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To kick off 2009 right, let's make sure we are doing things right with our LinkedIn strategy. Here are five LinkedIn basics to consider - regardless of any technical changes that LinkedIn introduces in 2009 this should be timeless information!
First, your LinkedIn Profile.
Your Profile needs to sell you and your value propositions. Whether you are a project manager, business analysist, customer service specialist, executive admin, or whatever else, your Profile is the first place where I make judgments about your value to my network.
It's also the first significant thing that a recruiter can base their decisions on, and can mean they contact you or they pass you over. Your Profile should be personable, credible and meaty.
To see some excellent Profiles check out Deb Dib's LinkedIn for Executives article, which has a handful of excellent Profile examples.
Second, your LinkedIn Connections.
How many connections do you have? If you have less than 100, and are in a serious job search, I strongly encourage you to get more.
Try to establish connections with professionals who are in your space, which includes those in your profession, industry or geography. For example, a business analyst should connect with other business analysts, someone in the printing industry should connect with others in the publishing industry, etc.
This will help you as you try and find other professionals with whom you should connect as well as increase your chances of being found by people with your title or in your industry.
Third, your participation in Answers.
You NEED to click on the Answers link and browse through the categories (on the right side of the page) to see what questions are being asked where you can respond.
As you answer questions, and ask questions in LinkedIn Answers, you may put your knowledge and intelligence in front of others who are in a decision-making capacity, and even establish yourself as a subject matter expert. It's a great way to meet new people and find out who the influencers are in various areas
Fourth, your Groups strategy.
LinkedIn Groups is different than it was a year ago, and you should have a Groups strategy.
Click on Groups and search for Groups you could belong to, including Groups organized by your alumni association, previous employers, industry associations, etc.
As a Group member two critical things you can do is (a) browse through the Group membership and reach out to individuals, and (b) participate in Group Discussions.
Fifth, advanced searching.
If you aren't using the advanced people search in LinkedIn I guarantee you are not getting enough value out of your LinkedIn experience.
You should search for hiring managers in your area and try and set up face-to-face meetings (like lunch). I was contacted by a professer new to town who wanted to have lunches with as many CEOs as he could, and he used LinkedIn to find us.
It takes some guts, and you have to be prepared to pitch it right as well as explain why you want to meet, but using the advanced search tools are an excellent way to find the right people to network with.
Bottom Line
That's it, the basics of getting started and getting value out of LinkedIn. There is more to do, of course, but make sure you have these completely covered first!
© Copyright Jason Alba, 2009. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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Jason Alba is the CEO and creator of JibberJobber.com, and author of I’m on LinkedIn – Now What??? (2nd edition is out now). After a corporate downsizing impacted Jason in 2006, he experienced firsthand the difficulties of conducting a job search. Drawing on his extensive computer software and IT experience, Jason analyzed the job search process and developed JibberJobber.com, the gold standard in career management technology. Jason specializes in social media, with an emphasis on getting professional or business value out of various social tools. Jason maintains four blogs, including JibberJobber.com/blog, and is co-author of I’m on Facebook – Now What???
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