LinkedIn groups - are you building relationships for job networking?

By now, many people have had some exposure to social media, and are aware of some of the more popular sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  It’s probably safe to say that many professionals, especially job seekers or those in career transition have used LinkedIn to some extent.  With the rash of layoffs that began at the end of last year, one beneficiary was job networking site LinkedIn. LinkedIn saw a huge increase in visitors, as posted in the TechCrunch article on February 14, 2009, As The Economy Sours, LinkedIn’s Popularity Grows.

So, now you have joined a few groups, created your LinkedIn profile, added a few contacts, and have done a few job or company searches – now what?  Most users of LinkedIn are aware of the capability to connect with others to build a network, but perhaps not as many use a very valuable tool LinkedIn provides – the groups feature.  For both the LinkedIn user with some experience with the groups feature, and anyone visiting LinkedIn for the first time due to a recent job layoff, a few “best practice” guidelines for becoming a group member are worth mentioning.  

Being an “active”, contributing member of a group, versus sitting on the sidelines, provides the opportunity to share your knowledge that may benefit others job seekers or those pursuing a career change.  Much like networking, the focus should be “how can I help someone else”, rather than “what’s in it for me?” 

By answering questions, starting a discussion, submitting a news article, or posting a job opportunity, a person begins to build their reputation as someone who contributes valuable information to the group.  Sharing tools, tips, late-breaking news, website links, and career articles begins to build a personal brand, make a person memorable, and tends to differentiate them as a valuable resource that others will want to connect with.     

“Way too many people join Linkedin, build their profile and sit back . . . waiting for people to come find them.  Now, that does happen. Recruiters can now find you and that is a good thing.  But, Linkedin is really not about being found, it's about finding others and building relationships with them.”

- Posted by Tim Tyrell-Smith on March 15, 2009 in Linkedin for Job Search    
  (see SpinStrategy blog for other top job search groups and great job search tips)

Joining a group

• In LinkedIn, click on the Groups link below the Home link and use the ‘Search Groups’ feature to find a group category that contains groups you might want to join, have an interest in, or want to learn more about.  (Ex: ‘non-profits’, ‘green jobs’, ‘social media’, ‘technology’, etc.)
• After joining, be sure to check the Overview tab to see if the group owner has any special considerations or requirements for participating as a group member
• View the Discussions, News, Jobs, More* ( *has drop down menu for Updates, and Members) to read what members are saying, view the information they are sharing, and to get a “feel” for the group

 
Contributing to a group

• Find a way to add value, help others by sharing your knowledge and expertise, provide a tip, share what you read on the web, answer questions, start a discussion, post job leads
• Take an interest in others, find a similar hobby or something in common, and interact  
• Offer your services, volunteer, follow people in your locality or industry   

 
Starting a group

• If you have some specific knowledge or expertise that might benefit others, starting a group is a good way to help others and build your brand, at the same time
• Share information, tools, tips, late-breaking news, start discussions, and invite new members to join the group
• Become a source of cutting edge information and share it with others
• Note: some have found this to be a way to generate more contacts, build brand awareness, and even get a job interview

 
Benefits of joining a group

• Network with other members and share career information, job leads, tools, and tips
• Join groups with members of similar interests to “connect” with a wider base of contacts
• If you make yourself valuable / memorable, others will want to make you a part of their network and follow you
• Follow discussions, track industry news, post a resume (if group allows), view job postings  

Tips & takeaways

• Take an interest in others, find a similar hobby or something in common, get to know people better (having common interests outside the initial group connection strengthens the relationship)
• Offer your services, volunteer, follow people in your locality or industry  
• Interact: share your knowledge, provide a tip, share what you read on the web  
• Don’t just build a profile and wait for jobs / others to come to you, be an “active” group member, and think “what value can I add today”?
• Be a matchmaker, share contacts / information, build your network
• Maintain your network: staying in touch is more important than the original connection  
• Find a way to add value, help others - comments can lead to contacts, contacts can turn into quality relationships

Many LinkedIn groups exist, and a few are worth mentioning.  The bolded entries are some of the most popular networking groups serving the Richmond, VA area.

Recommended career/ job search / other professional groups
•    About.com Careers and Job Search
•    Career Prospectors
•    Career Rocketeer | Career Launch Network
•    Central Virginia Business and Networking
•    E-Recruitment Group (Post Jobs) (Post Resumes)
•    Indeed.com
•    Interview Angel    
•    IT Careers in Richmond, VA  
•    Linking The LaidOff
•    madison+main, the NEW MEDIA group  
•    Richmond IT Professionals
•    Spin Strategy™ - Tools for Intelligent Job Search  
•    St. Michael Job Assistance Ministry - JAM
•    TwitterJobSearch.com
•    Virginia Career Network

LinkedIn’s improved people search continues to drive a lot of new activity on the site. The groups feature, although not new, is often overlooked, and can be better leveraged for job networking, brand building, and creating quality relationships.
 

 - Daulton West, Jr. , aka ”dwestjr” on Twitter

Other articles that may be of interest:

Social Media and the Job Hunt (SMCEDU-RVA event)
3 sites to help in your job search: the social media 'power trio'
8 tips for creating a social networking plan for your job search
Do you need a social media champion?
Using Twitter for career networking
Nonprofits embracing social media for fund raising
Are you using a blog to build your brand and build your business?
Best practices tip: post high value messages to build your brand
The Legal of Social (SMCRVA - Feb 2010 review)
LinkedIn groups – are you building relationships for job networking?
Professional networking with Facebook
Are you using the power of a Google profile to promote your brand?
Using social media to help Haiti earthquake victims - Together we can make a difference!
Are Twitter lists the new #FollowFriday? Are you using Twitter lists to monitor your brand?
New Hootsuite & Tweetdeck features, Facebook - News Feed / Live Feed defined

 More social media news, views, tools, & tips: Richmond Social Media Examiner