Effectively using LinkedIn Valeria L. Hunter

Agenda

• What is LinkedIn

• Why use LinkedIn

• Join

• Create a profile

• Privacy and settings

• Write updates

Participate

• Make Connections • Endorsements

• Recommendations

• Join Groups • Posting

• Follow Companies • Search for jobs

What is LinkedIn?

• LinkedIn is a social networking site designed specifically for the business community.

• LinkedIn was launched in May 2003, has over 300 million members from 200 countries, representing 170 industries. According to founder Reid Hoffman, 27 percent of LinkedIn subscribers are recruiters.

• The goal of the site is to allow registered members to establish and document networks of people they know and trust professionally.

• A LinkedIn member’s profile page, emphasizes employment history and education, has professional network news feeds

What is LinkedIn?

• Basic membership for LinkedIn is free.

• With basic membership, a member can establish connections with someone he has worked with, knows professionally (online or offline) or has gone to school with. Connections up to three degrees away are seen as part of the member's network.

• Unlike other free social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, LinkedIn requires connections to have a pre-existing relationship.

• Premium subscriptions can be purchased to provide members with better access to contacts in the LinkedIn database, more visibility around who is looking at your profile, and data about how your profile compares to other LinkedIn profiles.

Why use LinkedIn?

• A professional online presence is needed for all kinds of career opportunities

• new job

• speaking engagement

• other collaboration opportunities

• For most industries, potential employers may find it strange if you’re not on LinkedIn

• When you apply for a job, whoever checks your resume will look at your LinkedIn profile

• To see if you have mutual connections who might reveal what it’s like to work with you

• To settle any questions raised when looking at your cover letter and resume

Why use LinkedIn?

• 98% of recruiters and 85% of hiring managers use LinkedIn to find candidates (according to Viveka von Rosen, author of LinkedIn Marketing: An Hour a Day and founder of LinkedIntoBusiness.com)

• Professionals at all levels use LinkedIn

• Networking

• Keeping in touch with current and former colleagues

• Engaging with their broader industry

• When applying for a job, look for employees (current and former) who may give you insight into the company’s culture

• Determine which of your own friends and acquaintances may know current employees who might make a connection for you.

Join LinkedIn

http://www.linkedin.com

Create your profile

• Summary • Experience • Publications • Education • Courses • Certifications • Honors and Awards • Languages • Projects • Test Scores • Patents

• Organizations • Volunteer

• Skills and

Endorsements • Recommendations

• Following • Companies • Influencers

Create your profile

• Tips* • Speak directly!

• Use every

available

character per

section

• Add visuals!

• Customize your URL

• Make your profile public

*National Urban League Digital Career Success webinar (Oct 8, 2015)

Add visuals

Privacy and Settings

• Turn off activity broadcasts while creating/editing your profile

• Select what others see when you view their profile

• Select the sections to include in your public profile

Participate

Make connections

Recommendations

• Request recommendations from people you’ve worked with

• Add testimonials in your Summary section (free form text)

Groups

• Select daily or weekly digest emails

• Contribute to conversations – stay on topic

Publishing

• Updates (up to 600 words: work anniversary, promotion, job change)

• Posts (longer blog type entries)

• LinkedIn publishing (using Pulse – advanced users)

Search for Jobs

Follow Companies

• Use the website

• Use the mobile app

• Apply with LinkedIn

• Apply at the company website

Tips

• During major editing, turn off activity broadcasts

• Use every character available in each section

• Write your profile as if you are having a conversation with someone. It’s okay to inject your personality.

• Join groups related to your area of expertise, industry, alumni, passions, social causes, and other aspects of your identity

• Group members can invite other members to join their network

• Take care when viewing the profile of others

Resources for more info

• Up and Running with LinkedIn, Justin Seeley on Lynda.com http://www.lynda.com/LinkedIn-tutorials/Up-Running-LinkedIn/383249-2.html?org=ippl.info

• Forbes magazine: How to use LinkedIn for Career Success http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2014/06/26/how-to-use-linkedin-5-smart-steps-to-career-success/

• Forbes magazine: 22 LinkedIn Secrets http://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2014/03/04/22-linkedin-secrets-linkedin-wont-tell-you/

Questions?