LinkedIn Basic Training

LinkedIn for Job Search Basics

Using LinkedIn to Stand Out in the Crowd Mike Ellsworth

Linked InSolutionswww.LinkedInSolutions.com

http://www.linkedinsolutions.com/�

Meeting Logistics

• If the GoToWebinar menu is blocking your screen, click the right-facing double arrows on the upper left of the menu.

Meeting Logistics

• To ask a question, click the hand icon and type your question

• To work on your LinkedIn profile, you can minimize the Webinar and start your browser

Meeting Logistics

• Many of the links in the presentation are available online at:

bit.ly/D6O7L

• You’ll get copies of the slides after the Webinar

About ME

• LinkedIn user since June 16, 2003• Networking online since the 80s• 15 years at Nielsen Co.• 6 years as IT strategy consultant• <3 years at State of Minnesota

– Program Director of CareerOneStop• But here as a citizen and

entrepreneur5

http://www.careeronestop.org/�

Today’s Agenda

• Building Your Personal Brand• How Employers Use LinkedIn• Must Have Elements of Your Profile• Making and Getting Recommendations• Becoming Findable• Using LinkedIn Groups• Power Tools to Enhance

LinkedInCopyright © 2009, StratVantage Consulting, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Finding a Job During a Recession

• Remember that jobs are still out there

• Keep networking

• Use your family network wisely

ConnectionCopyright © 2009, StratVantage Consulting, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Finding a Job - Offline

• Rework your resume– Make it keyword rich – more later on that– Talk about what you DID, not what you were

responsible for– Always include outcomes – “grew sales

to $1B”• Post it everywhere

– I still get queries from resume postingsthat are years old

Copyright © 2009, StratVantage Consulting, LLC. All Rights Reserved


I don’t think we’re only offline anymore . . .

Finding a Job - Online

• “For every 1,470 resumes, there’s 1 job offer made and accepted” – Richard Bolles, bestselling author,

What Color is Your Parachute?

• In 2008, only 12% of jobs came from job boards

Copyright © 2009, StratVantage Consulting, LLCCopyright © 2009, StratVantage Consulting, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Finding a Job - Approach

• Top Goals for Online Networking– Create a community of contacts who can

recommend you and connect you– Conduct research on employers– Expand your job search to new markets

– Create a higher profile and build your personal brand


You are searching for a job in a marketplace.

You need to stand out

Managing Your Online Brand

• Don’ts (rules apply for all online media)• Badmouth current/previous

employer/colleagues• Mention you’re on a job search if your present

employer isn’t aware• Write or post anything you wouldn’t want

o Your own family to see

o To see on a billboard

o To be published on the front page of the Wall Street Journal


Today’s Agenda


LinkedIn

Employers Use Social Media• 22 percent of hiring managers researched

job candidates (up from 11% in 2006)• 9 percent plan to start• 34 percent found content caused them to

eliminate candidate from consideration

• 24 percent found content that solidified hiring/consideration decision


What Employers Look For Online

• Background supporting job qualifications• Demonstrated fit for culture• Profile was creative• Great references posted• Professional image portrayed• Honors/awards received and highlighted• Demonstrated a wide range of

interests


So That’s What You Must Provide

• Make sure all your online information:• Demonstrates your background and

qualifications• Demonstrates your ability to fit in• Shows creativity• Includes references and testimonials• Is professional• Highlights honors/awards• Demonstrates wide range of

interests


How to Find a Job

Source: Jeremiah Owyang www.web-strategist.com/blog/category/job-survey/

http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/category/job-survey/�






Finding a Job – People Search

• Job search is now “people search” – Name the top companies you want to work – Find people who are employed at those

companies– Network with them, form a strong relationship

and they perform the job search for you.

Copyright © 2009, StratVantage Consulting, LLCDan Schawbel, PersonalBrandingBlog.com


http://personalbrandingblog.com/author/admin/�

Finding a Job – People Search

• In fact, many employers avoid posting jobs

• They search job boards and LinkedIn instead

Copyright © 2009, StratVantage Consulting, LLCCopyright © 2009, StratVantage Consulting, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Why Use LinkedIn?

• It’s a professional social networking site . .

• For professionals

• 35 million of them


Why Use LinkedIn?

• Most importantly:– Employers search for candidates – Microsoft, Ebay, Netflix, and Target (and many

more) have used LinkedIn


Who is On LinkedIn?


Today’s Agenda

• How Employers Use LinkedIn• Must Have Elements of Your Profile• Making and Getting Recommendations• Becoming Findable• Building Your Personal Brand• Using LinkedIn Groups• Power Tools to Enhance

LinkedIn

Creating and Managing Your Profile

• This is how the world sees youThat’s

ME

Ensure Profile is Complete

• Users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn

• Get recommendations

Create Your Profile

• Current and past position – complete • Education – complete • Photo – just you, taken by a pro• Nickname or maiden name – for

search• Summary – more on this• Websites – all of them• Interests – be careful• Email addresses – all of them• NO TYPOS!

Profile Contents

• The more info the better• Use industry-specific keywords• Use acronyms AND spell them out

– Searchability– Keywords, keywords, keywords!– Lots of them!– Google your job title to find good keywords– Search your job title on LinkedIn


Create Your Profile

• Make your profile public–Can be found on Google!

Create Your Profile

• Customize profile URL to your name– www.linkedin.com/in/mikeellsworth

– NOT www.linkedin.com/in/smith12345!!!!!

