As our society moves ever forward with online advancements, our usage of the internet becomes more and more prevalent. This usage is enhanced by social networking sites. One such social networking site is called LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a social networking site that was founded in 2002. It is mainly a professional networking sites used to create networks and contacts throughout various online professional communities. Having recently reached a 50 million user milestone, LinkedIn has secured itself online as the number one professional social networking site.
If you are a professional looking to promote their business, LinkedIn is where you want to be. As with anything else you want to get all you can of the benefits out of used LinkedIn. The first step to making the most of your LinkedIn page is always to be sure to include an avatar photo. Not having a photo is simply asking a potential employer not even considering you for a job. The goal is to build a professional relationship; a lack of photo on your profile just comes across as unprofessional and lazy.
The second point to utilizing LinkedIn to its maximum capacity is to build your connection and network listing. This is a social networking site so network! Add people and most of all communicate. Make yourself be seen and heard. A person who has 20 connections is someone who seems to check LinkedIn once a month and has yet to fully explore the groups and contacts available. This can be a huge turn off for people considering you for a position in their company.
Always make sure to use the update status to your advantage. This is the third tip, the status updates can be a valuable asset when trying to gain someone's attention. While your status updates can be interesting and eye catching but they can also clue people in as to new and as yet unrealized communities and other networking groups. Use your recommendations to your advantage. People can comment on your work and comments. This is a great form of showing how your work impacts and reflects on people. Good solid recommendations can only strengthen how you appear to someone looking to fill a position you may happen to be interested in.
LinkedIn is more than a simple online resume; it is your professional career at the touch of a few keystrokes. Your profile should b filled out with your abilities and current employment status. And finally use the groups to expand your LinkedIn profile and searches. Through user groups you can find more people who are interconnected to the profession you are either employed in or looking to break into. This can help you expand your horizons with your LinkedIn account.