Linking In
I’ve touted the benefits of using the online world for professional connections since I became a recruiter.
I’ve told nearly all the people I’ve met that Linked In is a terrific way to research, network, and stay connected to professional contacts all over the world and across all industries.
I realize that getting into it might be less than intuitive for some. So I’ve put a couple additional tips here, to aid in getting started Linking In. And as always, questions, comments and suggestions are welcome! Post a comment now! 
Here’s what wikipedia says about Linked In.
And Penelope Trunk, in an interview with Linked In cofounder Konstantin Guericke, highlights that it’s not the number of connections you have, it’s the quality of your connections. (so Linked In member JohnSmith500+! might not be the most valuable connection…)
And this is a great post by Spherion highlighting search strategies from experts. I especially find Carleen MacKay’s final push for developing an online presence for networking success.
… Manage your LinkedIn connections. Start a blog. Develop a website. Make certain that you have a large presence on Google.
And Wendy Frados in that same post says:
Too many job seekers begin the search concentrating only on using the network they have - the time is now to begin choosing the network you want.
Too true! And Linked In is just the kind of place to find easy (and eager) connections. Plus, as Sree Sreenivasan points out here, recruiters are going to Linked In first for sourcing and finding candidates!
Couple more quick tips for using Linked In:
-put yourself out there; you never know until you ask
-offer something before you ask for something (coffee, lunch, a helpful article…)
-keep consistent contact with your network, find out how things are going with them
-research, spend the necessary time to get information, and develop good content (like on your LinkedIn profile)
hope this helps!
Technorati Tags: Linked In, networking, Spherion, BrazenCareerist, Penelope Trunk, Sree Sreenivasan
December 19th, 2006 at 10:36 pm
It’s so powerful to hear a recruiter tell people to go to LinkedIn.
CareerJournal just put out a press release saying that 75% of the workforce is looking for a job right now. This means that most people are looking for a job most of the time. So job hunt tactics need to start being maageable and sustainable day in and day out over the course of years. You give great examples of tactics that fit into this job hunt lifestyle.
December 20th, 2006 at 11:59 am
[…] This is not a small topic once you accept that job hunting is a lifestyle, not an event, and you are always marketing yourself as a product. Then it becomes clear that life is a publicity campaign (via CM Access). […]