A few weeks ago a patron who had just been layed off from his job came to the Reference Desk at the Berkshire Athenaeum and was seeking resources on resumes and job searching. He'd worked in the same job for the past 10 years and job searching was new to him. It was like starting over. He was professional and used to lots of responsibility.
After showing him some of our resources I asked if he had considered LinkedIn as a possible avenue for his job search. I explained that LinkedIn was an online social network for business where future employers and employees could connect. He had heard of LinkedIn but knew nothing about it or how it worked? I suggested he go to LinkedIn, explore the site and join, that it was free, that he could set up a profile, include pertinent parts of his resume and what he was looking for in a job, Since he had developed web sites, he was web savvy. He thanked me for the information and said he would check it out.
Soon after we spoke I received an email from him (I had given him my business card,) The email was an invitation to join LinkedIn, to be part of his network. That's how LinkedIn works. You join, set up a profile, develop a network by inviting friends, colleagues, associates. It's by invitation only. The first tier is your network. The second tier is the network of your invitees. The third tier is the further associated members and so on. This is how LinkedIn grows and how a most powerful network has developed that includes thousands of companies, all Fortune 500 companies, company profiles as well as individual profiles, and LinkedIn claims over 40 million registered members using their site. This is all free, but there is a premium paid membership level as well.
LinkedIn is the most powerful business social networking web 2.0 website. Now when I was invited to join LinkedIn, I had to join because I was not yet a member. I knew about it. I was aware of it and its possibilities and I was considering joining but had held back. From the viewpoint of being a Business Reference Librarian it made sense to join if only to be able to demonstate first hand information to those inquiring. So I accepted the invitation, joined LinkedIn and developed a brief profile.
Then, shortly after joining LinkedIn and my friend's network, something happened, something that surprised and delighted me. A colleague of 10 years ago, who I had regrettably lost contact with, sent an invitation for me to contact him and to be part of his LinkedIn network. We reestablished contact and our friendship and this happened through his searching for me on LinkedIn and Google amongst other sites. I had searched for him as well. I had lost his email due to a computer crash a couple years ago. Subsequently I have reestablished contact with some other associates and friends, and working colleagues.
So these are a few of the things you can do on LinkedIn -- develop a profile, give basic information and resume about yourself, develop a job search or recruitment strategy, seek people through the search function, join community forums, ask questions, seek funding of your start up. The possibilities are endless. And your contacts have contacts as well. Skills you are looking for may be represented in these networks. Ideas abound. Because everyone is there by invitation, there is also the possibility for personal recommendations, job and business ideas.
One of the more valuable aspects of LinkedIn, attactive to company recruiters and job seekers alike, is the ability to scope each other out. Looking for a job; talk with people at that company or employers may contact people in your network. Major businesses have seen the utility of this approach and human resource professionals are using LinkedIn to scope out candidates. This is much more intimate and useful than a passive resume. Further, many jobs do become available in this manner.
LinkedIn has had 100s of features in Business Week, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc Magazine, and the New York Times. Business Week and the New York Times has partnered with LinkedIn. So too has CNN, IBM and LexisNexis. If you are starting up a business, looking for contacts and contracts, looking for venture capital, you will want to consider joining LinkedIn! The video LinkedIn For Dummies, below by Adriana Lordan from SiteReference.Com, will get you started on LinkedIn. You will want to make LinkedIn part of your Business Plan and Job Strategy.
With me you'll ask "Are You LinkedIn?"
After showing him some of our resources I asked if he had considered LinkedIn as a possible avenue for his job search. I explained that LinkedIn was an online social network for business where future employers and employees could connect. He had heard of LinkedIn but knew nothing about it or how it worked? I suggested he go to LinkedIn, explore the site and join, that it was free, that he could set up a profile, include pertinent parts of his resume and what he was looking for in a job, Since he had developed web sites, he was web savvy. He thanked me for the information and said he would check it out.
Soon after we spoke I received an email from him (I had given him my business card,) The email was an invitation to join LinkedIn, to be part of his network. That's how LinkedIn works. You join, set up a profile, develop a network by inviting friends, colleagues, associates. It's by invitation only. The first tier is your network. The second tier is the network of your invitees. The third tier is the further associated members and so on. This is how LinkedIn grows and how a most powerful network has developed that includes thousands of companies, all Fortune 500 companies, company profiles as well as individual profiles, and LinkedIn claims over 40 million registered members using their site. This is all free, but there is a premium paid membership level as well.
LinkedIn is the most powerful business social networking web 2.0 website. Now when I was invited to join LinkedIn, I had to join because I was not yet a member. I knew about it. I was aware of it and its possibilities and I was considering joining but had held back. From the viewpoint of being a Business Reference Librarian it made sense to join if only to be able to demonstate first hand information to those inquiring. So I accepted the invitation, joined LinkedIn and developed a brief profile.
Then, shortly after joining LinkedIn and my friend's network, something happened, something that surprised and delighted me. A colleague of 10 years ago, who I had regrettably lost contact with, sent an invitation for me to contact him and to be part of his LinkedIn network. We reestablished contact and our friendship and this happened through his searching for me on LinkedIn and Google amongst other sites. I had searched for him as well. I had lost his email due to a computer crash a couple years ago. Subsequently I have reestablished contact with some other associates and friends, and working colleagues.
So these are a few of the things you can do on LinkedIn -- develop a profile, give basic information and resume about yourself, develop a job search or recruitment strategy, seek people through the search function, join community forums, ask questions, seek funding of your start up. The possibilities are endless. And your contacts have contacts as well. Skills you are looking for may be represented in these networks. Ideas abound. Because everyone is there by invitation, there is also the possibility for personal recommendations, job and business ideas.
One of the more valuable aspects of LinkedIn, attactive to company recruiters and job seekers alike, is the ability to scope each other out. Looking for a job; talk with people at that company or employers may contact people in your network. Major businesses have seen the utility of this approach and human resource professionals are using LinkedIn to scope out candidates. This is much more intimate and useful than a passive resume. Further, many jobs do become available in this manner.
LinkedIn has had 100s of features in Business Week, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc Magazine, and the New York Times. Business Week and the New York Times has partnered with LinkedIn. So too has CNN, IBM and LexisNexis. If you are starting up a business, looking for contacts and contracts, looking for venture capital, you will want to consider joining LinkedIn! The video LinkedIn For Dummies, below by Adriana Lordan from SiteReference.Com, will get you started on LinkedIn. You will want to make LinkedIn part of your Business Plan and Job Strategy.
With me you'll ask "Are You LinkedIn?"
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