The Power of LinkedIn

LinkedIn

I have, somewhat grudingly, come to the conclusion that if you’re looking for a job, you must be on LinkedIn.  I resisted this.  It was yet another account to set up, a profile to write, a site that needed updating.  And really, does it matter?  Yes, indeed it does.

Colleen Smith, a career coach and therapist with the Women’s Center in McLean, Virginia says she has spoken with several recruiters who use LinkedIn for cold-call searching.  They plug in keywords for the skills and experience they’re looking for, then troll through the profiles that match.  Smith says two of her clients were pinged by recruiters, and they weren’t even in a job search.

Brenda Bernstein is the author of an e-book LinkedIn Power Tune-Up:  18 Expert Tips for a Highly Effective LinkedIn Profile. When I asked her if she was seeing the same thing, she answered emphatically, “Absolutely.”

“Many recruiters are using LinkedIn for passive talent acquistion searches,” she said.  ”The people they find may not even be looking for a job.”

And Jennifer Beever, a blogger on newincite.com writes:  ”I wish I could remember who first invited me to connect, because today, over seven years later, LinkedIn makes my phone ring and my inbox fill up with inquiries from prospective clients and recruiters looking for an (sic) outsource marketing help. I do remember thinking the words, “I’m on LinkedIn – now what?” (Check out her article “Does LinkedIn Make Your Phone Ring?” for her tips on achieving results with your LinkedIn profile.)

To aid you in your efforts to set up your profile, there are a few useful resources:

• LinkedIn —  LinkedIn offers free webinars to help you get started.  They also have a new user starter guide.
• Mojo40 — A website for people over 40 who want to get their career mojo back.  They offer an excellent tutorial, very readable and easy to follow.
• Hired help.  If you google “linkedin profile writer,” you will come up with scores of names.  How do you know if they’re good?  Visit their websites, read their recommendations, link to profiles they’ve helped write.  I hired Brenda Bernstein after participating in a free webinar she did for Columbia alumni.  I first hired Brenda to help with my resume, then took much of what she had written and copied it into my profile.  I then hired her to write a LinkedIn summary and to go through my profile and tell me how to beef it up, particularly using strategically placed keywords.  I am very happy with my profile and consider it almost complete.  Here’s a link:  www.linkedin.com/in/leeanndance.
• Participate in Brenda’s LinkedIn webinar  this Friday, March 11th.  Here’s the link:  www1.gotomeeting.com/register/764191009.