3 Little-Known LinkedIn Hacks To Boost Your Fashion Job Search

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I always suggest using unconventional strategies to apply for a job in fashion. This includes using LinkedIn strategically in your fashion job search.

If the traditional application includes a resume, something a bit extra includes your LinkedIn profile. When I started out sharing career tips here on Glam Observer, LinkedIn was still new in the industry. But nowadays, it’s the most popular professional tool; everyone actively looking for a job has a profile on it (you do have a profile, right?).

But even though LinkedIn has gained more popularity among job seekers and anyone who wants to advance their career, many still don’t know how to use this platform to the max of their capacity in their fashion job search.

That’s why today I want to share  these 3 little known LinkedIn hacks that will boost your fashion job search.

The LinkedIn interview AI job interview feedback

The AI job interview feedback is a super useful feature of LinkedIn that allows you to practice your job interview answers. Yes, you read that right. On this page (available only for English profiles and if you access LinkedIn from your desktop) you’ll be able to find the most asked questions during job interviews, record a video of yourself for each answer that you want to practice, upload it on LinkedIn and receive immediate feedback from the platform. The useful LinkedIn tool will tell you

•  Your pace – how many words you used per minute.
• If you used any filler words, for example: “umm”.
• If you used any sensitive phrases.
• Answer tips to improve your response

If fashion job interviews made you nervous, now with this LinkedIn feature you can practice your answers and get to your next job interview being more secure. 

Attract and connect with fashion recruiters on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is also a great place to connect with people working at your dream companies, and appear first in the search results. (Because you knew that recruiters use Linkedin not only to post job offers but also to find new members of the team, right?)

Be intentional with your connection requests

Just like you send friend requests on Instagram, you can submit connection requests on LinkedIn. But while you can connect with anyone on LinkedIn, you should NOT send your requests to whoever. I receive connection requests from people that are outside of my industry and that I have no reason to connect with, and I never accept those requests. You must be intentional with your connection requests.

Use keywords

BUT that’s not all. Maybe you didn’t know that LinkedIn’s algorithm works like Google’s search engine. Recruiters are on the hunt for the perfect candidate through the platform. The more optimized your profile is with the specific keywords, the more you can appear on top of their research.

Luckily, keywords are not the only thing that will index your profile in the search results. If you already have connections with people working at the same company the recruiter is hiring for, your profile will appear on top of the search results!

So for example, if you dream of working at Dior, you should connect more with people working at Dior so that when the recruiter will execute their research on LinkedIn, your profile will be among the first to appear in the search results. Let’s say you have 5 connections from Dior vs someone else who has 1 connection. Your profile will appear on top when a recruiter is doing their research to scout new people to hire. (because you knew that recruiters use Linkedin not only to post job offers but also to find new members of the team, right? If not you are missing some pieces about LinkedIn and I do teach more about how to use this platform for your career in fashion inside my course Break into the fashion industry)

Informational interviews

If you want to learn more about your dream role and what your responsibilities can look like, or you are undecided between two roles, try the informational interview. Send a message on LinkedIn to a fashion editor, buyers, PR…whose career you admire to ask more about their path and current role at the company (not for a job or internship!) Informational interviews are great ways to start a conversation with anyone in fashion.

Write your dream fashion job in the headline

As I mentioned in the point above, one of the best ways to get discovered by recruiters is to optimize your profile with the right keywords that you add to your skills. BUT most importantly, the place where you should add the keyword is your headline.

Perhaps you are asking now: “Giada I don’t have a job yet, what title should I add to my headline?” Well, you can use them even if you don’t have a job in fashion yet.

For example, if you are looking for your first fashion internship in fashion styling/buying/marketing, you can something like “Aspiring Fashion Stylist/Buyer/Marketing professional looking for internship opportunities”.

So if I am the recruiter or a stylist looking for an assistant and I type “Fashion stylist” on Linkedin, then your profile will appear in the search results as the keywords “fashion” and “stylist” are in your headline. It’s a great way to get discovered by recruiters!

These are just SOME of the tricks I know about using LinkedIn for Fashion. Want to learn more tips to land your dream job in fashion? I teach them inside my online course Break into the Fashion Industry.