Job search: Getting started with LinkedIn
Posted by Diana Needham on Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
As someone who has been downsized or displaced, you likely have heard that using the social network LinkedIn is a great process to add to your job search toolkit.
But how do you do that? Many of my clients are new to LinkedIn and are asking the same question. One professional over 50 has a very bare-bones profile set up on LinkedIn but has no idea how to use it to make herself more visible to potential employers or how to use it effectively in the job search.
First, if you do not currently have a profile on LinkedIn, set one up as quickly as you can. It’s free!
Here are the first few steps:
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Go to the LinkedIn site.
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Add the basic information required to have your profile on the site, using the information from your resume (current employer, previous employers, key accomplishments, education, etc.)
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Do a search for colleagues, contacts, and friends and send an invitation to them, asking them to join your network. This is how you build your connections on the site.
Think of your LinkedIn profile as your online resume, a mirror of the information you have so carefully crafted as you developed your resume. What would you want potential employers to see if they did a search for professionals with your skill sets, talents, and experience?
For those who already have a profile set up, review it to assess its effectiveness. Does the information match your well-crafted resume? Does it reflect what you would want a recruiter or an HR person within a targeted company to see? If not, revise it.
Take a look at this article for information on how to use LinkedIn to search companies, find contacts within those companies that you may know (or one of your contacts may know), and locate information on specific companies.
How to use LinkedIn for the job search
More information on how to use LinkedIn will be added in future posts. Stay tuned!
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