What are we really using LinkedIn for?

Since the beginning of this summer, I have noticed an increasing popularity around the social media platform LinkedIn. While I made an account on LinkedIn during my freshman year of college, I was never too active on the account until this past year when I began to network with people that I felt the need to connect with. Maybe it is because my peers and I are now beginning to advance in our careers, but it seems that I am not the only one who had the same idea.

When I first made my account, I was prompted to sortthrough the “suggested connections,” so I connected withany close friends who also had an account at that time. As I have met more people in college, I have continued to go on and connect with those I felt necessary. However, lately I have been receiving requests from all different people, some of whom I have not seen since high school. The times where I have watched my phone light up with the notification asking if I would like to connect with someone from high school that I barely knew then–or even have a remotely similar career path to now–lead me to think about what the purpose of this platform really is.

Typically when you think about logging into LinkedIn, youwould probably end up updating a section of your profile or connecting with someone that you recently met in a professional setting. One of the best aspects of this app is its ability to allow you to stay in contact with past professors and employers. Some people have even heard of that one friend of a friend’s sister who received a full time job with benefits right in her LinkedIn inbox. With the importance of networking rising, LinkedIn has become crucial for staying in contact with those who could be beneficial to your career.

Or has it really just become a way to brag about your accomplishments to others?

If the future chemical engineers, firefighters, and financial advisors that I went to high school with want to connect with me, a communications student pursuing marketing and PR, what could have prompted their decision to connect with me? There is a slim chance our industries will ever cross paths, so did they just want me to look at their profile so I can see how well they are doing in college? Or has LinkedIn become a spinoff of Facebook where you need to have a certain amount of connections to be taken seriously?

Whatever their reasons may be, the most important thing to remember when using LinkedIn is that even though it has become the easiest way to present yourself as a professional, it is crucial that you are still able to network and act professional offline and in a public setting as well. 

Do you think the people you connect with on LinkedIn should be relevant to the industry you are planning to have a career in? Or should you have as many connections as possible, even if they are from completely different industries? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Kristen VanLeer. 

Stay Sharp over the Summer

Summer is the season to relax and enjoy your long-awaited free time. Even if you landed the internship of your dreams or just purchased your plane ticket to Cancun, you should still use these months to fine-tune your reputation as a soon-to-be pro. That way, when the new semester comes, you will be sharper than ever!

Polish you resume and LinkedIn profile.

What have you accomplished this year? Think of the new skills you have obtained, the rewarding experiences you’ve had, and the projects you have done. All of these things should be displayed for prospective employers to see.

The summer season is the time to work on the minute details of your resume and LinkedIn profile. Does your resume look a bit cramped and wordy? Reformatting it can be a tedious process, but it is essential to be a memorable job candidate. Use the extra details from your resume in your LinkedIn job descriptions, instead. Your profile is meant for people to get a more in-depth look at what you have accomplished thus far in your career. Use the summer months to focus on the specifics that will polish off your experiences. Contact a few people that you have worked with and built relationships with to endorse your skills and provide short recommendations for your profile. This kind of support confirms your capabilities and strong performance.

Stay in the know in your industry and career field.

With so many different news outlets, keeping up with the times is simple in the digital age. Stay up-to-date with your industry by following companies and professionals outside of your friends. Become familiar with a few relevant news websites, digital magazines, and  blogs to stay on top of the latest trends. Pay attention to how the public responds to things.

Going to events is a more exciting way to keep up with your industry. Aside from the networking benefits, events and conferences in your career field expose you to new trends, research studies, and knowledge in your industry. Use events as a learning tool to gain feedback from significant industry leaders about the challenges you face and how to handle them.

Having the knowledge and understanding in an evolving business helps you to grow your own expertise and begin to think ahead of the game.

Maintain your network.

