LinkedIn one piece of your career hunt…

building professional relationships

Dr Ira Kaufman

Lynchburg College School of Business and Economics

How to Get Your Profile to 100%

•Upload a professional photo

•Create a convincing headline

•List your current job and two previous positions

•Add your education

•Add a profile summary

•Include your specialties

•Receive 3 recommendations

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=89265745&locale=en_US&trk=tyah2

• customer service associate , student Lynchburg college, dedicated

Tips

• Get the LinkedIn URL you want. Most LinkedIn profiles URLs will have be a slash and then your name (/your name) at the end of them. Names can be common, so try to get yours first.

• Make sure your LinkedIn profile is public (go to account settings to check). If you want to tap all the capabilities of LinkedIn, and be able to have people search for you and examine your career experience, you need a public profile.

• Matchmaker – connecting your strong points with a company's needs

Headline –

~7 words (120 characters)

1. Think value proposition - how do you provide value? Be as specific as possible here and remember the old saying: "the nicher, the richer".

2. Think target audience - whom do you provide value for and who will read this? It's not always the end customer that is the decision maker.

3. Unique selling point - you are likely to be stacked up against your competitors and you had better have your USP in the headline already to stand out.

4. Think keywords, pepper your headline with the keywords that you think people will do searches for. The more technical terms here the better (software, standards, certifications etc).

5. Think memorable. Your greatest challenge online is to be remembered so be creative and/or funny so that your headline sticks with the people that matter

Ask the ?

By reading this we instantly know what the person does, whom they do it for and what is their unique offering – even it’s a sense of humor.

Headline – samples

• Sales executive with 15+ years in the entertainment industry | ABC, NBC, Sony Music & Warner Bros | MBA, Wharton

• Visionary Results-Driven Senior Sales Executive

• Helping British Farmers Sell Truckloads of Class I Turnips

Summary…Online Resume

• 2000 characters • Share your enthusiasm, values and work ethic • Emphasize your value to a organization • Not boastful, clear • Use keywords

– What are targeted companies using in their job descriptions; match job requirements (exact wording)

– Use on profiles-- website, LinkedIn

• Clean up spelling and grammar • List specialties

Sample

• http://www.linkedin.com/in/irakaufman

Ask for Recommendations

• Business contacts

• Internships

• Business neighbors

• Members of your place of worship

Optimize Your Profile to Get Found

•Edit your public profile URL •Include custom links for your website/blog •Write your summary in first person •Include keywords in your summary •Add your Twitter accounts •Use specialties to list your areas of expertise •Include your skills by searching first targeted companies •Make your profile publically visible to everyone

Updating your status

•Best to update during business hours •Include links back to your website/blog •Use LinkedIn Today for “TOP NEWS” •Share trending news •Choose posts that are relevant to your target markets • Less is better; don’t be wordy •Share your content to multiple sources •Updates can be sent to Twitter

Groups to Join

• Delta Sig 3000 +

http://www.linkedin.com/groupsDirectory?itemaction=mclk&anetid=36964&impid=36964-2407547&pgkey=anet_about&actpref=anet_about-gbm&trk=anet_about-gbm-group&goback=.gdr_1323141499742_1.anb_2407547_*2

• 10+ groups that are associated with the career path and expertise

Applications Enrich Your Profile

•Share your slideshows with SlideShare

•Display your portfolio

•Amazon shares your reading list and reviews

•Display your latest Blog entries

•Add your latest events

•Huddle Workspaces

•Latest Tweets

Advanced People SEARCH

© www.TheMarketingNetwork.com.au 15

Examples

1. Category

2. Position

3. Qualities

4. Keywords

Do's and Don'ts of LinkedIn Etiquette • Remember the reason people join LI is to connect

• Be honest; don’t exaggerate

• Include a personal message on invites

• Don’t say You know someone or are a friend if you don’t – you can be blacklisted

• Be professionally appropriate (no pets, quirky backgrounds or funny expressions)

• Develop your credibility – and build relationships

• Never to ask directly for a job -- it’s not polite or appropriate- unless its listed

• Be prompt in your exchanges

How to network?

• Status updates with keywords to your targeted firms,

jobs • Interact with groups • Build connections--Expand your contact list.

– Family, friends, neighbors, members of your church and college friends

– Ask your connections to introduce you to their network or a contact

– Engage with LI Answers – Target LI Skills aggregates all LI data related to your skill;

connect with thought leaders in your network

• Use LinkedIn’s in-mail system to contact any members

Answers

http://www.linkedin.com/answers?trk=tab_answers

• Ask question

• Search answer category

• Answer questions

• Make comments

• Connect with thought leaders or targeted companies on your interest areas

APS add content -helps make the match

• Behance – creative portfolio

• Slideshare

• Reading list

• Box.net file upload

How to write about their job?

• Prepare • Understand their company culture • Know what they want and • Find people (in the company who are alumni/

contacts from LI Answers) who have similar interests and ask to connect with them- develop a relationship

• Be brave – they can only say no • Demonstrate your value

GET TO KNOW COMPANIES You Are Interested

• Listen to conversations --Facebook , Twitter

• Target advanced company search – drill down- (accountants, Virginia, strong values)

• Research Employees median age , backgrounds, degrees, schools and fields – core mission

– ST/ LT directions

• Company Culture

• Value proposition

Upload a resume

• Cut and paste it in your profile

• Create a free website site, YouTube video and upload it as a PDF as the website – list URL

• Box.net application – for uploading files to LI

Creativity Buys Precious Attention

© www.TheMarketingNetwork.com.au 23

6 Point LinkedIn Strategy 1. Every Monday: Change something within your

profile and review for keywords/SEO

2. Invite people to connect with you;

3. Update your status 2 times/ day during business hours

4. Join groups in an industry that you want to be in

5. Ask Questions and Answer Questions

6. Put your contact email in your professional headline

About the Presenter Ira Kaufman, President, Ira combines 30 years of rich experiences

with businesses and non-profits to guide them to leverage the power

of social media for marketing, recruitment and organizational

development. Ira collaborates with a team of experts to design

interactive environments to by integrating traditional advertising,

online marketing, public relations and social media. His strong values

and sensitivity to organization innovation and change are the

foundation of his work. Ira has a PhD in Marketing and serves as a

consultant, public speaker, and lecturer for companies and Senior

Executive programs. Currently Assistant Professor, Lynchburg

College School of Business and Economics.

© 2011

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/irakaufman Facebook: http://facebook.com/irakaufman Twitter: http://twitter.com/ira9201