LinkedIn When to Update New Job
Looking for a job is a job in itself, and a tough one at that. There is the element of desperation, probably piling bills and overdue debt, among many other dynamics that make getting a well-paying job that much more important.
To this effect, many jobseekers, once they get a whiff of an opportunity that they have a reasonable chance of getting, do not hesitate to spread the news. They count their chick’s before the eggs hatch and sometimes, this course of action comes back to bite them. So, when should you update a new job on LinkedIn? Read on to find out.
Exercise patience
It is human nature to get ahead of ourselves when hope is kindled. Especially, if it is something deeply desired like a better job when the economic times are tough. The mind takes off on an optimistic tangent, constructing castles of success while ignoring the very real chance that things might not work out.
This is precisely why you should hold off a bit on notifying your professional contacts regarding that new job that you have already gotten, or that you think you have a big chance of getting.
Your boss
You may start the job only to realize that the working environment is not as conducive as you would have hoped. Maybe your boss is a proponent of micromanagement, or he is unkind and does not have any esteem for personal boundaries. His/her way of communication may be condescending and critical, and quitting, depending on your tolerance levels, may be a matter of days, weeks or a few months.
Unwelcoming employees
The employees could also be the problem. Not all work cultures are accepting of newcomers, particularly, when the said newcomer is better read and better accomplished. Cases abound of workplaces where highly qualified personnel are stifled by management that feels threatened. These are factors that can make you quit a promising job quickly.
Unforeseen circumstances
When desperate, it is easy to compromise on a lot. You could take up a job that does not align with your personal ambitions just to pay the bills and make do. In the first few days, or weeks, the opportunity you have been looking for could materialize forcing you to make another transition.
Simple things like a taxing daily commute could also prove to be deal breakers. Maybe just a month into the job, you may realize that the pay and the costs of getting the job done are incongruent which may prompt you to quit.
The company facing hard times
The company could also be staring at hard times leading to layoffs that may leave you jobless again sooner than you would have wished or expected. There are so many other reasons why things would fail to work out, and prudence would demand that you take time to first ensure that you have successfully gotten and settled in the job before notifying the extended professional community.
Professional nomadism
Looking at things from a recruiter’s viewpoint, if you have had two, or three jobs per year and that much is evident from your LinkedIn profile, any recruiter will want to know what went wrong and why. Regardless of how excellent your reasons are; the simple truth is that it will not look good from a hirers perspective.
Additionally, professional nomadism hints at a high level of disloyalty, and inability to work with others. Consequently, you will hurt your chances of getting the next better job if you continually update new jobs and things fail to work out.
More than that, you will be forced to answer many questions from your network. They will also want to know how and when things started going south and you may be forced to relive the unpleasant experience of dashed hopes. Even worse, your contacts may be hesitant to refer you given that you will come off as unable to keep a job.
When should you update a new job?
There is no definite timeline for when you should update a new job, but as a rule of thumb, at the very least, wait for a month. Only update when you feel settled and are sure you will be in the job for a while. This means that you should adopt an investigative mindset to learn as much about your new workplace as possible to arm yourself with enough information to make the right decision. You should be comfortable with the company and the company should be comfortable with you.
When to update immediately
Volunteering is partly an exception. With volunteering, you can update sooner to fill unemployment gaps. Recruiters like charitable people who can commit to something they believe in, payment notwithstanding. However, do not bother with updating if you intend to volunteer for extremely short periods.
In conclusion, you do not have to change your headline to reflect the specific role you take up in different jobs. Try and keep your headline separate and consistent. To pick up more tips on how to make LinkedIn work for you, explore bitgale.com.