Over the next few weeks, I’m going to share tips and tools to make the most of your time on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the single most important professional networking site today, and yet, so many of my new clients admit to incomplete or outdated profiles, and others don’t fully comprehend or utilize the different sections and tools available to job seekers. Let’s start this week with six basics of using the site:
1. Establish your presence sooner rather than later. The best time to build your LinkedIn profile, connect with people, and participate on LinkedIn is now, before you need it. Don’t dismiss LinkedIn as a resource only for people who are looking for new jobs. If you find yourself suddenly unemployed and decide that now is the time to start using LinkedIn, you’re going to be playing catch up. Instead, take time to “dig your well before you’re thirsty,” as author Harvey Mackay says.
2. Keep your profile updated. Your LinkedIn profile is an evolving snapshot of you. Please don’t “set it and forget it!” You should be regularly visiting to make new connections, status updates, and activity (within LinkedIn Groups and LinkedIn Answers, in particular).
3. Log in regularly. Check in on LinkedIn regularly; at least every other day if you are in active job search mode; at least once a week for passive jobseekers. Plan on adding one new status update each time you log in.
4. Engage and connect. LinkedIn is most effective when you engage with it. Seek out opportunities to connect with thought leaders in your industry. Join a couple groups and participate in conversations. Respond to, or ask, questions in the LinkedIn Answers section.
5. Help others to help yourself. You will get more out of LinkedIn if you focus on how you can help others, not how they can help you. The phrase “give to get” is very powerful on LinkedIn. You can earn the respect of your peers and people of influence if you “help enough other people get what they want,” in the words of Zig Ziglar.
6. Proactively add connections. Don’t sit around waiting or assuming others will find you! Use the LinkedIn People Search function to look for people you know and invite them to connect with you. You should aim to add 2-5 new connections each week if you are a passive job seeker, and 6-10 connections a week if you are actively searching for a new job.
Developing your LinkedIn profile can be as challenging as writing your own resume. Need an expert? I’d be happy to help you create a LinkedIn profile that will showcase your talent and skills, and grab the attention of recruiters and hiring managers.
