LinkedIn is certainly among the most useful tools that can be used to scout the job market and identify new professional opportunities. 

With so many employers advertising position vacancies and recruiters looking to find high-value talent, the platform is essentially designed around connecting members with the right jobs. 

At the same time, LinkedIn has developed an etiquette and a series of spoken and unspoken rules of behavior. 

If you’re in the market for a job in the fashion industry, in this post, we’re suggesting a 5 step strategy to help you plan your next career move, taking advantage of the full potential of the platform.

It may seem as if using LinkedIn presents a series of similarities and analogies with other social media platforms, but it’s only by focusing on the specific features and tools this platform provides, that you can add that extra edge to your strategy. 

With no further ado, let’s dive right into it!

#1 Follow Brands You Love

The first thing to do is to list a series of companies you would like to work for. 

This is simple, but actually very useful. 

Instead of simply looking for positions available, you can actually create a spreadsheet document where you can list your ideal employer targets. 

Obviously, you want to find a reasonable number of organizations to aim towards. Three could be too few, a hundred too many. 

Give or take, you could list between twenty to thirty organizations that you feel connected to.

By following them on LinkedIn you can actually pre-screen them and see in practice which ones actually attract you the most. 

A job is not only about the position title and the compensation. A job is about the purpose of your work. On LinkedIn, it is not uncommon for brands to build on their “employer branding” or in other words, discuss the values and culture of the organization. 

By following their LinkedIn company profiles you’ll gain exposure to all of these intangible values that go a long way in terms of job satisfaction and personal gratification.

By shortlisting and pre-screening companies you like on LinkedIn you’ll be able to effortlessly make sure your desired employers connect with you beyond the appeal of their products, but on a more personal, cultural level, due to the culture of the organization and what they stand for. 

This first step is simple, but it’s a great way to build structure into your job hunting. It gets you started. Let’s now move on to the next step.

#2 Engage and Contribute to Conversations

The next step in our 5-step plan is to contribute to the conversation and engage with the content the brands are publishing. 

By contributing to the conversations and to the discussions provided by the brands you’re following you’ll be able to start making yourself noticed. 

By commenting, sharing, and liking the content shared by your target companies you’re adding value to the communities these brands are fostering and by adding to the conversations with interesting ideas and insights, you will be drawing attention to yourself. 

By following the right hashtags and by taking part in the debates you can start expanding your network and make connections that go beyond your personal circles. 

This will allow you to maybe start interacting with new potential connections and this will play a role in “campaigning” for your next job. 

#3 Learn About Skills and Qualifications of People You Admire

Finding the right job is not simple, sometimes we’re underqualified, sometimes we’re overqualified. 

Job descriptions tend to be so detailed that the skills employers may be looking to find are so specific and extensive, anybody can feel underqualified. 

In order to avoid any “impostor syndrome” comparing your profile and resume to other professionals in jobs you’re seeking to apply for, can give you a more real-life perspective on where your chances stand of landing an interview. 

Maybe you don’t need an extra qualification, maybe a previous experience can transfer to a new job. 

In the job market, an employer will always create a very specific profile for a job, but there is some variance involved in the different types of candidates a recruiter will review. It’s not only about the skills, it’s about the attitude, the potential of a new recruit.

In this sense, by expanding on your circles and by comparing yourself to real-life people in attractive job positions you can get a clearer idea of where you stand in terms of job profile competitiveness.

#4 Connect With Recruiters By Asking Meaningful Questions, Not to Take Advantage of the Connection

One of the most useful tools provided by LinkedIn is the opportunity to send messages to connections. 

This tool alone provides you with an unparalleled opportunity to connect directly with recruiters and ask for information regarding possible vacancies and job opportunities. 

In certain cases, it can be a good idea to reach out to a recruiter to establish a connection. In our opinion, however, what we need to make sure is not to use personal messaging as a way to get an objective advantage or skip on parts of the recruitment process that has been laid out by the company. 

If you’re asking for advice or information regarding a job, it’s probably the case that there are some more suitable channels to use. It’s likely that all of the relevant information that can be discussed at this stage has already been published in the job post.

If instead, you’re asking for particular types of advice regarding career trajectories, suitable qualifications, etc., then in certain situations a LinkedIn message can help. 

What is important to bear in mind, is that you don’t want to use a personal message to get ahead of the competition. 

Use messages if there is something you’d like to ask or communicate without putting the recruiter in the position of making an exception for you. 

#5 Identify and Apply for Possible Vacancies 

The last step in this 5-step strategy is simple. Apply. 

You’ve got to be in it to win it. Yes, chances are not always in your favor. Yes, good jobs are hard to get. Yes, some other candidates may have an advantage but at the end of the day if you don’t apply you have 0 chances of getting the job you want. 

Just like with anything else, practice makes perfect. By writing and adjusting your C.V. you get better at C.V. writing. By writing cover letters you get better at presenting yourself, by holding interviews you become a good interviewer. 

It’s only by doing that stuff that gets done. 

This is why in this post, we’ve provided a simple but structured approach to using LinkedIn as a helpful tool to navigate the job market and get you applying for your next job.

Great! Now that we’ve covered all relevant areas, it’s time to move towards some conclusive remarks.

Conclusions

There you have it! In this post, we’ve explored a simple but effective 5-step strategy to maximize the chances of finding the right job in the fashion industry. 

It’s easy to jump into a new job post or opportunity, but in the long term, a well-designed and paced strategy can provide great results, and help you find a position that really matches your skills and ambition.

We need to remind ourselves that looking for a job is a job in itself. It is hard work, time-consuming, and energetically draining as well. This is yet another reason to follow a plan and identify a sustainable course of action towards an attainable result. 
If you’re interested in reading more about job hunting in the fashion industry, don’t hesitate to explore our blog. We’ve got a wealth of content of careers in fashion and job search. Enjoy!