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Finding Your Next Job Using LinkedIn

PRSA PM SESSION

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Finding Your Next Job Using LinkedIn

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Finding Your Next Job Using LinkedIn

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YOUR HOST

• Digital Marketing Manager for American FamilyInsurance (my dream job)

• Experienced Blogger, e-marketing/technologycolumnist, and author

• Experienced LinkedIn networker

• Experienced with both sides of the LinkedInequation

Created my ‘Dream job’ using LinkedIn

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Why LinkedIn?

• Using LinkedIn effectively as part of your job-seeking strategy creates opportunities that youwon’t get from the classifieds or job sites alone.

• No matter your industry. No matter yourcircumstances. LinkedIn is the most powerfulbusiness networking site.

• It is the world’s largest professional networkwith 35 million+ members and growing rapidly.

• LinkedIn averages a new LinkedIn user everysecond of every day.

• According to LinkedIn, executives from allFortune 500 companies are members

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What is LinkedIn?

• LinkedIn allows professionals to post a businessprofile (online resume).

• It lets you connect to colleagues and friends.

• It allows you to find and CREATE businessopportunities.

• The concept of creating business opportunitiesis important. It requires a mind shift.

• Once you make the shift however, you’ll be ableto fully harness and utilize the power ofLinkedIn.

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Create a Killer Profile

• A good LinkedIn presence means having a goodprofile.

• The LinkedIn profile you create will bediscoverable through the millions of searcheson search engines and on LinkedIn. Since youare in complete control over what others see, itis vital to showcase your skills and talents sothe right people and opportunities find you.

• While it only takes a few minutes to create aLinkedIn account.

It takes a dedication, time and a level of addedeffort to create a good LinkedIn profile. Youneed to give it 100 percent – quite literally. Fillin as much information as possible.

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A Good Profile Works Hard

• It will act as your first impression,appearing in the results for thousands ofsearches on LinkedIn, Google, and otherInternet destinations.

• It supplements your resume. Whensending a cover letter and resume byemail, include a link to your LinkedInprofile. Given the opportunity to viewyour profile, most recruiters will take it.They’re more likely to spend timeexploring your LinkedIn profile than anyattachment.

• It serves as your resume. Since yourLinkedIn profile can be saved in PDFformat, it’s possible to use it in lieu of aresume. It’s current. It’s customized.It’s professional.

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Harvest Recommendations

• Since LinkedIn profiles are public, theyalso imply a level of credibility andauthenticity that resumes often lack.To take full advantage of this, youneed to harvest recommendations:

– For each employer, try to includethree or more recommendationsfrom coworkers, clients, orsupervisors. Recommendationsfrom people you have worked withcarry a lot of weight.

– For each educational institution, tryto include at least onerecommendation from aninstructors, advisor, or peer.

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Harvest Recommendations

• Solicit recommendations fromcontributors who can describe aspectsof your working relationship that willbenefit any potential employer.

• Choose individuals who have a flair forwriting.

• Don’t be afraid to ask colleagues towrite about specific characteristics:your creativity, your ability to solveproblems, your leadership, etc.

• Ideally, you’ll want a series ofrecommendations that complimenteach other.

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Be an Expert

• Standout on LinkedIn by becomingknown as an expert.

• To do this, visit the ‘Answers’ areaof LinkedIn to view questions fromother LinkedIn subscribers on avariety of topics.

• Answer questions related to yourarea of expertise. When youprovide the best answer to aquestion, the submitter can identifyyour answer as ‘best.’

• If you provide the best answerenough times to a topic, you’ll bedesignated as an ‘expert’ byLinkedIn.

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Build Your Network

• The power of social networks is founded onits size and strength.

• The trick is balance these two aspects ofyour network. When it comes to networking,size matters.

• LinkedIn is a great place to connect witheveryone you know professionally andpersonal contacts that are willing to shareconnections with you.

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Thinking about adding someone asa LinkedIn connection?

• Ask yourself:

– Would I feel comfortable contacting thisindividual on behalf of another friend?

– Would I be willing to introduce this individualto someone else I know so they can dobusiness together?

– Am I comfortable letting this person use myname as a business reference?

– Will this person know me if he’s approachedby others who use my name?

• If you’re currently employed, take care wheninviting coworkers, supervisors or companyexecutives to join your network.

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Build Your Network

• LinkedIn users with a free subscription cansearch and access a portion of social network’s34 million members based on their connectioncount.

This includes: their immediate connections;second degree contacts (friends of friends); andthird degree contacts, and people with a mutualconnections.

• You don’t have to have a huge network to reapresults. For example, people with more thantwenty connections are thirty-four times morelikely to be approached with a job opportunitythan people with less than five.

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Work It!

• Write unsolicited recommendations for people you have workedwith. This generates goodwill on behalf of each recipient – whichstrengthens your network. As an added benefit, you’ll often get arecommendation in return.

• Update your status on LinkedIn. If you’re looking for a job, letpeople in your network know.

• Learn about companies prior to each interview. Conduct keywordsearches on the company name. Identify employees who workfor the company.

• Identify companies you want to work for. Then, use the insideconnections you have at potential employers to buildrelationships and create new opportunities.

• Prior to job interviews, obtain a list of individuals you’ll bemeeting. Use LinkedIn to identify their responsibilities, interests,previous employers and other relevant information.

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Use Groups to Extend your Reach

• Joining a group provides anopportunity to meet individualsoutside your existing network.

• Groups related to your industryor profession include relevantnews, including job postings.

• LinkedIn also allows you tocommunicate to members ofmutual groups.

• Need to contact someone youdon’t know? 1) View their profile.2) Join a group they’re a memberof. 3) Contact them as a memberof the group.

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Get to Know Recruiters

• Contact recruiters using LinkedIn.

• According to Kay Luo, director of corporatecommunications at LinkedIn, Companies are usingLinkedIn to find passive job candidates.

• It’s a good idea to connect with recruiters in your region,industry and profession BEFORE you’re looking for a job. Ifyou do, there’s a good chance they’ll contact you when ajob comes along that matches your skills

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QUESTIONS?