New to the industry? How to utilize your Linkedin Account
Greetings everyone! I've been speaking to a couple of friends starting their careers in different fields, and when I asked them about their linkedin accounts, it turns out that some people didn't have, or best case scenario, it was not a complete one. So I decided to make this article, to help them and others, wanting to utilize it better, from my perspective. If you want to make a business network and drive opportunities to you, Linkedin is indeed the best social platform for that. And you need to maximize your chances in areas that can be improved. So let's cut to the chase!
You can always come back and refer to the steps, or treat this as a step by step guide. It is important to know WHY, and not just the titles
1) FILL in your profile!
I've seen many people just adding work experience and education, and that's it. NO. Add your portfolio. Both online links and a pdf if you have it. Online is a MUST, accessibility is your best friend. Fill your profile with languages, add all the personal projects you do to improve yourself with appropriate links, and add your hobby achievements, present or past. A medal in a competition, or a Guinness World Record, whatever. It shows you are a person who gets involved in stuff, and tells a bit about your character. Always have everything set to public in your profile, linkedin is about transparency, especially if nobody knows you, you have to show your cards and colors. Try to add at least something in every category!
2) Place JOB ALERTS
In areas/cities/countries you want to go to. Add your desired roles e.g. 3d environment artist, or junior game developer, or whatever. Also search for job advertisements within Linkedin and check what they require (some of them have the skills publicly visible) so add those to your skill set or change their names accordingly to what the employer is searching for (if you have them, of course). You will start appearing in more searches.
3) Do the linkedin SKILL TESTS
They add a badge to your profile and show that you at least understand the software. They are multiple choice, some are harder than others (e.g. Photoshop, it was harder for me than I thought). When you take the tests for the software that you know, try the peripheral ones (E.g. if you use 3ds max, try doing the Maya test, or if you use Revit, try Sketchup etc.) Nothing to lose there.
4) Join LINKEDIN GROUPS
I started utilizing that one fairly recently, but you can join groups that you are interested in, and relative to your craft. The reason? They provide you with interesting links, articles etc, which you can repost or comment to, and gain more exposure for yourself.
5) Search for companies/studios in the area you are interested in and FOLLOW THEM.
You will be notified if one of them has a job opportunity for you! Once you click follow, a list of suggested similar companies will be available for you underneath. Open each one in a different tab, because if you follow them, a new list of suggestions will be available. This can easily take up 1000 tabs depending your craft, but try and be methodical and not miss any! It would be nice to spend a couple of seconds checking each company's website, whereabouts and what they actually do, to be certain this could be a potential place for you to work. If some of them also have job advertisments, don't apply with "easy apply", better do it through their website/email.
6) From the TOP companies that you liked most, start connecting with all the people who work there,
and send them a brief message! You don't have to send a message to everyone but it would be nice to check their profile or portfolio for a few seconds and give them a sincere compliment about their work, something you liked or if you see you have something in common (e.g. Hey Chris, good job on that building with the roof garden, it was a great idea! Enjoy the summer, cheers!). I actually use cheers in every message to close it off, hehe!
7) Check the employment history
from all the people that are employed somewhere in the same or similar position that you are searching for: that includes the people you connect with.And also check their internship places. The reason? You might find new work places that you otherwise would have missed, and you know for certain that in those places they take/took interns. Again, when you follow those companies, check for the suggested ones.
8) Your feed will start having articles etc,
from every company and people you have followed. Be active with comments, likes, and re-posts, so that your name starts appearing more and more within the circle you are trying to be a part of. People who like and comment on your articles and reposts, have your name displayed on their news feed as well = more exposure for you and you basically say to everyone "hey, I am here and I am involved". Over time your face/name seems more familiar, and people prefer "familiar and involved", to "unfamiliar random person".
9) Search for webinars, meet ups (online and physical), conferences and other social events
that happen around your area of interest and they are free, or with a participation fee that you are willing to pay. They are the best places to meet people who are in the same place as you, people with common interrests, and people who might recommend you in the future! I have found some fellas whom which we exchange job positions and opportunities whenever we find one that matches the other person. Worst case scenario, you can just check your competition 
In these events, I also hit people with a private message, saying a compliment and then connecting with them on Linkedin!
I hope this wasn't too hard to read, and hopefully will help you build your profile! If you want a quick review after you have completed it, please do not hesitate to contact me
Replies
No one in charge of recruiting cares about all the rest - and as a matter of fact, with linkedin becoming more and more crowded with pseudo-inspirational blog posts these things are becoming a serious turn-off, and already a subject of satire and ridicule in tech fields. But hey, the great thing about art carreers is that it makes that sort of stuff even more irrelevant since the portfolio is the only thing that matters. If anything, one thing that could be worth recommending would be to have a banner at the top of ones linkedin page consisting of a collage of great work (essentially a micro portfolio).
