“How do I use LinkedIn to get a job?”
I was asked this question via email by a podcast listener. It seems he is under the impression that having a LinkedIn profile would somehow equal a new job.
Confused by this, I decided to ask a few people what they believe is the purpose of LinkedIn.
Many people I talked to (emailed) believe LinkedIn is a replacement for the resume, others think it’s to get noticed by recruiters, and some actually believe they can get a new job with just their LinkedIn presence.
They are all wrong. And they are all right. Kind of.
LinkedIn can help you accomplish some of those things if, and this is a big if, you keep in mind the real purpose of LinkedIn.
LinkedIn was designed to serve a single purpose. Every function/feature on LinkedIn was added to help it achieve this purpose.
From your contact count, your profile, your experiences, and interests, to the “who viewed you today” stats, where are all designed to leverage the real value of the LinkedIn platform.
LinkedIn was designed to be and still is a professional networking site.
Everything LinkedIn does is to facilitate helping you meet other working professionals. If you can understand this and implement it, you’ll be better off than the vast majority of people who have a LinkedIn account.
THE LINKEDIN MISSION
LinkedIn was founded by Reid Hoffman and officially launched on May 5th, 2003. YES, you read that correctly. LinkedIn has been around for over 12 years.
On it’s about page LinkedIn tells us it is:
“The world’s largest professional network with 300 million members in over 200 countries and territories around the globe.”
Notice they did not say it is the largest “what do you do in your spare time” network. It’s a network for working professionals whose mission is to:
“Connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. When you join LinkedIn, you get access to people, jobs, news, updates, and insights that help you be great at what you do.”
If you are looking for like-minded career professionals LinkedIn is your place.
HOW TO NETWORK ON LINKEDIN
In order to get the most from LinkedIn, you need to use it for networking as intended. This means reaching out to other professionals with similar interests with the intent of adding value to them and expecting nothing in return.
With this mind, I put together the following list of wrong and better ways to network via LinkedIn. This is obviously not an exhaustive list.
It’s more of a starting point for a larger conversation. So to get the conversation started here’s my list. My question for you is what would add or take away?
Wrong ways to network on LinkedIn
1 – Connecting with random individuals
If the only reason you’re connecting with a person is to add to your connection count, you’re doing it wrong. You are not networking. You are being a spammer. Stop doing that.
2 – Selling your services or asking for something 32 seconds after someone accepts your request.
Do not immediately start selling your services. You barely know your new connection and chances are high you’ve provided absolutely no value to them. Hold the selling for later or never.
As for those people who immediately ask for something, Mark Babbitt, author of The World Gone Social and a guest on the BRAND New You podcast, refers to these folks as Ask-Holes.
I think you can figure out what he means. Don’t be an Ask-Hole.
3 – Joining a group to push your agenda
Basically the same as number 2 except now you’re doing it in a group setting. You might as well stand on a chair during a networking function and try to sell your wares.
You’re making the same impression anyway. It’s bad form. Don’t do it.
Better ways to network on LinkedIn
So if none of the items above represent a smart course of action, what does? Here are a few suggestions to get the conversation started.
1 – Connect in a common career field
When you connect with someone on LinkedIn have a legitimate reason such as you are in the same career field and you want to compare notes. In this way, you both benefit from the knowledge shared and gained.
2 – Connect for a cause
Connecting with people who share your interests or who support the same causes is another great way to add value to both parties. This could lead to a cross promotion or mutually beneficial joint ventures.
3 – Join a group and help it be successful
According to Don Orlando, career coach and LinkedIn expert, one of the first things you should do after joining a group is ask the owner of the group how you can help make the group successful.
Once you understand the keys to the group’s success start contributing in a meaningful way. I suggest you treat the group as if it were your own. If you do I think you’ll find yourself adding value with every post.
4 – Make use of the LinkedIn features
This may seem random but it's not. Take advantage of the features on LinkedIn such as the posting feature. Sharing your thoughts and experiences on a topic is a great way to add value.
Don’t think your experiences are unique or would add value? Remember, you have experiences unlike anyone else. How you embraced those experiences and what you learned from them may provide the right amount of motivation for someone else.
Not a comprehensive list
As I stated above this is not a complete list of possible right or wrong ways to use LinkedIn. Nor is it intended to be. It is, however, intended to be a conversation starter so let’s converse.
QUESTION: What are your thoughts? What are some other ways you can network on LinkedIn? Leave your comments below.
