Compiled by City University of Seattle’s Career Center
Networking is one of the most successful ways to find a new job. LinkedIn is a Web-based, business-networking site with more than 60 million members worldwide. To take advantage of LinkedIn you need to sign up and complete your profile. This LinkedIn profile is a place to showcase your professional skills and achievements. The more information on your profile, the easier it is to connect with co-workers, colleagues, former employers and fellow alumni.
LinkedIn has several advantages over other social networking sites as it focuses on professional business contacts. On LinkedIn, you can concentrate on developing and maintaining a list of contacts you will use throughout your career.
Below are some of the LinkedIn features to help you in your job search:
- Search for jobs using keywords, company names or locations.
- Use the key statistics section to gather useful information on companies and organizations, such as top locations, company size (number of employees) and common job titles.
- Discover where people with your professional background are employed. Just search for people in your area who share your skills.
- Search company profiles to research past employers of those who are working at the company where you would like to interview. Use this information to learn what a company wants in a new hire.
- Browse company pages for job openings and read the new hires section to learn about those who have recently joined the company. Also, discover the name of a hiring manager for an open position.
LinkedIn’s job search engine allows you to search for any kind of job you want. Pay close attention to the jobs where you know someone at the company. The key to communicating with a hiring manager is to be introduced to them by a mutual acquaintance. If that isn’t possible, find someone inside the company who will walk your resume to the hiring manager or human resources department. With the right introduction, LinkedIn has the ability to turn a cold call into a warm call.
Ultimately, LinkedIn is an excellent resource for both networking and job hunting. Remember to keep your profile up-to-date with your latest work information and take advantage of the site’s many features.
Sign up now by visiting www.linkedin.com.
