4 minutos
The internet is what makes architects accessible and visible to those who wish to find us. If we are the ones searching others out, it is recommendable that we take part in the use of social networks. For this to take place in a professional environment, we have to set up a LinkedIn account.
Upon creating a new account in LinkedIn, our resume will go from being a list of experiences to being an actual live project, complete with interactive links. Every piece of training and professional experience converts itself into a source of connections. We will be able to maintain contact with fellow students from our University and with former coworkers (as long as they are also users of the platform). In LinkedIn it is only permitted to connect with 2nd-degree connections, meaning that it is important to detail our career path as much as possible.
More groups, please
Taking part in LinkedIn groups may be a plausible and sustainable way to increase our network of contacts. It is in our best interest to pay attention to our personal brand so that we are able to select groups that actually generate some sort of benefit for us. (This article highlights some tips on how to start doing it.) In the field of Architecture, there are many groups in which news for specialists is often published, such as: The Project Manager Network or Revit España.
Having said that, the more variety there is between those who make up the group, the easier it will be to find synergy. The best way to catch someone’s eye is to share publications that are a source of information or inspiration. If we constantly boast about our personal accomplishments, or if we cross the line with the number of articles published containing content that isn’t relevant to the common theme of the group, we will run the risk of having others become tired of us, as we are not sticking rigorously to the outlines defined by the group.
Manager or Salaried Employee, select your contacts
After having made contact with a certain number of critical profiles, we will be able to use the LinkedIn search engine to connect with other professionals outside of our habitual circle. The search engine criteria for these profiles will be different, depending on whether our main objective is to obtain new clients or to access a job contract.
For those who wish to find job offers, they should try to contact with the greatest number of architectural recruiters who form part of human resource consultancies and of other companies who belong to our sector (architecture firms, construction companies, engineering, promoters, project management companies, real estate, assessors, universities, educational entities, etc.).
By doing this, we will be able to access all of the most recent information about new job offers posted directly through the company’s public feed or through direct messaging.
On the other hand, if we run our own firm, we should try to connect with possible clients that hold managerial positions or are the head of departments. We could also try to link ourselves with potential collaborators who offer complementary services to those offered by our company or firm. This type of alliance would entail a win-win for both parties involved. Once we become a part of a potential client’s network, it is important to study how to best approach them. These profiles normally receive a lot of invitations to connect, and if we come across as bothersome, we will obtain the opposite result as to what we were hoping for.
The search engine that helps us be found
Instead of searching for contacts, we can also prepare our own profile to receive the maximum number of visits. We can achieve this if we take into account that employers search for us (and find us) through the use and combination of intuitive keywords that add a special factor to an academic title, such as, ‘Architect Project Manager,’ ‘Construction Manager,’ ‘Architectural Infographics,’ etc.
On the other hand, if we define ourselves as an ‘architect actively looking for employment,’ it will be more difficult to appear in search results, given that they are centered in pinpointing attributes relevant to experience, specializations, management abilities, creativity, the use of software, or the knowledge of a certain language.
We can opt to standardize our professional title, as suggested in the statements from the recruitment process or in the job description of a colleague with a similar career path to that of our own. In any case, though, it is beneficial to bet on differentiation if what we seek is for someone who shares the same ideology to find us. In this case, let’s wait for the perfect moment.
