Lots of people have a profile on LinkedIN, but they’re note exactly sure what to do after they put in all their past job information. Here are five things you can do to make your experience with LinkedIN better, once you’ve set up your profile.
Invite Others
LinkedIN has a strong tool to import your address books and then select people to invite to connect with you. You can import from Outlook, Google, Yahoo, Hotmail, and several more. So do it. Connect to people, and invite a bunch of people that you know to connect with you and to try the service. More connections means more future opportunities.
Launch a Recommendation Campaign
Reach out to connections on LinkedIN that you know reasonably well and offer to write them a recommendation. Ask if they’re willing to recommend you in return. **Note: it really is important that you ask for recommendations from people you know fairly well. Though LinkedIN and I differ on how to add connections, I believe FIRMLY that you have to know the details of someone’s job and a strong understanding of how that individual performed in it before you can write or ask for a recommendation.
Reread Your Profile
Does your profile state what you’ve done, or what you CAN DO for someone else? If it’s A, rewrite. If it’s B, pat yourself on the back. Make sure you blend your job description with your future value to an organization.
Answer some Questions
I’m finding that by answering questions of either my colleagues or people in the twice-removed category is a great way to get your name and thoughts out there to lots more people. It might net you some more awareness, and that might find you someone who doesn’t know you personally, but maybe wants to get to know you.
Check for updates on the Home page often
Keep tabs on who’s moved, who’s changed positions, and which other colleagues from your past and present companies have joined LinkedIN recently. I like to check in on the Home tab of LinkedIN every 2 or 3 days. It’s given me lots of great opportunities to open a dialog with someone I haven’t spoken to in a while, and occasionally, I’ve seen someone lose a job, and have been there to recommend another source quickly, just by watching the “Home” tab from time to time.
Your Turn
How else do YOU use LinkedIN and what else do you do on there, after you’ve built your first profile?
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