Making connections and building relationships is important, especially in PR. How many times have you needed something and called a friend because you knew they had the resources or skills to help you? Upholding professional relationships makes it easier to ask for a favor when needed. This summer, concentrate on maintaining these relationships and make your network worthwhile. Look through your phone to find people you have met and send them a friendly email, just to follow up on any projects they have been working on and how they have been doing. Professionals love young, ambitious individuals who show an interest in what they do. If you’ve taken on a new venture or need help writing something for your internship, contact a professional who would be willing to provide their expertise.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Marlo Brooks.

It's Been a Week: How to Stay in Touch

It's been 1 whole week since the PRSSA National Conference, and it already seems like a lifetime ago. I wore what I now think of as my 'conference suit' today to work because it made me feel like I was getting dressed for another session or workshop. But, while conference may alternatively seem like a long time ago and very far into the future (over a year from now, in Atlanta!) there are some things you can, and should, do to stay in touch with the people you met at the conference. And for those that didn't attend conference, these tips are a good way to stay in touch with anyone you meet that you won't normally see.

For better or worse, technology, and specifically the Internet, rules our world, especially for public relations and its practitioners. The days of handwritten letters as a means of correspondence are over, now getting an actual letter is something special and rare. While at conference, after meeting with people I always make sure to give and get a business card, and I always tried to follow them on Twitter before we parted ways. Not all business cards are made the same way, so don't count on them to have all of the person's relevant information. Twitter becomes very popular while at conference, the hashtag #PRSSANC was trending for awhile because of all the users. Once you have that mutual Twitter follow with someone, you are good to go meet other people; just make sure to hold on to that business card!

Around right now is the perfect time to invite people to connect on LinkedIn; it's been a week so the memory of conference is fading. Sending out and getting LinkedIn invitations right now serves to jolt those conference memories back into action, and will get people looking at your profile. This is especially good for connecting with professionals that you met at conference!

Lastly, and this depends on how close a relationship you want to maintain, send the person an email a week or two after conference. Talk about it was great to meet them, ask a question or two about what's going on in their life, and if it's someone you really want to learn more about, ask to schedule a call or meeting. I shouldn't be anymore, but I'm still surprised and inspired by how helpful every PR pro I've met is willing to; they're always willing to take the time to talk to you and give you tips and advice to further your own career.

Have any questions or comments on the best practices to stay in touch with people? Comment below, we'd love to hear from you.

This post was authored by Faiz Mandviwalla, a junior at Temple University and the Director of Finance for PRowl Public Relations. Follow him on twitter @faizmand. 

LinkedIn Etiquette: The Do's and Don'ts of Digital Networking

(Source: LinkedIn)

In which scenario would you be more concerned about creating a positive first impression- introducing yourself at a networking event or the response your profiles get online? Many of us would say making a great first impression in a face-to-face interaction is more important. But with LinkedIn, the largest digital and professional network, your profile has a higher amount of potential connections to impress. It’s just as vital that your LinkedIn profile is maintained in the same way you would ensure your networking skills were sharp or you were dressed professionally for an event. Most recruiters and future employers check LinkedIn when considering a candidate or searching for prospective candidates. So wouldn’t you want your profile to be as inviting as you are in person? Here are some easy guidelines to ensure you’re optimizing LinkedIn.

•  DO personalize your LinkedIn connection requests instead of using the automatic template.  Remind your prospective connection of how you met and why you want to connect with them.
• DON’T connect with people you don’t know, it should reflect who you know in your personal and professional life.
• DO be an active user.  Maintain a presence by responding to messages and connection requests in a timely manner.
• DON’T embellish the truth.  Be honest about your experience on your profile, you never know what a prospective employer may be looking for. 
• DO update your profile so it coincides with where you are advancing in your professional career.
• DON’T have grammatical or spelling errors.  It seems obvious, but you have to remember that LinkedIn is not as casual as Facebook.
• DO fill out the summary and bio on your profile.  It gives a prospective employer some background information and allows you to sell yourself the way you would in a cover letter.
• DON’T join every LinkedIn group possible, only the professional associations you have in real life (such as Temple University PRSSA!). 
• DO endorse and write recommendations for others, chances are one of your connections will do the same for you.

LinkedIn PRofile Updates!