This may sound blunt but I truly believe that filling up all these social-mediaesque tickbox is, quite litterally, an utter waste of time
This is similar to how people somehow convince themselves that "networking is the most important thing" and then start believing that they need to go to GDC parties to meet devs. This is actually completely useless, as the only connections that *actually* matter are the ones made through ones art, for instance by getting known for certain pieces or a certain style, getting involved in various projects, and so on.
More than half of the post is the practical way of how you can find opportunities through the platform. And in the end, it is about how one can utilize linkedin as a tool and NOT how to improve one's portfolio. Not all countries have 3d industry so you can't just go knocking on doors, plus this post can also extend in architecture and other job markets. Having your portfolio and no connections to show it to, is as good as having nothing at all.
Networking IS important. There is more to it than just recruitment. It is about opening exploring and bringing possibilities in your doorstep, or just increasing your chances. It can also be a great place to check what is happening in the industry. But eventually, NOBODY is going to search for you, YOU have to find them. Your portfolio will secure the job. Or not. I have seen people with bad portfolios getting positions, I have seen dance teachers without rythm, and DJ's that have no clue about music, all getting work in the respective fields. So it would be immature for someone to say that only the portfolio matters.
It's quite common human behaviour that experienced people laugh at the futile efforts of the less experienced. But inexperienced people can also give advice to one another, grow together, share information, techniques and job postings, and refer to one another in their workplaces.So, connections between them are also valuable. Their potential (or lack thereof) can be seen by people working in the industry. Experienced people follow newbies because they are interested in their progression. In a complicated business society, breaking in needs a collection of skills, not just art.
Last but not least, my personal experience. I moved to a new country, not knowing anyone. What would you do in this case? Try and connect with people. The connections I made through linkedin and social events, lead to knowledge about the industry in here, and opened up posibilities in specific studios which otherwise I would not have. So the 'people in tech fields' can satire and ridicule linkedin all they want, they probably don't understand how business works.
Not every company wants people to do super 'wow' 3d stuff. A person without a good portfolio can also find job in the field.
Edit:
By filling your profile you appear in more searches. So you are saying that it is not even worth a day or two to fill in your profile?
Well, I'll make sure to keep all this advice in mind for the next job hunt, or for the next time I am asked to weigh in on a candidate's application for hiring
Anyways, more seriously : I genuinely believe that you are being tricked by the social media aspect of linkedin. All these features leading to a "profile completion rate" are not designed to help you find your job or boost your career - they are *only* here to drive engagement with the site itself, i.e. the amount of time you spend on it and the amount of data breadcrumbs you leave behind you, because that's where the $$$ is. With the ultimate goal being to trick you into paying for a premium account by making you believe that it will boost your chances. Or even better : making you believe that you need this premium account, and then turning you into an evangelist for these features hopefully convincing others that they need them too.
At the end of the day, sure, linkedin can be useful - but no more than facebook or any other asocial media platform, that is to say as an instant messaging app and also in the case of linkedin as a place where to put ones resume. But for game art jobs, it is literally near useless - all you really need is a place with your work on display (most likely Artstation) and some contact info. Network and reputation can add to that of course but they are secondary and certainly not part of the "necessary and sufficient" items.
Now I'll concede that linkedin can be useful in order to check the history of an applicant, as the work history listed there is likely going to be quite complete and up to date which then makes it easier to ask former leads and coworkers if an applicant is a jerk
Oh also, regarding moving to a new country : since by definition the case you mention means moving to a country that doesn't require a work visa/sponsorship in the first place, which in turn suggests that it is country not too far from your own country (like for instance relocating within the Schengen space) I'd say that the best way would be to secure the job first, and then moving there once the contract is signed. That way all the annoying stuff (looking for a place to rent, and so on) is much facilitated and budget is less of an issue.
You're telling me I am being tricked by the social media while i'm telling you that it was the exact same media that made me found these oportunities. I don't know about your past with it, but what you are saying sounds theoretical to me, while my own proof of experience says otherwise. I am not a social media type of person in general. And whether or not I got the opportunities based on my skills or portfolio does not have to do with this post.
Linkedin led me to studios I didn't even know they existed, linkedin has all the people from the studios I liked "packed together" so I could find them, check their portfolios and talk with them a little. Linkedin is a place where I find interesting articles among these "pseydo-inspirational"
And I did not even mention anything about premium. There is no need for it.
And people who just make a profile, fill the basics and sit there, do not utilise it correctly. You can get a hand watch and use it just for countdown purposes, that doesn't mean there is not more to it. And that is the reason for the article.
Of course if my work sucks it sucks, but that's besides the point. The app did make it possible for me to find studios easily, and get in touch with the right people. So there is definitely value there.