The Old Way of Job Searching Is Dead: Here's How to Get Recruiters to Come to YOU on LinkedIn
Look, I'm going to be straight with you. The days of uploading your resume to job boards and waiting for the phone to ring are over. Dead. Finished. If you're still playing that game, you're playing checkers while everyone else is playing chess.
After 20 years in career coaching and building a community of 2.5 million followers on LinkedIn, I can tell you with absolute certainty: the recruiters aren't coming to find you unless you give them a reason to.
And before you roll your eyes and think, "Great, another person telling me to post on LinkedIn," hear me out. This isn't about becoming a LinkedIn influencer or posting motivational quotes with sunset photos. This is about strategically positioning yourself so that when recruiters search for candidates, your name comes up first.
First Things First: The Settings Nobody Talks About
Before we dive into content strategy, you need to handle the technical stuff. In your LinkedIn settings, there's a toggle switch that tells recruiters you're open to being contacted. Turn. It. On.
And no, this is NOT the green "Open to Work" banner that screams "I'm unemployed and desperate." The toggle I'm talking about is in your backend settings, and it's what puts you into more search results. With 1.1 billion users on LinkedIn now, the algorithm needs ways to sort through the noise, and that toggle is one of the key criteria. If you need help turning this setting on, read this article.
But here's the thing—that toggle alone won't save you. You need the second piece of the puzzle.
You Have to Actually Show Up (And I Don't Mean Just Scrolling)
This is where most people get it wrong. They think "being active on LinkedIn" means logging in once a day and liking a few posts. Wrong. The platform rewards contributors, not consumers.
You need to post content. Consistently. And I know what you're thinking: "But J.T., I don't know what to post!"
Trust me, I've heard this from thousands of job seekers. That's exactly why we created our "How to Stand Out to Recruiters" training at Work It DAILY. We solved this problem with something we call the Hub and Spoke Model.
The Hub and Spoke Method: Your Content Strategy Blueprint
Think of yourself as the aspirin to your employer's headache. What pain do you solve? What problem do you alleviate? That's your hub—your core expertise, your superpower.
The spokes are all the different ways you can talk about that pain point to demonstrate your knowledge. This isn't about being a narcissist or positioning yourself as some industry guru. It's about documenting what you already know.
Here's why this works: LinkedIn's algorithm is trying to authenticate you as a real human being with real expertise. When you post consistently about the problems you solve, using various approaches and angles, the platform rewards you by showing your content to more people—including recruiters.
The 5 Types of Content That Actually Work
After years of testing and 2.5 million followers later, I can tell you there are five types of posts that consistently perform well:
1. Storytelling: Share a specific example of when you solved that core problem. Make it real, make it concrete, make it memorable.
2. Contrarian Point of View: What does everyone in your industry think is fine that you completely disagree with? Share that hot take (professionally, of course).
3. Industry Observations: What trends are you seeing? What's changing in your field? Be the person who notices what others miss.
4. Listicles: "5 ways to..." "3 things you should never..." "4 mistakes that cost companies..." People love structure and actionable takeaways.
5. Then vs. Now: Show the historical perspective. How have things changed in your industry over the past 2, 5, or 10 years? What's different now?
Stop Making Excuses—Start Making Moves
Here's the bottom line: this isn't rocket science. You don't need to be a content creation expert or have a marketing degree. You just need to start documenting your knowledge and expertise in a systematic way.
The professionals who understand this are the ones getting recruited. They're the ones getting multiple job offers. They're the ones who never have to worry about being "findable" because they've made themselves impossible to ignore.
Ready to Transform Your Job Search?
If you're tired of sending resumes into the void and want to learn exactly how to implement the Hub and Spoke Method, we're here to help. When you sign up for a Work It DAILY membership, you'll get access to our complete "How to Stand Out to Recruiters" course, plus live coaching sessions where we help you perfect your strategy.
And here's the bonus: our coaches are offering a free personalized LinkedIn profile review—a $250 value that's yours to keep forever, even if you only stay with us for one month.
Ready to stop waiting and start attracting? The old way of job searching is dead. It's time to embrace the new way.
[Visit workitdaily.com to get started and claim your personalized LinkedIn profile review today.]
Go get ‘em!
J.T. O’Donnell
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