Assembler? Quality Inspector? Toolmaker? If you’re looking for a job in the precision manufacturing industry, do you first turn to social media? Do you think about networking on LinkedIn? Chances are LinkedIn and social media are among the last places you regard as helpful in your job search. But you would be wrong. Yes, it is true enough that many professional jobs are listed on LinkedIn, and that is how LinkedIn got started. Though manufacturing firms may have been slower to hitch to the LinkedIn wagon, they now have a strong presence. Manufacturing companies also compete for needed talent. On LinkedIn, they are conducive to communicating with a skilled workforce they may not be able to reach otherwise and are eager to list workforce positions. Four steps on how to use LinkedIn First: Create an account and complete each step of the process to build a profile. The basic account is free to everyone who signs up. It is not difficult, but it does take time to be thorough. Remember, as a job-seeker in manufacturing, the skills section of your profile will be of critical interest to a potential employer. Many organizations will put those skills into their search criteria when inviting responses to job queries; so, be specific as possible – you’ll stand out among others. Don’t worry if you forget something or change your mind as you can edit your profile as often as you like. Second: Become familiar with the interface and features of the program. Look at profiles of others in your industry. While you are looking, send a connect request to present or former co-workers or friends. You build connections over time and use them to request endorsements regarding the skills you have listed in your profile. It is always better when colleagues can vouch for you. Reciprocate for them if you can. Third: Click on the Jobs tab and plug in the name of the job you seek. The database can sort by keyword, company, title, location and country and return relevant searches to view. So, let’s say you plug in “assembler” and get more than 3000 responses. Perhaps you only want to look at assembler jobs near a specific city. Then, you plug in that postal code. Or you only want to see what is available at a specific company in your locale. Then you type the name of that firm in the search bar labeled “company.” When those results appear, click on “view” to see details about available jobs. You’ll see how many days ago the job was posted, how many candidates have applied, and details about the job poster. It also provides a button to apply for the job. But before you click the apply button, make sure you are ready. You want to put your best face forward. Have on hand:

• A complete profile
• A current resume with a precisely stated job objective
• A meaningful cover letter that responds directly to the job requirements and tells why you are the best candidate (like…I taught five other individuals how to do xyz)
• Any certifications or additional training or awards you received, and
• Any pertinent networking information

  Fourth: Once you apply, follow up. Sometimes persistence pays off. Even when present positions don’t exist, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any openings down the road. Connect with MPS Technical via LinkedIn  MPS Technical specializes in finding the best positions for you. We have been connecting candidates with precision manufacturing clients in Minnesota and Wisconsin for more than twenty years. Our success rate is high – which means you win too. In fact,

• 90% of our candidates give MPS credit for “getting them well-prepared for their first day.
• 99% of temp placements are positive about their assignments, appreciating that we “identified a job that was a great fit.”
• 99% of our converted placements are still on the job one year later and on the average, our contract-to-hire placements become full-time employees within three

Contact us today and connect with a great position in precision manufacturing.