LinkedIn: Networking for Professionals
LinkedIn: Networking for Professionals
As I stated in my previous post about social media, LinkedIn is a social networking site for experienced professionals from around the world. The site has over 53 million members (with a new member joining almost every second) in over 170 industries and over 200 countries around the world. Executives from all of the Fortune 500 companies are also LinkedIn members. About half of LinkedIn’s members are from outside of the United States (About Us, 2009).
What is LinkedIn?
This video was taken from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzT3JVUGUzM.
When joining LinkedIn, members create their profiles and then invite people to join their network.
According to LinkedIn.com, the following is a list of things that users can do through their networks:
- Manage the information that’s publicly available about you as professional
- Find and be introduced to potential clients, service providers, and subject experts who come recommended
- Create and collaborate on projects, gather data, share files and solve problems
- Be found for business opportunities and find potential partners
- Gain new insights from discussions with likeminded professionals in private group settings
- Discover inside connections that can help you land jobs and close deals
- Post and distribute job listings to find the best talent for your company
- (AboutUs, 2009)
I joined LinkedIn.com in June of 2009. I have about 40 connections that I have made with previous employers, current employers, classmates, relatives, professors and acquaintances. Through LinkedIn, I have stayed connected with people that I have graduated college with in May 2009 and professors that I have had during college. I have also connected with my graduate school professors on LinkedIn.
One of the most interesting things about LinkedIn is that employers and previous employers can give references. One of my previous employers wrote me a recommendation on LinkedIn and it is posted so that employers can see this recommendation.
Through LinkedIn I have created the West Virginia University Public Relations Student Society of America group. Members can request to join the group and I approve requests. I created the group this summer and there are about ten members now, but I plan to promote it so that more people will join LinkedIn and the WVU PRSSA group.
References:
About Us. (2009). LinkedIn.com. Retrieved December 14, 2009, from http://press.linkedin.com/about
What is Linked In? (2008). YouTube. Retrieved December 14, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzT3JVUGUzM
Michelle,
I’ve been a Linkedin.com member for a couple of years now and can say that it seems to be a good professional networking site. I haven’t had the need to use the tool in searching for a job but I have used it in my work when researching a company for a specific project.
I also totally love the Lee LeFever video examples we have had throughout the semester. He explains well the relationship of the various toos we have been studying and how they relate to our lives today.
Thanks for the post,
Kathy
LinkedIn is a great tool for connecting with people in a professional setting. I attend a lot of business events, and one of the first things I try to do with a free moment (tricky with class and work responsibilities to be sure!) is look for contacts on LinkedIn.
Everyone has their own style on using social media for connections, but personally I try to keep my Facebook contacts limited to close friends and family, and LinkedIn focused on to professional contacts. .
LinkedIn settings includes an option to receive weekly updates on your contacts, and I highly recommend people use this feature. It’s a good way to reach out to business contacts or clients with an email, phone call (or even a written note!) of congratulations on promotion or new job.
Another feature I like is the Events page. Although I have not use this professionally, I like how an event can show who has signed up to attend. Might offer incentive for other professional contacts to attend your seminar or media event.
Good post,
Donna