What is LinkedIn Why will it benefit you How to create your profile Connecting with Employers Looking for jobs Hints and Tips

…….is about giving yourself the best chance of success, about having the best profile and building your own personal development plan.

Social Media in the language of donuts

My skills include donut eating I’m qualified in donut making I work in the donut industry I’m interested in the future of donuts I’m connected to donut experts Here’s a video / photo / recipe for donuts In the language of donuts

How LinkedIn can benefit you

LinkedIn aims to connect the world’s professionals, to make them more successful through helping them to connect worldwide and helping them to reach their potential.

The three vital pieces of information you need to have on LinkedIn – who you are, who you know and what you know. This knowledge will help you build your profile showing you as being the best professional you can be. You can follow your influences, e.g. David Cameron, Barack Obama, and Richard Branson. You can see how they got to where they are now, and this will give you the chance to replicate this without their mistakes. You can join Groups of likeminded people and share ideas.

Profile picture – Make it professional, dress smart, white background, but try to look friendly. Appropriate Title – What are you doing now? What do you hope to be doing in the future? “Exploring opportunities in marketing communications, specialising in…” Summary – Professional, what motivates you, what skills, career aspirations do you have? Relevant positions and qualifications – what part time jobs you’ve had and what skills you’ve gained from them? Organisations – give a description of your responsibilities there Education – Which university did you go to? What was your field of study? Showcase your skills. Skills – add at least 5 skills and try to get your connections to endorse you. Ask for recommendations from previous employers/lecturers/tutors at university. Profile Checklist

To network within a company you can do several things Use the alumni tool on LinkedIn to discover who in Glasgow works in your desired sector Follow the company on LinkedIn to see their activities. Use the employment tool to find jobs in your sector This will then allow you to know what the company is doing so you can tailor your application so that it is relevant to the job you are applying for. Employers on LinkedIn

The suggestions for this are based on your LinkedIn info. The most relevant jobs will be shown first. You should ask your network about the recruitment process and for referrals for the job. When using the LinkedIn Search Tool, be careful to pick the keywords you use Remember to include fundamental information such as University, Field of study, Graduation date LinkedIn Employment Tool

* Everything is in one place You can pick a functional area You can tailor the results if gives you to what you’re looking for. There are about 1.8 million jobs currently available. Algorithms set to find you the best options.

When sending someone an invite to connect, make sure to personalise your invitation and explain why you want to connect – especially if you are looking for an introduction from them. Hints and Tips

Optional…. Sign-up for LinkedIn Premium (this does costs money!) Jobseeker, recruiter – there are different subscriptions available based on what you need. Premium can also offer talent solutions and marketing solutions for companies

Engage in conversations and express (sensible) opinions Join groups and share knowledge Follow influences and share information from them Include full length blog posts Include pictures and videos from your job, or training courses you have been to (with permission) Include articles from Huffington Post, the Economist, the Financial Times, the New York Times – share these with your thoughts, or pros and cons of the articles Increasing your visibility

LinkedIn is primarily for Consumer -> Business or Consumer -> Consumer. LinkedIn is only really suitable for marketing a business. People on LinkedIn are often looking out for themselves, and so they are not interested in people who are trying to promote a product. Because of this it is not suitable for start-ups hoping to get more attention. Further information