While going through the blog posts on PR Daily, I came across an interesting and helpful post. This blog post discusses the 17 must-have features on your LinkedIn profile. I own a LinkedIn account but never knew the things you "must-have" on your account. With LinkedIn being one of the channels for job hunting and a place for employers to view your experiences, it's important to keep it updated and well organized. Below is the infographic that introduces and explains the must -haves.

Are You Really #LinkedIn?

I have been a huge fan of the social-professional network known as LinkedIn. In this Digital Age, it is extremely crucial that the professional adult has a strong web presence and the overall service LinkedIn provides is phenomenal. With that being said, I have realized that I don't spend a lot of time on the site. A LinkedIn can pretty much run itself - if you take the the right steps to set it up that way.

Your LinkedIn profile can virtually do the job for you, letting your name, skills, and expertise be known to everyone in your network, as well as new potential new connections who might be interested in finding people like you.

Here are five tips to make sure you are really #LinkedIn on LinkedIn:

1. Use a Professional-Looking Headshot
One of the most important aspects of a LinkedIn profile is the picture. The profile picture really separates a LinkenIn profile from a typical, run-of-the-mill resume site. As is true for any online profile, the picture is crucial. The headshot should feature you from the shoulders upwards and be a good quality image. Nothing is worse than a pixelated profile picture of someone's whole body. PRowl PR's in-house photographer takes professional headshots once a year which has been very beneficial for our members. 

2. Think in Keywords
Load up your profile with straightforward search term. If you're unsure of which words to use, look through the jobs section of LinkedIn to find ads for open positions that are similar to your own job. What keywords turn up there? Reuse the relevant words and phrases in your own profile.

3. Add Videos, Images, and Links
Earlier this year, LinkedIn introduced a new multimedia feature in which its users can add graphics, slideshows (using Slideshare), documents, and links to other online content, such as your online portfolio. Providing visuals to break up the text goes a long way toward improving a profile. I recently just added a few YouTube videos I was featured in and I truly believe having multimedia content makes my profile stand out.

4. Utilize the Who's Viewed Your Profile Feature 
One of my favorite features on LinkedIn is that the site tells you when someone else has looked at your profile. Make sure to turn on the notifications for this feature. It's a great way to get a heads-up about people or organization who are interested in you for some reason. If the person checking out your profile is in some way valuable to you, you might take some steps to facilitate their ability to contact you, such as following them on Twitter.

5. Get Recommendations
I love the fact that LinkedIn encourages its users to reach out to past employers and/or colleagues to provide recommendations. What better way to prove your credibility than to have a recommendation that anyone who views your profile has access to reading. I make sure at the end of every internship that I reach out to my supervisor for a LinkedIn recommendation.

Do you have any other LinkedIn tips? We want to know!

No LinkedIn? No Job.

LinkedIn has become a staple in job and internship searches.  It gives employers a way to check out your experience and internet presence before you even step foot into an interview.  This can be a great opportunity for you to make a statement about your professional self.  It can also be a way for you to lose points with an interviewer.

I was recently told by a family member that they knew of a company that wouldn't hire someone if they didn't have a LinkedIn profile.  My family member was shocked.  They don't have a Facebook or a Twitter or a LinkedIn simply because they don't feel the need to share so much information with the public.

I explained that there are many benefits of LinkedIn, but only if it is used properly.  I've had a lot of classes that require you to make a LinkedIn and all too often after the class is over students neglect their profile.  That sends a negative message to potential employers.  I think LinkedIn is a great way to connect with the professional community, but if you're going to have a profile it's important to keep a few things in mind:

Use it. Don't just let your profile sit with a blank picture and out of date information.  Even if you don't check it every day, make sure you're updating your content and interacting with people once and a while.

Join groups.  There are tons of groups on LinkedIn that talk about job postings or just advice for young professionals.  They are a great resource.

Connect the right way.  It's important that you're personalizing your messages when asking to connect with someone, especially if it's someone you're interested in getting a job with.  That little message is your first chance to show someone who you are.

So whether you have an up to date and well used LinkedIn or you're just considering getting a profile, keep these tips in mind! 

