LinkedIn is a ridiculously powerful platform. 

With over a billion users in 200+ countries, it is the main funnel through which most recruitment activities take place in the GCC.

More and more we hear from our Hiring Managers when we propose a candidate, ‘send me their LinkedIn’ instead of ‘send me their CV’. 

This is a market which runs through back-channels like Whatsapp and a LinkedIn profile is easier and more accessible from a phone than a PDF/Word Document version of your CV.

Truthfully, bar maybe contact details, there’s very little on a CV that isn’t on LinkedIn. 

This is great news for jobseekers for the following reasons:

The tricky part comes in working out how you present yourself on the platform. 

While content on Facebook or Instagram can be softer and put to your audience through the stories feature, content on LinkedIn tends to lean more formal with a combination of written and visual.

It’s a skill that is learned with practice and honed through trial and error.

For anyone hesitant about diving in, here’s three reasons why you should be growing your LinkedIn. 

As recruiters, we’re huge believers in the importance of personal branding and LinkedIn is the best platform to push this in a work context.

I see the results of my efforts on the platform every day. I have worked with leading companies across the GCC who have been alerted to my offering by my posts and content.  

In all honesty, it takes very little effort. I post 2-3 times a week and use LinkedIn as a platform to interact with candidates and promote our other offerings - like this Newsletter.

The biggest pushback people have to personal branding is how they think they might be perceived by others. 

2-3 posts a week about relevant industry topics and consistent levels of engagement (commenting on others posts) are more than enough to set you apart from the crowd when done regularly over time. 

As someone who is fast approaching 60,000 followers on the platform my formula for success is incredibly simple: 

Consistency (posting 2 or 3 times a week) x Relevance (Topics relevant to the industry/location I am based) x Period of Time (I have grown by over 50,000 followers in the past three years).

There is no secret to it. Stick to the above formula and let it play out over time.

Here’s a harsh reality: if you have a LinkedIn Account (even if you never post/engage) then you have a personal brand. 

Your level of activity on the platform determines the success/results you draw from it. If you don’t use it, then it’s probably not going to get the same results as someone who does. 

That’s perfectly fine for some people - we’re not judging.  

In a market as competitive as the GCC, you want to be using your LinkedIn as a lead magnet through which you can attract and qualify potential leads. 

Think of it this way. 

A CV is the traditional method of outreach for jobseekers. It’s direct but there’s no way of tracking who looks at it and when. 

It is only visible to the limited number of people you put it in front of. 

Your LinkedIn on the other hand is a passive selling machine which has the potential to sell your profile and qualifications 24/7. 

It is hyper-personalised and interactive. You can see who has viewed your profile and then follow up with them directly - particularly helpful if you are applying for roles. 

It’s the future and it puts the power of the job search into your own hands. 

Posting and interacting will make your profile visible to more people. The more active you are, the more people will see your profile.

Stop waiting for people to reach out to you and let the platform do the heavy-lifting for you. 

I want to give you an example of how powerful the reach on LinkedIn is. 

This week I put up a post that took me less than five minutes to put together. 

In the three days that it’s been live (at the time of me writing this), it’s achieved the following milestones. 

You can check the post out here. 

It shows that when done right - the exposure it can generate for yourself is pretty wild and not contained to one geography or tier of profile. The comments on my post ranged from C-Suite executives down to Undergraduates. 

Not every post does this well obviously, but it stands to reason that for a jobseeker or even someone who offers freelance services - it’s a powerful platform for attracting eyes on your profile. 

For those who enable ‘creator mode’, LinkedIn allows you access to tracking your metrics including; followers, post impressions, profile viewers and search appearances. It allows a real time look into how your content is performing at any given time.

For a platform that is free to use and has the potential to link you up with industry leaders and decision makers in your space, the decision to grow should be a no-brainer. 

Art Director (Arabic Speaker) - Dubai/Abu Dhabi.

We are partnered with an agency who specialise in Corporate/Government work who are looking for an Art Director (Arabic speaker) to join their Creative Team. 

The role will put you at the forefront of some of the most exciting Creative Projects in the region and allow you to shape the direction from a creative perspective. 

Previous experience of working with top-level Government clients is essential and an up-to-date portfolio is required upon submission. 

Please reach out to me on LinkedIn and I will be happy to chat if your profile matches the requirements.

BEFORE YOU GO: We are hosting a PR Webinar on the must-know trends shaping the industry in 2024. Led by Industry Leaders the Webinar is completely free to attend and launches on 5th September 2024 - 12pm GST. Sign up here.

FAQ’s

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If you’re interested in seeing more from MCG Talent and what we’re up to, please check out our company LinkedIn here or connect with me here for regular posts on life in the GCC.