What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is a business-oriented social network dedicated to helping professionals maintain a list of connections. LinkedIn strengthens and extends your existing network of trusted contacts.
Developed specifically for business and with more than 25 million users, it serves virtually every industry and profession.
Joining a network like LinkedIn is simple. Here's a detailed guide on how to set up a profile, build a network, and put it all to work.
If you'd rather watch than read, take a look at this very easy to follow video by Common Craft.
Ten Benefits to Using LinkedIn
- Increase your visibility
- Improve your connectability
- Improve your google page rank
- Enhance your search engine results
- Share Knowledge
- Join Groups
- Perform blind, "reverse" and company reference checks
- Increase the relevancy of your job search
- Make your interview go smoother
- Gauge the health of a company
Add connections. Lots of connections increases the likelihood that people will see your profile.
Complete your profile to include past companies, educations, memberships, activities.
LinkedIn allows you to make your profile information available for search engines to index. LinkedIn profiles receive a fairly high PageRank in Google.
To do this, create a public profile and select “Full View.” Also, instead of using the default URL, customize your public profile’s URL to be your actual name. To strengthen the visibility of this page in search engines, use this link in various places on the web. For example, when you comment in a blog, include a link to your profile in your signature.
In addition to your name, you can also promote your blog or website to search engines like Google and Yahoo! Your LinkedIn profile allows you to publicize websites. There are a few pre-selected categories like “My Website,” “My Company,” etc. If you select “Other” you can modify the name of the link. If you’re linking to your personal blog, include your name or descriptive terms in the link, and voila! instant search-engine optimization for your site. To make this work, be sure your public profile setting is set to “Full View.”
Use Any Answers to either ask questions or answer them. You’ll be surprised at the number of responses received.
You can use groups to build relationships with people working in similar positions. A wealth of information can be found via groups.
LinkedIn’s reference check tool to input a company name and the years the person worked at the company to search for references. Your search will find the people who worked at the company during the same time period.
Use LinkedIn’s advanced search to find people with educational and work experience like yours to see where they work.
You can use LinkedIn to find the people that you’re meeting. Knowing that you went to the same school, or share acquaintances is a lot better than an awkward silence after, “I’m doing fine, thank you.”
Perform an advanced search for company name and uncheck the “Current Companies Only” box. This will enable you to scrutinise the rate of turnover and whether key people are abandoning ship. Former employees usually give more candid opinions about a company’s prospects than someone who’s still on board.