– Create a PDF of your profile to send along with your resume

http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeellsworth�

http://www.linkedin.com/in/smith12345�

Your Professional Headline

• Pay particular attention to your Professional Headline

Put “Looking” in Profile

• If you’re looking, say so in your headline

• And in your summary

• Refresh your summary every two weeks

Consider Listing Email in Profile

• May earn you lots of spam

• But makes it easier for recruiters and employers to contact you


Change Contact Settings

• Definitely check “Career Opportunities”


Change Using Your Network

• Definitely check “Find a Job”


Today’s Agenda


LinkedIn

Make and Get Recommendations

• Make recommendations and ask for recommendations

• Feels good to recommend and to be recommended

• Great for job references

Make Connections

• Average number of connections: 34-38

• You can do better than that . . .

• Those with connections >500 are LIONs


What is a LinkedIn LION™?

• LION™ stands for LinkedIn Open Networker - ~16,000 LION members

• LIONs connect with anyone• Don’t care who you are, what you do,

what they can do for you, or what you can do for them

• Will never IDK you – you hope!


What is an IDK?

• If you try to connect with a LinkedIn member and they don’t remember you, they can IDK – I Don’t Know – your attempt

• Five IDKs and LinkedIn black-lists you

• If a LION IDKs you, you are not penalized, supposedly


Help! I’ve Been IDKed!

• To remove the restriction contact Customer Service


Alternative to Becoming a LION?

• Find at least 5 LIONs in your industry, locality, occupation

• Network with them• Will grow your network exponentially• Takes very little effort vs. being a LION


Today’s Agenda



Power Tool: Google

• First step: Check out your competition• site:www.linkedin.com YOUR

KEYWORDS HERE and LOCATION -directory

• For example:• site:www.linkedin.com engineer and

Minnesota -directory

Excludes company directory


Adding Connections

• You start with 3,000 available invitations

• Click “Add Connections”

• Always personalize your invitation!


Searching on LinkedIn

• LinkedIn free account limits search viewing to 100 results

• Use quotes around search terms for example “project manager”, “vice president”

• Use OR to combine searches “director" OR “vice president"


Search for Contacts

• Search for people

• Note how far away they are

• If you share a group, great!


Three Degrees of LinkedIn


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Power Tool: LinkedIn Toolbars

• Install LinkedIn Browser Toolbar

• www.linkedin.com/static?key=tools


http://www.linkedin.com/static?key=tools�


• Install LinkedIn Browser Toolbar

• Bonus! It installs JobsInsider


JobsInsider

• Example display with Monster



• Install LinkedIn OutlookToolbar

• The Grab button is worth it by itself• Grab contact info from email sigs!


Follow Just Joined

• Check out the Just Joined LinkedIn section of your Home page:

• New LinkedIn users that worked or attended the companies and schools listed on your profile

• Click links, find people you know, and invite them to connect


Inviting People to Connect

• Several ways to invite people


Inviting People: Get Introduced

• Check out your connections’ networks

• Get introduced through a connection


Inviting People: Add Contact

• Add contact to your network – must have some kind of connection


Inviting Colleagues

• Add contact to your network - colleague


Inviting Classmates

• Add contact to your network - classmate


Inviting Business Connections

• Add contact to your network - business


Inviting Fellow Group Members

• Add contact to your network - groups


Use the Jobs Section

• Hundreds of jobs are posted


LinkedIn Job Search


LinkedIn Advanced Job Search

• Advanced Job Search

• Search by title or function


LinkedIn Advanced Job Search

• Shows “hiring manager”


Search Titles

• Advanced Search

• How great is that?!


Today’s Agenda



Join Groups

• Join groups• Up to 50• Get email

digests of discussions

• A way to connect to people you don’t know


Finding and Joining Groups

• Enter pretty much any keyword, and you’ll find a group


Create a LinkedIn Group


• Determine a concept or problem of concern to your target audience

• Create a LinkedIn Group• Name it using keywords• Invite your contacts

LinkedIn Group Strategy

• Need plan to recruit members• Set a policy on the types of posts

– Prevent LION invites?– Prevent repeatedly posting the same

post?• Keywords for groups are key

– Microsoft ex-employees group is run by an Apple recruiter


LinkedIn Group Strategy

• Encourage members to display group logo on their profiles

• Group search is onlydone on the 300 word summary



Never Can Say Goodbye

• How do you drop a contact?

• Click Connections, select Connection, then Remove


Questions?


Thank You!

More In-Depth Training from Linked InSolutions

– Linked In or Left Out: Using LinkedIn and Twitter to Find a Job – 3-hour Workshop

– Using Social Media for Business – 90-minute Webinar

– Using Social Media for Recruiting – 90-minute Webinar


Thank You!– You are welcome to connect with me:– Mike Ellsworth– Twitter: @MikeEllsworth– LinkedIn: www.LinkedIn.com/in/MikeEllsworth– Facebook:

www.facebook.com/MichaelJEllsworth– Google Mike Ellsworth and check the bottom of

the first page– [email protected]– 952-484-5287


http://www.linkedin.com/in/MikeEllsworth�

http://www.facebook.com/MichaelJEllsworth�

mailto:[email protected]�

Thank You!

– Linked InSolutions Facebook Page: bit.ly/mRREZ

– Social Media for Job Search LinkedIn Group: bit.ly/otzeF

– StratVantage Consulting LinkedIn Page: bit.ly/5ayeF


http://bit.ly/mRREZ�

http://bit.ly/otzeF�

http://bit.ly/5ayeF�

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LinkedIn Basic Training