Do you think it is wrong for companies to disregard interviewees because they don't have a LinkedIn? Share your thoughts!

The Social Media High School Yearbook

For most college students, high school seems like it was just yesterday. We all remember the cliques that made up the student body like the nerds, the athletes and the band geeks. Each group had their own interests and similar personalities that set them apart from the rest.

In the dawn of the social media age, I guess you could say that social media sites are the high school of the Internet.

Wix, a popular web desgin company, took a look at social networks and found out which site fit each cliche high school stereotype. Based on what we all are sharing, Wix developed this inforgraphic comparing each social network to a high school stereotype.

For example, YouTube is the drama enthusiast. Twitter is the Chatty Cathy. Instagram, naturally, is the flirt of the bunch.

Check out the rest of the social media yearbook to see where you fit in:

Can you think of any other social media stereotypes? Let us know!

We Are the Twenty Percent!

In the world of business, ROI is everything. In order to increase your ROI, you need to ensure you are delivering the right message, to the right audience, through the correct channel.

Online, there are seven types of audiences: altruists, selectives, passionates, connectors, trendspotters, provocateurs, and careerists.Of these consumers, only 20% are high sharers, active users, like us, whom generally create original content and whom are loyal to online brands, and the other 80% are considered low sharers, consumers not loyal to a specific brand and whom are not very active on social media. In general, campaigns should be tailored to your company's or organization's high sharers. Below, I will highlight the characteristics of each type of high share consumer and how to cater to them.

1. Altruists account for the largest percentage of social consumers. They re-tweet, post and share because of a desire to help others. Altruists are especially important to focus on for non-profits and fundraising endeavors. The most effective way to engage altruists is through Facebook and email.
2.  Selectives make up the second highest percentage of social consumers. They strategically share information and content with specific users. These consumers use email most frequently to share content.
3. Passionates share content and information because of a common passion they share with their followers and friends. They can be frequently found on Facebook and on customer review sites.
4. Connectors share information in order to create opportunities. They generally will link multiple account to optimize their social experience. They are most commonly found and can be reached on Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr and Facebook.
5. Trendspotters want to be in and let others know they are in the know. They attempt to increase their credibility via multiple social channels and can be found on YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, foursquare, Flickr, Facebook and Delicious. 
6. Provocateurs are always looking to get a reaction. Bloggers are generally included in the this category and can be reached on YouTube, Wordpress/Blogger, Twitter, LinkedIn, foursqare, Flickr and Delicious. 
7. Careerists general use social sites for business and networking purposes. In general, Careerists utilize YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr and Facebook.

The number of followers and analytics of your company's page are no longer an appropriate measure of a campaign's success. Targeting high share consumers to generate recommondations and inspire creation of content is the appropriate means to increase engagement, brand loyalty, and ROI.

This post is based on the Huffington post article written by Jennifer Nagy,  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-nagy/social-media-marketing_b_1695186.html 

LinkedIn, Locked Out

On Wednesday LinkedIn users everywhere got the news that over 6.5 million user passwords leaked online. A russian forum user announced that he had hacked LinkedIn, and subsequently uploaded the millions of passwords online. The encryption LinkedIn used to safeguard its passwords was thought to be pretty secure, but it was the manner in which they stored it that caused the infiltration. LinkedIn stored the passwords as unsalted hashes, basically meaning that it made it easier and faster for hackers to crack the passwords.

Following confirmation of the hack, LinkedIn advised users to change their passwords as an extra security measure. If you have not yet changed yours, you can get instructions on how to do so here. Users who were affected by the security breach, however, have already been notified via email.

In the wake of the security breach, LinkedIn has been making changes to its security system, now transition into one with both hashed and salted passwords. During the ordeal, LinkedIn was wise to keep its users informed, in proper crisis communications fashion. The professional social media outlet utilized Twitter with up-to-date news and was quick to respond following reports of the hacking.

Does the password hack affect your feelings toward LinkedIn? Why or why not? Let us know!

