Easy Shortcuts & Tips To Get the Most Out of Linked In

By Mary Elizabeth Bradford

Linked in is a great social/business networking tool if you know how to use it. Here are some brief tips to using LinkedIn’s benefits and features

A few Highlights What You Can Do On LinkedIn

  • Network with others
  • Find people and be found by people
  • Research companies
  • Join groups
  • Establish partnerships
  • Find consulting jobs
  • Find other employment
  • Share info on your area of expertise, job search and career topics, business and political topics
  • Develop your personal “Brand”
  • Search to see who in your network might have a connection into companies you are interested in
  • Get publicity
  • Find recruiters who look for passive candidates on linked in

Creating a Profile on Linked In

Your profile can include all or part of your resume (your preference).

Do include:

  • Your “elevator pitch” or “executive summary” in the summary section. This is what you want people to know you for – it may be the opening statement in your resume or bio. Think: what’s the first impression I want people top have of me?
  • Academic achievement / past employers / technical skills (these items help people find you).
  • Make sure to spell check your information before you publish it!
  • Get a vanity URL (located under edit preferences) and include it in your email signatures, blog or other places people can find you.
  • When you checkmark the boxes for what to show on your public profile (to those outside your network) make sure y you show enough of your profile that people can basically understand who you are and what you do. This is especially important for recruiters and hiring managers looking for candidates by searching for keywords.

Update Your Status (what are you working on)

Do this regularly to stay “top of mind”. You can write about:

  • Books or blog posts you are reading
  • Places you are traveling
  • Industries you are researching
  • Speaking engagements
  • Volunteer activities

Networking

You decide whether you wish to be an open networker (that takes everyone’s invitation in order to grow their network) or more selective about your connections, a closed networker…or just somewhere in between.

  • You only need about 65 connections to reach that tipping point where you have enough connections to conduct results-rich searches for people or companies.
  • When you invite people to connect with you (that you don’t know) it will be better received if you personalize the connection. You want to tell them:

A. Who you are

B. How you came across their profile

C. Why you want to connect with them

D. Offer to help them any way you can

As you grow and build your network, think of parallel industries, vendors, clients, strategic providers and those who serves your industry. Grow your network where you are looking for careers. Locally, state or nationwide if applicable.

Create a diversity in your network because you never know who can help you and who you can help.

To understand how first, second and third level connections work on Linked In, think of the immediate contacts in your network as the width of your network, and your second and third level contacts as the depth. Your landing page or profile page will show you these stats.

Want to quickly grow your network? Visit open networking groups on Linked In such as Top Linked and LION. Also. Connect with a couple super connectors (found in these groups) these are people with thousands of connections who accept anyone’s invitation. Connecting with just a couple of these will increase your network by 25%!

Searching

You can search for contacts and companies using:

  • Keywords (auto racing, IT executive, Lean Manufacturing)
  • Name (last name first)
  • Title
  • Company
  • Physical Location
  • Industry
  • Zip

When searching for new contacts you can easily get to know them through a connection. Linked in automatically demonstrates how many degrees you are away from your contact (and who you know that is connected to them). Very powerful.

Recommendations

These are professional 3rd party endorsements you can give and receive. Recommendations enhance your credibility, substantiate your strengths and strengthens relationships.

  • You can choose to show or not to show recommendations, ask for amendments but the recipient of a recommendation cant alter it.
  • How to write a recommendation:
  • Go to the person’s profile page
  • Click on the button that says “recommend this person”
  • Follow the prompts that clarify the working connection
  • Write your recommendation, keeping it short and specific
  • Click send

You are more likely to get good recommendations if you give some first! Here are a few additional tips:

  • Only ask for recommendations you feel would help you in your job search and only ask for recommendations from those who can authentically give you one
  • If you give a recommendations - don’t demand reciprocity

Jobs and Hiring

This is LinkedIn’s job board

Benefits: you can see how you are connected to the person who posted the job and you can see the person positing the job (recruiter/hr/other).

The jobs page shows how many connections you have inside a company

When you apply for a job posted on linked in you upload your linked in information so the recipient sees you are a fellow linked in member - this has some cache.

You can research companies and employees in those companies and view hiring trends by using the Company Profile Pages on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn Groups

A must see feature.

Over 90,000 groups of alumni, special interest, conferences, associations, networking and special interests groups.

You can search for groups using the group search directory.

Search by company, school, keyword or state or use their drop down menu.

When you find the groups you like just click join this group – approval can be immediate or it could take a week. Depends on how fast the group manager responds.

You can join up to 50 groups.

Once you join you can:

  • Network with group members
  • Ask and or answer group questions
  • Communicate your message to a targeted audience
  • Create discussions to solidify your brand
  • Attract experts
  • Be known - be found

Share with the group you are open to new job opportunities and respond to job opps within the group (which you will tend to see a lot of).

You can add the group logo to your profile – perhaps not all 50 but a few relevant ones that build your brand or (i.e. what you want to be known for).

You can even start your own group (adds to your cache and brands you as an expert). just follow the prompts. You can create a free logo by Googling: free logo - and upload it by following the prompts for starting a group.

LinkedIn Answers

Probe your contacts – encourage them your way – a terrific source of knowledge.

Elicit expert responses in your niche – help with cutting edge industry knowledge.

Ask 1 question a month – good for 7 days.

Your 2nd and 3rd degree contacts can see your question.

Also commit to answering a question in your field of expertise once a month.

A Couple Additional Marketing Tips:

  • Put your linked in profile in your email signature.
  • Its worth noting that pointing someone to your LinkedIn profile has a different impression then sending a resume. it doesn’t automatically say: I am lookingfor a job.

**LinkedIn is a GREAT tool to use in your job search! Just follow these simple steps to maximize your marketing!**