In our conversations we have discovered that while many professionals and small business owners know about Facebook and Twitter, many have never heard about LinkedIn. Even more troubling, many job seekers are not part of this business networking site that is often the first stop for human resource professionals looking to research a job applicant.
Here are some facts:
- LinkedIn has over 60 million members in over 200 countries
- A new member joins LinkedIn approximately every second
- Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members.
LinkedIn is basically an interconnected network of professionals. When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional expertise and accomplishments. You can then form connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn, if they are not already a member, and connect to you. Your network consists of your connections, your connections’ connections, and the people they know, linking you to a vast number of qualified professionals and experts.
Through your network you can:
- Manage your online professional profile
- Find and be introduced to potential clients, service providers, and subject experts
- Collaborate on projects
- Be found for business opportunities and job offers
- Gain new insights from discussions with professionals in private group settings
- Discover inside connections that can help you land jobs and close deals
- Post and distribute job listings to find the best talent for your company
- Reconnect with past colleagues and business associates
LinkedIn is free to join, but it does take some effort to create a decent profile, and seek out the people you want to be part of your network. If you are not currently a member of LinkedIn, and would like to join, let us know. We help set you up and get you started.
