LinkedIn Networking for Business Professionals

What is LinkedIn? LinkedIn is a professional business networking site. Essentially it gives you a hub to host your professional portfolio. It is a great mechanism for connecting with professionals in your field and creating a professional network. It's not Facebook, and is not the place to post pictures of your last vacation, your dog or what you did last weekend.

LinkedIn has slowly earned a reputation as being just another job board. However, LinkedIn is not just for people seeking new career opportunities. In fact, a significant number of the 200+ million people worldwide registered with LinkedIn establish a presence to build new business relationships that will help them advance in their current position, with their current employer. Building solid business relationships before they are needed for a job search

Still, LinkedIn’s business model has changed since it first launched in 2003 and it is now a publicly traded company on the NYSE. And, with that change, LinkedIn continues to modify its products and services, balancing the needs of its subscribers to those of its shareholders.

LinkedIn offers free services and a range of upgraded fee-based products providing opportunities for increased visibility and search parameters for recruiters. You can learn more about LinkedIn here:

Connections What are 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd degree connections?

1 st Degree Connections People you are directly connected to because you have accepted their invitation to connect, or they have accepted your invitation. A “1 st ” degree emblem will appear next to their name and you can contact them directly by sending them a message on LinkedIn or other method listed the individual has listed in their contact information.

2nd Degree Connections 2 nd degree people are connected to your 1 st -degree connections. You can invite 2 nd degree individuals to connect with you by clicking “Connect” in the top portion of their LinkedIn profile or contacting them directly through an InMail.

3rd Degree Connections 3rd degree people are connected to your 2 nd degree connections.  If their full first and last names are displayed, you can send them an invitation by clicking “Connect” in their profile.  If only the first letter of their last name is displayed, you can contact them through an InMail.  LinkedIn Groups – If two people belong to the same group, they are considered part of your network regardless of the “degree” of connection. You can contact them by sending a message on LinkedIn or using the group’s discussion feature.  Out of Network - All other LinkedIn members can be contacted through an InMail, or you can be introduced through one of your current connections.

Build a professional - and complete – LinkedIn profile that will drive traffic to your site and help you build meaningful business relationships or provide connections for a career move. While the size of your network and your LinkedIn activity all play a role in improving your profile’s ranking, on an individual basis, the quality of your connections matter more. We frequently work with clients with more than 500 connections (the highest number LinkedIn will display). Without a qualified network, those numbers cannot be effectively leveraged during a job search … the vast majority of connections are complete strangers.

What Makes a Good Profile? Sections Photo Headline (120 keystrokes) Summary (2,000 keystrokes) Experience Education Skills Recommendations & Endorsements Customized URL Interests & Organizations Projects Media Benefits Profiles with photos are 7x more likely to be found Keyword-rich headlines and summaries improve SEO Education can connect you with alumni Recommendations & endorsements improve ranking - recommendations add instant credibility Interests allow others to understand your values Media (pictures, videos, powerpoints) engage readers

Next Series of Slides Each of the following slides contain a hyperlink, which will take you to a brief video providing more information about LinkedIn’s varied sections. Click the “x” or the “P” in your browser to return to the PowerPoint and continue the slide presentation.

Let’s Start With Privacy & Settings Click ↓ to Watch Instructional Screencast: Privacy & Settings

Navigating Icons Click ↓ Screencast: Navigating Icons

LinkedIn Headline Click ↓ for Screencast: Editing Your Headline

Profile Picture Click ↓ Screencast: Your LinkedIn Photo

Balance of Header section Click ↓ Screencast: Balance of Header

Personalize Your Background Click ↓ Screencast: Personalize the Background

Complete Your Sections Click ↓ Screencast: Completing the Sections

The Summary Section Click ↓ Screencast: The Summary Section

The Experience Section Click ↓ Screencast: The Experience Section

Skills & Endorsements Click ↓ Screencast: Skills & Endorsements

Recommendations Click ↓ Screencast: Recommendations

Groups & Following Influencers Click ↓ Screencast: Groups & Following

Building Your Network Click ↓ Screencast: Leveraging Your Connections

Wrap-Up Complete all sections as much as possible Add a photo to maximize your visibility Personalize your background with a conservative background Personalize your LinkedIn URL Build a keyword-rich headline and summary Don’t disclose sensitive metrics in the Experience section Endorse others you know so you too will be endorsed Ask for, and give, formal recommendations through LinkedIn Build your network to at least 300 – numbers and quality count Join groups and participate in discussions Check your privacy settings to conduct a confidential job search

Contact us if you have any questions regarding LinkedIn … we are always available to help!