LinkedIn A Presentation about the Professional Networking Site

To Say the Least LinkedIn is a business-oritented social networking site that is used mainly for professional networking. As of October 2009, LinkedIn had more than 50 million users, spanning across more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Features Simply put, the purpose of the site is for registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called connections. Users can invite anyone (whether a site user or not) to become a connection. There you have it, you’ve just formed a network.

That List Can Be Used in a Number of Ways A contact network is built up consisting of your direct connections, the connections of your connections, and the connections of your connection’s connections, can you see where I’m going with this? It can then be used to find jobs, people and business opportunities through your contacts and the connections of others. Employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates for positions. Hiring managers can review applicant’s profiles to find out more about their professional background. A contact network is built up consisting of your direct connections, the connections of your connections, and the connections of your connection’s connections, can you see where I’m going with this? It can then be used to find jobs, people and business opportunities through your contacts and the connections of others. Employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates for positions. Hiring managers can review applicant’s profiles to find out more about their professional background.

All the Bells & Whistles LinkedIn allows users to research companies with which they would like to work. They can receive additional information about the company, including most common position held, etc. With LinkedIn Groups, you’re able to establish new relationships by joining alumni, industry or professional groups. Anyone can create a LinkedIn Group about any subject. This is a useful feature in that it allows you to establish connections on a more personal basis. The connections made through LinkedIn Groups may be much more beneficial than unknown connections.

Now for Some Advice … 10 Helpful Tips on Building a Strong Profile

#1: Don’t Cut & Paste Your Resume Just as you wouldn’t hand in your resume before introducing yourself, don’t use your resume as an introduction. Instead, try to describe your experience and abilities as you would to anyone you’ve just met. Try to be more personal up front and straight-forward.

#2: Borrow from the Best Marketers Light up your profile with your voice. Use specific adjectives, suitable verbs and such. Act naturally, as if you were in any conference or client meeting. How do you introduce yourself?

#3: Write a Personal Tagline The line of text directly underneath your name is the first thing people see in your profile. It’s what follows your name on search lists. It’s your brand, make it a good one. Set it apart from others. This will make you get noticed in the first place.

#4: Put Your Elevator Pitch to Work Go back to conference mode, the 30 seconds you get to explain yourself, who you are and what you do. Use this to capture the readers’ attention and keep them reading more about you.

#5: Point Out Your Skills Use the space on your page to fully explain your capabilities and aspirations. Use this space to brag yourself up and make a lasting impression on the reader. Now that you’ve captured their attention, give them what they want. Point out particular strengths that would apply directly to any field of expertise highlighted on your profile.

#6: Explain Your Experience Don’t write a novel about past employment. Instead, help the reader to grasp the key points. Briefly describe what the company did and what you did for the company. Use clear phrases and break it down into core chunks that are digestible by the reader.

#7: Distinguish Yourself From the Crowd Use the “Additional Information” section to furthermore explain your key interests and abilities, and list any websites that may be able to show those interests. Take some time to fully explain yourself and what it is about you that they need to know.

#8: Ask & Answer Questions Thoughtful questions and useful answers build credibility. Good answers give people a reason to look at your profile. Make a point of answering questions, especially ones that are in your area of expertise. This raises your visibility and helps to establish connections to increase your network.

#9: Improve Your Google Page Rank Be sure to get recommendations from clients, colleagues and employers who can speak credibly about your performances and abilities. Think about quality, not quantity. Get references from people who know your skills in your area of expertise.

#10: Build Your Connections Connections are by far one of the most important assets to your profile. They are the building blocks of your network. It’s the single way to improve your exposure, increase business or clientele, and gain referrals or make new friends. It’s all about connecting, networking. This is how you develop this network, by making these connections.

And There You Have It… As you add connections and recommendations, your profile will develop into a self brand that will be viewed by peers and others. Just make sure that it’s in focus, cover the main points, tell them who you are and what you do. Make it well-composed and also easy to find. You can edit your profile’s URL to reflect your name or tagline. Link everything to your page. If you’re blog is relevant, link that. Sign it with your signature. Package it up as if you were selling it.

LinkedIn End of Presentation Now Put it to Use End of Presentation Now Put it to Use

Sources Cited Much of the information used in this presentation was borrowed from the following sites: Wikipedia’s Page for LinkedIn – Ten Tips to Building a Strong Profile - bin/linkedin.cfg/php/enduser Much of the information used in this presentation was borrowed from the following sites: Wikipedia’s Page for LinkedIn – Ten Tips to Building a Strong Profile - bin/linkedin.cfg/php/enduser