PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING SKILLS

Getting the Most Out of LinkedIn
By Adam Sherwin

My favorite movie this year was The Social Network.  I enjoyed thinking back to the time, only several years ago, when Facebook was just taking off and no one, not even Mark Zuckerberg, had any idea where it was going.  Of course, that isn’t the case today.  Facebook is such a part of our lives that the mystery of what it is suppose to be is long gone.  Many of us—students and professionals—rely on it as a daily part of our lives.

As a recent graduate of law school, I’m realizing more and more that the next chapter of social networking will be career networking, particularly through LinkedIn.  Compared to Facebook, LinkedIn gets little attention.  Many of us are on it, but few talk about it, and even fewer have any idea how to use it.  Like Facebook was years ago, LinkedIn is still a mystery to many of us.  However, I am predicting that soon, LinkedIn is going change the way we build our careers in the same way that Facebook has changed the way we connect with our friends.  With over 90 million users and growing, LinkedIn is the next big thing, and with a tough job market today, there is no better time to get started with it.

I don’t claim to an expert on LinkedIn, nor do I have a great story about how my profile has landed me a job.  Like networking in general, I think success with LinkedIn needs to be a long term goal.  But, having spoken with others about ways to get the most out of LinkedIn, here are some things that I’ve learned that might be of help to you:

• Complete Your Profile:  Too many LinkedIn profiles read more like a job application and less like a resume.  Think of your LinkedIn profile as a resume on steroids.  Good profiles have well written career goals, good job descriptions, and are interesting to read.  Many profiles on LinkedIn today are limited to a list of past employers, with no jobs descriptions or list of accomplishments.  Not only does this not help you with networking, it may even hurt you.  When I see a weak profile, my first thought (shared by many others that I have spoken to) is that the person isn’t serious about networking, which is definitely not the message you want to send with your profile.  Take the time to do a complete profile.
• Accessorize Your Profile:  A LinkedIn profile isn’t a one-page resume.  You can, and should, add much more to it.  On my profile, I have copies of my writing samples and presentations, available to anyone viewing my profile.  Take advantage of the recommendation feature and ask contacts who know your work to do a brief recommendation that will be available for viewing right on your profile.  All of these accessories make for a stronger profile, and may even help start a conversation with a contact.  Finally, just as no resume format works for everyone, there is no single perfect LinkedIn profile either. Your profile settings let you move different sections of your page around, which you can use to highlight certain areas over others.        
• Join Groups:  LinkedIn groups are the single best feature of the site.  You’ll find thousands of groups in every area you can image, made up of people looking for the same networking you are.  I have found that LinkedIn groups are much better than many “official” networking groups, such as those for schools and organizations.  For example, through LinkedIn, I have been able to connect with thousands of fellow Eagle Scouts across the country, which would have been next to impossible without the group feature.  This started with a discussion board message, inviting fellow Eagle Scouts who were interested in connecting with all other Eagle Scouts to make a message post.  I did so, and months later, I’m connected with dozens of other Eagle Scouts, all just as interested as I am in building connections.  Take advantage of LinkedIn groups to find groups related to your interests.  Don’t see the group you are looking for?  Start your own.

Make and Organize Contacts:  LinkedIn warns users to not connect with people they do not know.  Ignore this advice.  While I agree that blindly connecting with users is a bad idea, you get more out of LinkedIn when you connect with people you don’t know who share similar interests and goals.  Co-workers, friends, and family are good starts, but look to users in your groups as other people to send an invitation to.  Finally, and most importantly, organize your contacts.  The “Contacts” page of your account sorts your contacts automatically, but I add more specific labels in order to better organize the people I connect with. 

I wasn’t a fan of LinkedIn at first, but I like it a little more each time I use it.  I’m not sure where career networking will be going, but I know that I’ll ready for it when it really takes off.  I hope these suggestions have been helpful to you, and I encourage you to share your own ways on how we can all get the most out of LinkedIn.  And of course, feel free to send me an invitation to connect.  Happy networking! 

Adam Sherwin is a recent graduate of Vermont Law School and passed the New York Bar Examination last summer. He now works in Massachusetts and plans to practice in New York in the future.