The Job Seeker's Secret Guide to LinkedIn
All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2012 by Melanie L. Denny
All Rights Reserved .This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
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The purpose of this e-book is to guide new LinkedIn users in utilizing the basic version of LinkedIn to help increase the chances of finding job opportunities.
This e-book is for you if:
You are in the market for a job and want to understand how to make the most of your LinkedIn account
You currently have a LinkedIn profile, but you aren't sure how to tap into its features and benefits
You want tips on how to make your profile more attractive
You need help understanding how LinkedIn works
This e-book is not:
A how-to guide on navigating the LinkedIn interface
A comprehensive training on how to use LinkedIn
A guarantee to finding a job
o The topics discussed in this book are merely proven methods of raising the probability of success
By following the advice in this guide, you will maximize your LinkedIn experience and develop a highly effective, frequently visited LinkedIn profile which will boost your visibility and improve your marketability as a job seeker.
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As of November 3, 2011, LinkedIn operates the worlds largest professional network on the Internet with more than 135 million members in over 200 countries and territories.
LinkedIn members performed more than 4 billion searches on LinkedIn in 2011.
As of October 2011, LinkedIn counts more than 14 million students and recent college graduates around the world as members.
More than 2 million companies have LinkedIn Company Pages.
As of September 30, 2011, hundreds of thousands of job applications have been submitted using Apply With LinkedIn.
These are just a few facts about LinkedIn found on their website ( http://press.LinkedIn.com/about ).
As a job seeker in the market for a new job, career change, promotion, or just looking to keep career options open, LinkedIn can be an endless sea of opportunities IF you follow these guidelines to make it work for you.
Before you start writing your profile and shooting out requests for recommendations, it is important to understand what you want from the site and how to make it worthwhile. Many people join for many different reasons:
To find job opportunities there is a plethora of job opportunities posted on LinkedIn directly from companies, through recruiters looking to fill positions and just making the connections with the right people.
To improve Google results if you are applying for jobs, more than likely you will be googled by potential employers. Since LinkedIn has a high Google rating, your profile will likely show up towards the top of the results. What better image for them to find online than your professional profile on LinkedIn!
To market their skills a trending practice is for job seekers to quickly and conveniently send their LinkedIn URLs to potential employers and colleagues. A LinkedIn profile can serve as a great showcase for completed projects, goals and other professional achievements.
To build credibility LinkedIn is an excellent place to get references for projects or work you have done in the past from previous employers, co-workers and team members. These are the people that can vouch for your performance and reinforce your claims of being a super-star employee.
To develop a personal brand There are many ways to demonstrate your knowledge in a certain field. LinkedIn makes it easy to build a profile that focuses on your specific skill set and highlights your expertise.
To network You never know where your next opportunity will come from. Simply building relationships and creating new contacts can boost your success rate. With 135 million members, there is no shortage of people to connect with on LinkedIn.
To research companies There are over 2 million company pages on LinkedIn. You can follow targeted corporations to easily stay informed of company news and updates.
Your LinkedIn purpose could be one of these, or all of them. Regardless, understand the power of LinkedIn will definitely help you reach your career goals.
LinkedIn is a web based interface that connects you with people within your network. Your network is comprised of your connections and your connections' connections. You can only connect with people who fall within your network, so the key to making LinkedIn work for you is to build your network . The more people you have in your network, the more likely you are to be found and noticed.
Here's how the network is built:
You have direct connections (your 1st tier connections).
Those 1st tier connections have connections (your 2nd tier connections).
Those 2nd tier connections have connections (your 3rd tier connections or 3rd degree contacts).
The more connections you add, the more your network will grow exponentially.
Anyone who does not fall within your network is essentially invisible to you (unless you and/or they paid for LinkedIn Premium). Even if you search for someone using their exact name, if they are not in your network, they will not show up in your search results. Your goal is to maximize the amount of people you are able to connect with . This guide will tell you how to do that.
In 2011, there were more than 4 billion searches done. There are currently more than 135 million users on LinkedIn (and that number is growing exponentially everyday). You want to build your network and get found . So, how do you get found? More than likely, you probably won't -- unless your profile contains the right keywords.
For instance, if a recruiter is looking to fill an Accounting role, he may perform an advanced search for accounting professionals. His results will only include those within his network whose profiles contain the keywords he searched for. The bigger your network, the higher your chances of being displayed in his search results. The more relevant the keywords, the higher in rankings you will appear.
Try doing your own advanced keyword search and see how high in the rankings you appear. When you start incorporating keywords into your profile, notice how your spot in the search results moves.
The sections of your profile that present the best opportunities for keywords are:
Skills
Headline
Summary
Specialties
Use keywords as often as you can , but maintain their relevance and the flow of the language. If you aren't sure what constitutes the right keywords for your industry, take a look at some job descriptions of positions you might want or peruse the profiles of others in the industry.
Keep in mind: solely incorporating the right keywords in your profile does not guarantee you will be found. There are many factors that affect search rankings, but without keywords, your profile will have very little or no chance of being found.
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