Skipping Cancun for Cover Letters

For Temple students, Spring Break officially starts tomorrow. While a few of my friends may be skipping the colder Philadelphia weather for bikinis and sandy beaches, I know several others who are using this next week to catch up on their job search. With many of us so bogged down by classes, internships, jobs and student organizations, Spring Break is the perfect chance to get in gear for the job hunt. Here are a few ways home-bound seniors can spend their Spring Break productively:


1. Perfect Your Resume. Putting together a great resume takes a lot of time. Use this as a chance to read up on a few blogs about ways to spice up your resume and really make it pop. Make sure you're including links to your social profiles such as Twitter (only if you're active and professional), LinkedIn and your personal website if you have one. Also make sure you are quantifying your previous experiences. Here's an article from Come Recommended on ways to get your resume noticed.

2. Learn the Art of the Cover Letter. Often times, the cover letter is the most important document you submit for an application. It's the employer's first impression of you and you need to wow them. Cover letters also take a lot of time to put together because you should tailor each letter to each different job. Here is a great article on how to write a "knock 'em dead" cover letter from US News.

3. Link in with your LinkedIn. I know I created a LinkedIn account for myself a few years ago, and until about a week ago, it still said my profile was only 90% complete because there were missing fields I wasn't taking advantage of such as writing a summary about myself or including searchable keywords about my skills. I now have a complete profile, but there are so many components to the site all job seekers should be taking more advantage of such as joining groups and participating in forums. Corn on the Job has a great post about 5 Ways to Boost Your LinkedIn Profile.

4. Phone a Friend. I'm told by everyone I know that when it comes to the job search, its all about who you know. Take advantage of your professional network. Call up a mentor and see if you can treat them to coffee or lunch during the week so you can get advice and see if they have any insight about potential opportunities. Mentors are incredibly important during the job search process because they've experienced everything you're going through and can offer valuable advice on how to be successful.

So yes, while a pina colada and the beaches of Cancun may sound more appealing than looking for a job, just remember sometimes you need to work hard before you can play hard.

Getting the Most out of your LinkedIn Profile

Counting down the days until I graduate, my job search is well underway. While college seniors should be taking advantage of this, the website is relevant even if you aren't looking for a job after graduation. Use these tips to make the site the best professional networking tool for you.

• Writing. LinkedIn profiles are full of text if filled out with your complete work experience, which means there is always room for editing. Make your summary like an objective of a resume, short and to the point. Also, when writing the descriptions for your positions, use the same language you would in your resume and reach out to past supervisors that are on the site to write you a recommendation.
  
• Groups. There are more than enough groups for you to use as resources on LinkedIn. Once you join these groups, you can manage the amount of emails they send you with discussion updates and job postings. Groups such as InternQueen, PR Daily, #PRintern and YoungPRPros are useful to start out with, as well as any companies you would be interested in following.
  
• Apps. On your page you are allowed to choose from several applications such as Polls, Google Presentations and My Travel, but the one I have found most useful is Blog Link. Blog Link lets you have your personal blog posts streaming on your profile, which lets potential employers view your writing samples the second they scroll down on your page.
  
• Keywords. Under your job descriptions there is a small section called "Skills & Expertise". Fill this section with words that are relevant to what you are studying, or hope to have a job in. For example, my profile's keywords are social media, public relations, writing and blogging.
  
• Interaction. LinkedIn allows you to post status updates that can be connected to your Twitter, if you so choose. Utilize this space to inquire about job openings or interesting articles you have come across to get the attention of your connections and remain relevant in the newsfeed.
• Focus. With all of these features, it is important to keep a clear focus with your professional objectives. Don't join irrelevant groups and connect with everyone you went to high school with, it will only crowd your profile with information that won't benefit you.
  

How do you use LinkedIn professionally?

How PRowl Helped Me Step My Game Up

As a newbie to PRowl Public Relations, I felt as though I was ages behind my other colleagues in the realm of social media. The only social networking site in which I was involved with was the uber popular Facebook. I would obsessively check my page, make irrelevant status updates, post pictures people could care less about, and read my news feed twice over out of pure boredom. Once I became a staff member at PRowl, however, I found that almost everyone’s social media footprint was much larger than just the typical Facebook page. They had Twitters, LinkedIns, as well as personal blogs.

