My friend and long-time colleague, Paul Holley, has been filling my head recently with thoughts about LinkedIn. I'm turning over this space for now so Paul can share his observations.
Paul's position at Manpower was eliminated recently. You'll find his contact info at the bottom of this missive.
Much of my insight on LinkedIn comes from training sessions I've attended at Right Management over the past few weeks. The sessions were led by Laura Parrino Byxbe, a Right consultant and self-proclaimed LinkedIn evangelist.
LinkedIn is NOT a job board. For individuals, however, who use it actively, the site has led to contacts by employers or recruiters -- and ultimately to new jobs. The thing to remember about social networking sites is that they are all about connecting. Some basic ground rules that will help LinkedIn work for you:
- Keep your profile updated (particularly when you land a new job)
- Join and get involved in groups
- Keep your contacts public -- because LinkedIn is a community that allows people to interact. For those of us who are, ahem, between positions, interaction is the best thing you can do for yourself and others. As Laura puts it: "It's 100 times better than pushing and pushing resumes where you're competing with perhaps thousands of other people."
One more thing -- a link to your LinkedIn profile should appear with your email signature, resume and personal business card. My signature below is humbly offered as an example:
Paul Holley, APR
Writer/editor, Public relations
Contact me:
262-637-9093 (home)
262-664-5786 (cell)
paulh_wi@yahoo.com
Learn more:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/paulholley
