Whether you want to market your services, find a new job, increase your connections, find
candidates for a job opening or do research; you need to have a basic understanding of
LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is not Facebook for adults, but rather a potent search tool that can open a
whole host of people, companies, and opportunities to you. What follows are some of the
fundamental tools and tasks you need to grasp before you can take full advantage of LinkedIn.
1. SUMMARY
You need to make sure that you know how to share enough about yourself, your service, or your product to attract the attention of your target audience. (See SUMMARY)
2. FACT CHECK EVERYTHING
• Check your facts: Be sure that if you are tying your resume or collateral sales
materials to the page that they are consistent. Double-check the dates of
employment, dates of incorporation, addresses, memberships, licenses, etc. You can
be sure that employers, your competitors, and others will check your claims.
(EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS, and more)
• Web page presence: Be sure that you have correctly tied your web page, articles, and
other work to your LinkedIn page for maximum effect. (UPDATES, PUBLICATIONS,
CERTIFICATIONS, PERSONAL and EMPLOYMENT)
3. YOUR PICTURE
• Your image: A picture is not necessary but recommended. I recommend a professional
photo or at least one that you believe reflects favorably on you as a professional.
4. GROUPS
• “Groups” are a crucial element in expanding your connections. You should join your
college, all of your past employers, professional organizations, tools (including
software that you use), volunteer organizations, and more. If you don’t have more than
Five hundred connections, this is the quickest way for you to be exposed to people who share
common interests and experience and who are, therefore, likely to connect with you.
See GROUPS below.
Jackson McCarthy & Associates, Inc., sean@jacksonmccarthy.com, 818-389-1876