Their Twitter pages were full of creative hash tags and retweets of PR-related accounts. Their LinkedIn accounts were full of useful information and appeared to be completely professional for being mere college students. Their personal blogs were also a great asset in which they wrote creative posts that could potentially get them noticed in the world of PR.

So I decided I needed to step my social media game up. First, I made a Twitter. I tried my best to follow every PR-related Twitter account and to stay up to date on recent events. In an effort to broaden my social media horizon, I most recently signed up for a LinkedIn account. After I signed up however, I was completely lost! The first part of making a LinkedIn is to make a headline. I asked myself, what is a headline? How do I make mine stand out above the rest of PR students’ headlines that a potential employer could search? So I decided to trust my handy dandy search engine Google to help me learn more about LinkedIn.

The article, 4 Easy Tips for Writing a LinkedIn Headline that Sizzles, from Wilkes Business Solutions focuses on the following four pieces of advice about LinkedIn headlines:

Tip #1: Make your headline keyword rich.
LinkedIn is searchable, so you have to utilize keywords in order to be found. Decide what your personal brand statement is, choose some appropriate keywords, and make sure they end up in your headline.

Tip #2: Let visitors know who you are and how you can help them.
You want to include three components to convey this information to visitors. You want to let them know what you do, who you help, and how you help them. If you are struggling with this, you can use the formula provided here and tweak it from there as inspiration hits you. I am a (what you do) and I help (who you help) by (how you help them).

Tip #3: Capitalize the first letter of your important words to draw attention to them.
Using formatting conventions can help make your work catch a reader’s attention and, in turn, remember you. Because you can’t bold or underline the things you want to stand out in your LinkedIn Headline, you can use capitalization to help you achieve this same result.

Tip #4: Log into LinkedIn, click on edit profile, click on edit name, scroll down to headline, and rewrite your headline.
Take five minutes to log into your LinkedIn profile and change your headline. First impressions are always the most important, and you could be making a great first impression on LinkedIn visitors in a matter of minutes.

Are you new to LinkedIn? Or maybe just looking to add some “sizzle” to your established account? Let us know!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Kaitlyn Sutton.

LinkedIn: It's Who You Know

While reading the New York Times last week, I stumbled upon an article in the Technology section that questioned the high stock value of popular Social Media website LinkedIn. According to the article, LinkedIn made a profit of $243 million in 2010 and the website has been expanding rapidly in 2011 with no stalls or crashes. For those of you who are not familiar with the website, LinkedIn is a social networking site that allows one to “link” together their collegiate network, co-workers, alumni associations and professional network into one. Companies can post job openings on the website and users can see how they professionally connect to others.

LinkedIn has become a widely-used social networking tool and has attained a positive reputation in the world of virtual networking. Universities and parents are often warning teenagers and young adults to “watch what you put on your Facebook page… you never know who will see it!” However, the point of creating a LinkedIn profile is putting one’s best “professional” face forward in the hope that potential employers will see it. With Twitter, one often hears that users “tweet too often” or spend too much time updating their page. Yet, with LinkedIn, one’s professional information will change very little from day to day so the site does not need constant maintenance. Although, do not be confused: this site is a social media tool. Many have the conception that LinkedIn is simply a portal for resumes, but there are other uses and features on the website. While it may not be as “social” as other social media networks, it definitely has its perks.

If you have a LinkedIn or are considering creating one, here are some helpful tips on how to maximize your profile, coming straight from the source (LinkedIn Blog):

1. Become an expert on the career you want to pursue

Read LinkedIn Today, do daily news searches on your chosen industry, or look into the new feature LinkedIn Signal

2. Optimize your LinkedIn Profile for your new career

Make a strong summary statement of your career goals, make sure your headline shows off your professional side, and post any/all “transferable” skills you have.

