The current majority of active professionals will be at least aware of, if not intimately familiar with, the processes and benefits of Linkedin. For those who may not be: Linkedin is among the largest of the hybrid social media/professional networking sites around today; the other two primaries (albeit less professionally oriented) are Facebook and Twitter. Yet, there are several areas of focus by which Linkedin differentiates itself from the others, and it is these spotlights which can directly affect your job search.
These areas are as follows:
Networking
Linkedin is uniquely built as a wide-casting social network, yet keyed specifically toward the realm of business. Therefore the connections you make on Linkedin are not merely friend-of-friend associations, but are a legitimate growth of your professional network. And like any network, online or in the real world, it must be curated and fostered. Reach out, engage with your connections, share their posts (if relevant), and write endorsements. Odds are that most of your efforts with not only be well-received, but reciprocated.
Get used to the Spotlight
As mentioned above, the more active you are in your network engagements, the greater attention you’re going to garner; increasing the chances you will catch the eye of an influential viewer. Get to know your network, not just individually, but as reflections of your market niches. When you do this, you’ll be able to tailor, craft, and share content that is guaranteed to be of direct interest to your colleagues, however far removed. As you perfect this process, your content, name, and brand will become part-and-parcel of your extended network’s daily activities.
Related: Beyond Your Profile Page: Why Execs Must Remain Active on LinkedIn
Moving On
Now, with the crucial basics well in hand, we can move on to direct application; namely, how to effectively secure opportunities on Linkedin, as well as an understanding of how often people find success. Based upon a joint research study with Linkedin and Louadlergroup.com, networking has become the predominant method for modern professionals to seek and find new opportunities and advance their careers; even among the most active and ambitious candidates.
This particular survey yielded a great many important facts, not the least of which speaks to the incredible effectiveness of internet networking; upwards of nearly 85 percent of critical positions are now filled by networking in one aspect or another. One crucial perspective to keep in mind throughout this process is this: Effective networking is not simply going for broke in racking up the biggest numbers in the shortest time. While high numbers are never a de facto negative, the approach is not going to yield the desired results on their own. This is not, after all, a game of ranking per Twitter followers. Your end game should seek to make effective and relevant connections. The best strategy is to focus on identifying a few very well-connected (and well-respected) individuals on whom you can rely to be active and vocal in referring you to a few more well-connected people.
In the end-game scenario, six people in tangent are 100 percent more useful to you than 300 people spread across the board.
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