The last time I was speaking to a recruiter, he told me that his favorite recruiting tool was LinkedIn. He told me that he loved its ease of use, how quickly he could learn a lot about people, and the fact that, in his words, “You can find anyone who is serious about their career in a few seconds.”
LinkedIn has become a virtual resume, and if you tend to it properly you can use it to advance your career. Here are ten tips to make your LinkedIn profile not only look as impressive as you are, but also make yourself a great networking asset in the community.
It can seem tedious to fill out yet another social networking profile, but when it comes to LinkedIn there’s always another opportunity around the corner. Take the time to fill out your profile entirely and update it with new accomplishments.
Studies have shown that profiles with pictures are much more likely to elicit a positive response than no picture at all.
In a lot of cases, your LinkedIn profile is the first impression that people get of you. While it may not matter whether you write “u” instead of “you” on Facebook, LinkedIn is an extension of the business world where that kind of talk is mostly inappropriate. Write thoughtful content. Also, make sure that your profile picture conveys the best you possible.
Groups on LinkedIn are a great way to discuss the victories and challenges you may be facing in your industry. Do a LinkedIn search for keywords in the group that you want, and more than likely, you’ll find something interesting. Join up and start talking. This will give you the opportunity to connect with new people, as well as stand out with thoughtful and well written insight.
One of the best ways to remind everyone what you’re up to is to feed your Twitter stream into your LinkedIn account. This means that every time you update your Twitter account, your 140 characters of gold will end up on your LinkedIn page. This is a good reminder that you not only exist, but that you’re making things happen.
The best way to get someone interested in you is to provide them with relevant and interesting information that’s worthwhile in their life.
Like anything, setting goals and target numbers for how you want to make progress on LinkedIn is extremely valuable. Commit to spending a few meaningful minutes on LinkedIn every day and you’ll be amazed at how many people you’ll end up getting to know.
The right-side toolbar on LinkedIn includes a “How You’re Connected Tool” that illuminates degrees of separation between you and the person you want to meet.
The paid version of LinkedIn lets you send messages to anyone on the network, but if you don’t want to spend the money you can also ask for an introduction from mutual contacts. Most people are more than eager to help others form meaningful relationships.
It’s easy to find a flood of people online that have all the best intentions. They want to develop relationships with other people and form valuable bonds, but at the end of the day a lot of people just want to go home to their families. Take a couple small steps to go out of your way with the people you really want to network with. It will pay off in the end.
Don’t hesitate to send a helpful link or a targeted message to your target contacts every now and then. This keeps you in the forefront of their mind.
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