In this Issue:
LinkedIn
LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/) is the most prolific business networking website and the least social of social media sites, such as, Spoke, Plaxo, Facebook, Ecademy, Yahoo360 and Rise. CareerBuilder reports that 50% of the Fortune 500 are using LinkedIn to check for candidates.
LinkedIn has enjoyed astonishing growth. There were 4 million registered users in 2006. Today, there are 45 million! I have seen reports that over 500,000 recruiters are using LinkedIn. Online networking is ranked ahead of recruiting firms, internet job boards and job fairs for talent acquisition.
It is easy to establish an account. When you establish your profile, you should expand it far beyond your resume. A resume needs to be a concise document but your profile will be searched for key words, titles, companies, accomplishments, training, etc. You should post a very detailed work history and educational background. This is your opportunity to include everything you ever wanted people to know about you.
LinkedIn is based on building trust relationships and expanding your connections. Creating your network before you need it is ideal but it should be nurtured continually. Everyday, I try to add people that I know, to my connections. I make my connections available to those in my network so they can extend their own network of contacts. I urge you to do the same.
Try to write recommendations for other people you have worked with. Ask them to write a recommendation for you. Join industry groups, alumni groups, military service groups, etc.
You can use LinkedIn to find the name of a person in a business you want to contact. A referral to that contact is far more effective than a cold call. You can find businesses with open positions. Employers and recruiters search the database for candidates. Your objective is to extend your reach and be found. There are a host of training webinars, etc. available. Use Google to identify who they are. Go to http://jobmob.co.il/blog/gigantic-linkedin-job-search-tips/ for everything you need to know about using LinkedIn.
This is an important element to any job search and is constantly expanding, so take advantage of it. It has also become “mainstream” and is a lot more than an online Rolodex. Don’t be left out, use this resource to optimize referrals for yourself or your business.
Bob Harrington Associates 