RSS
Home
LinkedIn networking and job search
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.jpg)
AP Photo / Elise Amendola
The art of job search has taken on a whole new look. Searching for jobs through the want ads has almost become a dinosaur of the past. Networking sites have become a big draw for the unemployed because of the need to expand the job hunt scope. There are many online networking tools that have almost taken the place of physical networking. Even though it is important to mix old and new schools of networking, a job seeker no longer has to leave their chair in order to do all of their networking and look for a job. LinkedIn is one of the more popular networking sites that professionals use to search for jobs or find others in the same profession.
For those that are not aware of the LinkedIn, it is a powerful Internet networking tool. Used mostly by professionals, it helps job seekers reach out and cover a broader market than they would by attending social gatherings or other networking events. A basic subscription to LinkedIn is free, however, you can upgrade to additional features by paying additional charges. For the average job seeker or networking individual, the free site will suffice.
To get started on LinkedIn, you will need to join and set up your personal profile. The profile will begin by asking basic information such as your name and e-mail address. It will also ask for information such as current and past employers, websites, interests, etc. If job hunting is your primary reason for joining LinkedIn, you will want to spend quality time developing your profile. This will allow you to put your best “electronic foot” forward for potential employers and companies to see.
LinkedIn is a powerful tool. The number of people you can reach is astronomical. For example, I may have only 14 contacts at the moment, but they have 1100+ connections and there are 151,000 in my network. These figures alone show what a dynamic tool LinkedIn is for connecting to individuals and companies.
It is important to remember, that for the most part LinkedIn is not considered to be a social networking site to take the place of a good old fashion face to face meet and greet. As unemployment continues to grow, job seekers will need to start searching outside the box in order to make the right connections and find recruiters and companies looking for qualified applicants. LinkedIn is a networking tool utilized by many professionals to find connections in today’s job market. While nothing will ever take the place of the face to face meet and greet, utilizing online networking tools is the current trend to searching for jobs.
Do you Twitter? Please feel free to connect to Dianne on Twitter. Her user name is diawalker.
Related Articles:
Comments
