Top 7 Tips for Making the Most Out of LinkedIn

There are a lot of social networks out there, and more and more of them are specialized. One of these very specialized networks is LinkedIn. LinkedIn is social site for professionals. You can use this site to network, find a job, find employees, hire consultants and much more.

Many people are flocking to LinkedIn, but some are finding that the site may be a bit intimidating. It doesn’t have to be intimidating or difficult; using LinkedIn can actually be quite easy and very rewarding. The following tips aim to assist in making the site a more useful tool for you for whatever you intend to use it for. These are the top tips that can help you make the most out of LinkedIn.

1.) Upload a profile photo. Uploading a photo help those that you already know to see that it really is you, and it can help those you want to know and connect with to see that you are indeed a real person. When selecting a photo, not just any picture will do. Even if just a snapshot, you want something that looks as professional as possible; you should look polished and the background should be neat and clean. This is definitely not the place for using a picture of your pet, a child or a celebrity for a profile image.

2.) Fill in your profile information completely and honestly. It’s okay to not fill in all the blanks on some social sites’ profiles, but you don’t want to leave anything undone with LinkedIn, especially if you are hoping a new opportunity could come out of your membership with this site. Fill everything out, and make sure that everything is spelled correctly with proper grammar.

3.) Include your full employment history on your profile. This is a time consuming step, but it could be made easier if you have a résumé ready to upload. By taking the time to fill out this area, you are letting people and companies that potentially want to work with you what you have done in the past. Additionally, you may have existing contacts from previous employers that are already on LinkedIn. These people could become great sources for new leads, referrals and more.

4.) Write a headline. This is your chance to sum yourself up and put your best foot forward for anyone who happens to come across your profile. The headline should say who you are and what you do. Make sure that your headline is professional, well-written and concise. A slip up with your headline could be much worse than not having one at all.

5.) Connect with people you know right away. You may know people who are already on LinkedIn so connect with them. Also, as you fill out your profile and employment information, LinkedIn can help guide you to people you know already because you may have worked or studied with them. As you contact former colleagues, send them a brief, polite note with your request telling them why you want to connect. Don’t come right out and ask for a job or favor right away, as it may make you look needy or entitled.

6.) Join some groups. The groups available on LinkedIn are one of the greatest features. Join groups relevant to your career and industry, and after you join, get active by answering questions and joining conversations. You can start to look like a bit of an expert in your area, and this might get you noticed by a potential employer.

7.) If you are on LinkedIn looking for employment connections because you are unemployed, don’t say that you are unemployed. Sure, if someone asks you point blank, don’t lie, but definitely don’t advertise that you are out of work. Employers and recruiters tend to like to hire those that already have jobs, as unfair as that sounds. If you are out of work, this may be a good time to start calling yourself a freelancer, as you surely would take on individual projects if they would happen to come your way.

This article is written by Kevin Moor, who also writes for tweakwindows7.net, a site emphasizing on antivirus software.