3. Join LinkedIn groups related to your desired career

Include professional organizations from your University or community and look at what groups others in your industry are a part of.

4. Alert your network to your career change plans

Send personalized messages to individuals in your network if looking for a job or opportunity and make sure your title is up to date.

5. Talk to anyone who works or has worked in the field you want to join

Ask your existing network for recommendations and don’t be afraid to ask questions! Ask for tips, publications and advice in attaining your desired career.

6. Sign up for LinkedIn job alerts

Customize your job alerts by location, function, keyword, etc. and know when a position opens up.

7. Make real world changes

Take advice from others profiles and see what areas of your professional skills need improvement.

From personal usage, I would advise uploading a professional photo for your profile to make it more personal, making sure that all of the information on your site is accurate, and getting recommendations from current or past employers. The more positive reinforcement and information you have available, the more it shows that you put time and effort into your profile. Everyone in the social media world knows that putting your best face forward counts! And, don’t be afraid to post updates about relevant topics. The connections you notice are the connections that make themselves known. Lastly, make use of your connections! Do not be afraid to message your friends parents or your neighbors to ask about their career paths. You never know what a little bit of initiative and networking can do! After all, LinkedIn has helped to show us that it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Meagan Prescott.

Are you LinkedIn?

LinkedIn has proven to be a powerful tool in the workplace. It provides professionals the opportunity to showcase their credentials to future employers as well as interact and make connections with other professionals. Just as it is important to be thorough and consistent in your work, it is also important to portray yourself as such on you LinkedIn, as it is the primary medium that your colleagues will go to in order to find out more about you. In an article for Ragan.com, Pete Cordella touched upon a few basics on getting your LinkedIn profile noticed for all the right reasons:

• Complete your personal profile-There's nothing more debilitating to your LinkedIn presence as having an incomplete profile. Filling out all of your information allows others to see where you have been as well as what your qualifications are for future reference.
  
• Join groups- Great minds think alike. By joining groups you will be able to easily connect with people who are in the same boat as you and may be able to help you find your ideal job, as well as collect support for a non-profit.
• Build connections-Be sure to share LinkedIn information after meetings, that way you will build a strong network to rely on when you are in need of a favor or an introduction. One way you can do this is by trading business cards and always entering in that person's information, because you never know when you may need that one connection to push you in the right direction.
• List your company-By making a LinkedIn for your company, you will have the opportunity to provide job opportunitites, contact and social media information, as well as showcase your services for the public to see.
• List your skills-Make it known that you have skills that set you apart from every John Doe in your field. By listing any languages you are fluent in, software that you are literate in, etc. you will create an instant resume for future employers to consult when deciding whether or not to pick you as a member of their team.

Consider these tips. Have you dusted off your LinkedIn lately? If not, try some of the pointers above, you may be surprised by the number of opportunities that come your way.

Hook Recruiters on LinkedIn

As opposed to Facebook, LinkedIn should be utilized as your professional social networking site. It is not to update friends about your weekend happenings, but instead to "link in" with professionals in your area of interest as well as to stay connected with other professionals you meet while networking. LinkedIn can also be used to see who's hiring who, but according to this article by Liz Seasholtz (with contribution from Lewis Howes, author of LinkedWorking), you need to be a little more refined with your professional online identity.

Here are a few tricks to help lure recruiters:

Be Complete
LinkedIn says you're 40 times more likely to turn up in a search if your profile is complete.

Fly Under the Radar
You most likely don't want people to know you viewed their profile. If this is true, go to the homepage and click "Who's viewed my profile?" in the right column. Then click "Edit Visibility Settings" and select "Don't show users that I've viewed their profile."

Start a Group
Being the owner of a group raises your visibility. Anytime someone views it they see your name and Web site.

Customize
Custom URLs are easier to remember, look better in an e-mail signature and increase your profile's rank in search results.

Create a Compelling Headline
If you're unemployed, state your specialty where you would normally put your title.

Say Cheese!
Keep your profile pic professional!

Thanks to www.WetFeet.com for the great tips! Click here to view the full article.