific job postings. There are also useful articles that contain tips on resumes, LinkedIn and just the job search process as a whole. A Job Needed – A Job Posted has almost 50,000 and has been helping job seekers since January 11, 2009.
3. Career Explorer
If you’re recent college graduate, this is probably your best option – thanks to the 50 subgroups that are mainly composed of educational institutions and the fact that most of the members have been categorized as “Entry”. However, this group does also have discussions relevant to general job search topics. And with close to 50,000 members, Career Explorer should definitely be a top group to join
4. Career Change Central
This a great networking group for job seekers, job changers, and those who are in a career transition to engage with HR managers/reps, recruiters, hiring managers, and career coaches. Besides that, Career Change Central provides some extremely valuable resources such as career advice and tips for jobs changers. This is a great resource for anyone who needs information, or even simply just to discuss, changing their career.
5. Indeed.com
This group has been run by job search engine Indeed.com since October 30, 2007, who claim to be the largest source of job postings in the world – which we can’t argue with since it posted 631,362 new jobs within the last week and more than 100 million unique visitors per month. The group has over 38,000 members and does a solid job in preventing spam.
6. Hiring For Hope/JobsAngels
In 2011 two incredible groups merged to provide a one amazing service. Both Hiring For Hope and JobsAngels were nonprofit organizations dedicated to creating employment networking service. With the combined resources and experience, this group provides services ranging from training, job placement, and coaches for both life and career management. Besides these services, the group helps member network and provides emotional and even financial assistance for the job seekers who need it.
7. Job-Hunt Help
Don’t let the 13,000 members deceive you, this has been a quality group LinkedIn since January 2009 and has actually been helping job seekers online since 1998. Besides hosting a stellar discussion board, this group is great about sharing useful and timely content. Also, Job-Hunt has over 18,000 site listings that contain job postings. With such a storied and successfully past, it’s not surprising that Job-Hunt has received numerous awards, such as being included in Forbes 2013 Top 100 Websites for Your Career.
8. Talent HQ
This group was created back on April 28, 2008 by Jason Buss (who was named HR Examiner’s #1 Most Influential Online Recruiter) and has since grown to over 27,000 members. What makes this group useful is that it focuses on current trends in recruiting and job searches. Talent HQ also has members that range from job seekers, recruiters, HR, and marketing professionals. All of these members then exchange advice and information on everything from social networking to the interview process.
What LinkedIn groups have you joined to help land a job? What resources did they offer that helped you during your job search?
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