LinkedIn: Essential Equipment for Your Job Search

Don't make the mistake my job-seeking friend did. She isn't on LinkedIn yet because she's waiting to be invited. The notion that LinkedIn is an invitation-only network is still circulating. But it's wrong. You may still get an invitation from a friend or professional colleague. But if you haven't yet, just open your own account and start inviting friends and colleagues to become members of your professional network. The other good news is, it's free to join.

The current job market is more challenging than it has been in recent memory. Posted openings have dropped precipitously, especially in media. Trying to manage a career in these uncertain times is reason enough for some anxiety. But the explosion in popularity of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter or MySpace, might add to the worries in people who feel the pressure to use them. Not everyone is comfortable  sharing details of their professional background, much less their personal information, with the entire worldwide web. But this is no time to be shy about your professional identity: You'll have to step outside of your comfort zone to get your next job.

Networking is still the number one method for finding a job. Social media have not changed the game, but they've significantly influenced the tactics. They make networking much easier, especially for those who don't have good networking skills to begin with. But not all social media are equal when it comes to networking for professional purposes. You can postpone your leap into the freewheeling Facebook or MySpace, and skip Twitter - for now. But LinkedIn is one tool in your career management kit that you can't afford to ignore.

LinkedIn membership is said to be around 38 million right now, only a fifth the size of Facebook. In spite of the disparity, LinkedIn is much more valuable for job searching and career management: People join LinkedIn because they're professionals who want to connect to other professionals. It's made for networking.

Who uses LinkedIn? Professionals, hiring managers, recruiters, job seekers and entrepreneurs. All of these people have a lot in common. They're looking for increased visibility, business partners, job leads, market intelligence, professional development and company contacts who may be able to help them in some way.

While it's easy to join LinkedIn, learning how to use all its tools and features may take some time. Here are some places to go for shortening your learning curve:

Tom's LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/in/tomballantyne

 

Jason Alba, 'I'm On LinkedIn - Now What?' blog

 http://ImOnLinkedInNowWhat.com/

LinkedIn Notes blog

http://linkedin-notes.blogspot.com/

20 Ways to Use LinkedIn Productively'

http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/06/15/20-ways-to-use-linkedin-productively

LinkedIn blog

http://blog.linkedin.com/

Guy Kawasaki's 'LinkedIn Profile  Extreme Makeover'

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/01/linkedin_profil.html

LinkedIntelligence blog

http://www.linkedintelligence.com/

Guy Kawasaki's '10 Ways to Use   LinkedIn'

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/01/ten_ways_to_use.html