Andy Cook Tell 'Em

If you joined LinkedIn you are most likely looking for a new job. LinkedIn provides many advantages to its users, especially ones with years of experience. Leads into thousands of companies and people along with exposure to recruits who may be impressed with your comments and insights in discussions provide otherwise unknown information about yourself, all at the simple cost of spending time on the site. So here’s a couple tips on how to effectively use LinkedIn.

• Create a Professional Looking Profile – LinkedIn is no Facebook.  The site’s main purpose is to showcase potential employees and to market job opportunities to them.  Keeping a professional, business oriented profile with a resume-like bio will stregnthen your image to headhunters.
• Expand Your Network – LinkedIn has thousands of specialty groups.  Join groups that relate to your interests, specialties, and job industry.  Not only should you just join these groups, actively participate in conversations and discuss topics in relation to the fields.  This will open up more individuals to connect with and may even provide grounds to impress a job recruiter.
• Get Recommended – LinkedIn offers the feature of “recommendations”.  A recommendation showcases you as a strong and valued member of the workplace and gives credibility to your skills.  This is especially useful when using LinkedIn specifically looking for a new job.
• Research Companies – LinkedIn provides companies with profiles that provide information regarding new hires, backgrounds of current employees, job openings, requirements, and general information regarding the company.  Study these pages! They will let you know whether or not a company is even interested in someone with your background.  These are a huge time saver when it comes to applications as you can hone in on exactly what the company is looking for in a new employee.
• Use LinkedIn to Get Personal – Everyone on LinkedIn works at a company.  Use this to your advantage.  If you are sending in an application, use LinkedIn search to find the HR person at the company and directly send them your resume.  Find the hiring director and speak with them directly.  Talk to coworkers and new employees to find out how they got their jobs.  At its heart, LinkedIn is  a social networking site too, so do not be afraid to talk to people!
• Keep StartUps in Mind - LinkedIn’s search has the capability of narrowing down your company search to any niche you are interested in.  Add “startup” or “stealth” to your search such as “web 2.0 startups in chicago” to find startups.  Although the chances of finding a great startup are low, in times like these many large corporations cannot provide “job security” and startups can be a nice alternative to such uncertainty.
• Start Connecting Now – Begin building your network and making connections with people as soon as possible!  As shown by our current economic situation, no job is secure.  Haivng  a solid core of business professionals at your fingertips at all times is a very advantageous cushion to have when getting back in the job search.  The key to building a network is to be open to anyone, not just former or current colleagues.  If someone from a different industry is involved in a discussion in a group, be sure to explore their areas and connect with them. Being friendly is essential!

Remember, LinkedIn has over 40 million members in over 140 industries.  Almost all of these people are employed adults and interested in business, not poking, statuses, or relationships.  This free service is a goldmine so be sure to take full advantage of LinkedIn!