USING LINKEDIN.COM AS A JOB-SEARCH/CAREER TOOL

1. What’s so special about LinkedIn?2. Getting set up on LinkedIn.3. LinkedIn etiquette: an article on the 5 do’s & don’ts

1. What’s so special about LinkedIn?

These days, with business organizations being inundated with applications, it’s no longer what you know but who you know that helps get you employed: having an “in” helps you stand out from the crowd & increases your opportunity for getting interviews.

Also, many job opportunities are not even published. So, having a network of contacts that can let you know about unpublished opportunities and/or get you interviews for positions you’re interested in is vital.

LinkedIn is a tool that will help you grow a business- oriented contacts network that can prove to be invaluable since it not only tracks who you know but also who they know, etc., on down the line. It allows registered users to do job searches and what contacts you may have at the hiring

organization do contact searches at companies you might be interested in working

for find and join groups with similar interests, dramatically expanding your

list of indirect contacts, pertinent information on employment opportunities that may not be posted elsewhere, events and news

Post/get inside information about companies (“Company Buzz”) Plus many other features

Membership is free (although there are upgrade membership options for a cost) & it is fairly easy to use. It allows users to change details at any time and you, the user, get to choose (Edit Public Profile Settings) what, if any, information is visible to others.

For it to work for you it is recommended that you create at least a shell of a profile: Enter your name Put in what you are looking for & what you have to offer to potential

employers Put in where you’ve worked, since that will identify other LinkedIn

employed at those same organizations

If you enter what schools you have attended, it could also provide networking opportunities with others on LinkedIn who’ve included that info on their LinkedIn profiles.

You can ‘flesh out’ your profile as you become more comfortable with how LinkedIn works and its value to your job search & overall career.

2. Getting set up on LinkedIn

For free quick & easy tutorials on joining & using linked in go to

http://online.uis.edu/oakley/fa07/tutorials/LinkedIn/

and/or

http://learn.linkedin.com

3. Article: The LinkedIn Etiquette: Five Dos and Don'ts, by C.G. Lynch, CIO - 12.03.2008

“Building a strong profile on LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, has taken on greater importance as the economy slips deeper into a recession. What information you decide to include, or exclude, could affect future job opportunities as well as your overall identity on the public internet.

Although LinkedIn doesn't pose the same reputation perils presented by Facebook - such as being tagged in photo albums or being victimized by random comments left on your profile - the pitfalls of a poorly constructed LinkedIn profile, or employing bad LinkedIn etiquette, can alienate your contacts (known as "connections"). It can also turn away potential employers interested in hiring you.”For the full article, go to http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/12/03/linkedin-etiquette-five-dos-and-donts?page=0%2C0

* If you want to hide the fact that you belong to any particular group, you can do so by clicking on ‘Edit My Profile’ on the left side of your screen, scrolling to the bottom of the resulting screen, click on ‘Change visibility’ below the group you wish to hide which will take to a page called ‘Settings’, in the first section (Visibility Settings) un-check the box to the right of ‘Group Logo’, scroll to the bottom of the page & click on the blue ‘Save changes’ button.