Coon Fred - Leveraging LinkedIn for Job Search Success 2015

F requently, I hear that question. Not long ago, a friend asked me, Why should I bother with LinkedIn? He wasnt a technologically challenged individual, so I was surprised that he should ask. My answer was simple, It is the top social networking website for job seekers.

As Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, explains it, Post a full profile and get connected to the people you trust. Because if youre connected to those people and you posted a profile, then when other people are searching for people, they might find you.

With more than 300+ million registered usersand adding two new members every secondthe rate at which your network expands on LinkedIn can be truly amazing. A hundred strategic contacts could mean access to millions of people in a short amount of time. Youd have to attend dozensor hundreds of in-person networking events to equal the reach you can get on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn allows you to leverage the power of your network the people you already know, and the people those people know to help you connect to the person (or persons) who are in a position to offer you a job.

As the cofounder of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffman, puts it, LinkedIn is about connecting talent with opportunity on a massive scale.

Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are on LinkedIn. In addition, 59 percent of folks who are active on social networking sites say LinkedIn is their platform of choice, according to a June 2011 report from Performics and ROI Research.

However, author Guy Kawasaki puts it best I could make the case that Facebook is for show, and LinkedIn is for dough.

1. Because you find business professionals there

   Other social networks may try to focus on attracting professionals, but none compare with LinkedIn. Most are niche oriented.

   LinkedIn is not! Maybe thats why its membership has grown to over 300 million members since its launch in May 2003. No job seeker can afford to ignore its power, especially if the target job is with a younger company that is using social media in its marketing mix. People you know are already on the site, and so are people you should get to know recruiters and hiring managers.

2. Because you need to dig your well before youre thirsty

   In his book of the same name, author Harvey Mackay advocates building your network before you need it. If you are presently employed, join LinkedIn now. That way you already have a network of connections in place when your job search begins.

3. Because it never hurts to strengthen your offline network

   Weve all lost track of people over time. Often, LinkedIn becomes a place you can reconnect. You find out what they are doing, where they work now, and whom they knowsomething that can be very important for a successful job search.

4. Because reconnecting with former coworkers can lead to work

   Staying in contact with former coworkers can be difficult. You might not be the only one who has had to move around! LinkedIn makes reconnecting easy in two ways. You can search by name and by employer. Now, that reference that you really wanted might be as close as a reconnection.

5. Because you can establish yourself as an expert

   Increasing your visibility is one of the ways you can position yourself as a thought leader in your industry. LinkedIn gives you a place to participate in Groups related to your expertise. LinkedIns Answers forum is another opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge. Posting in Groups or answering questions, automatically adds content to your profile. When you actively engage in Groups on LinkedIn, visitors to your profile can see what you know and get a picture of how valuable your contribution could be to their business.

6. Because you may be found for jobs when you arent even looking

   Being asked to interview for a job based on your LinkedIn profile does happen. As a passive candidate, your robust LinkedIn profilefilled with your accomplishments and strong keywordsoften leads prospective employers to you. More and more recruiters are searching LinkedIn to find candidates that match their search assignments.

7. Because your LinkedIn presence helps when someone googles you

If you Google a friend of mine, Denise Rutledge, youll discover that she has a lot of competitionfrom a singer to a very nonbusiness-like person. Because she chose her LinkedIn ID before any other Denise Rutledge optimized their account, she is the first Denise Rutledge (at the time of this writing) to appear on Googles LinkedIn results. And that LinkedIn result is on the first page in search results.

The point is that hiring managers and recruiters usually Google their job candidates. If you have an optimized LinkedIn profile, your chances of appearing on the first page in Google is high.

Ultimately, a LinkedIn profile is a resume, business card, and elevator speech condensed in one place. Its a powerful marketing toolone you cant really afford to ignore.

CNN Money reported just a few years ago that Accenture, a giant consulting firm, was going to forego the traditional methods of hiring headhunters or asking for employee referrals. The company even decided to avoid the job boards. It went straight to LinkedIn.

Just suppose you had been a telecom consultant and didnt have a LinkedIn presence? You would not have been found for one of the 50,000 job openings Accenture had to fill.

This is a trend, not a fad. You can expect in the future that many businesses will do most of their own head hunting. And they are going to start on LinkedIn!