The news story was gripping. The pilot had ditched the Airbus in the Hudson River and everybody had emerged relatively unscathed. The broadcast on CNN named the US Airways Captain that had landed the plane safely as the Hero of the Hudson.
And then CNN really blew me away . . . .
Not having access to the pilot so soon after the landing, CNN had to do the next best thing. CNN broadcast C.B. “Sully” Sullenberger’s LinkedIn profile on national television. I was almost as amazed by this act as I was by the heroism carried out by the pilot. See Captain Sullenberger’s LinkedIn profile here.
Whether you realize it or not, LinkedIn is a source of information as to who you are as well. What does your LinkedIn profile say about you?
For the uninitiated, LinkedIn is a social network with a membership numbering in the tens of millions. What distinguishes LinkedIn from other social networking sites is that LinkedIn has established itself as the premier site for professional networking. It is focused on connecting people through business related information and focuses mostly on collecting information one would typically find on a resume. Here are some guidelines for using LinkedIn as well as some pointers to other resources.
Professional Presence
If you have succeeded in garnering the interest of a prospective employer and that employer has decided to gather a little more information on you before inviting you in for an interview, most likely, LinkedIn will be the very first stop. You want to present yourself professionally under any and all circumstances.
Connect Judiciously
Every person you know can act as a key source of information regarding a company or a job opportunity. It does not matter whether you know them from high school or your bowling league. If they would help you and you would help them, they should be considered for your LinkedIn network. There will be people who have thousands of contacts on LinkedIn. As to what their goals are and as to what they hope to accomplish with such a vast network of people they can’t possibly know well is beyond us.
Commend and Be Commended
The testimonials your colleages can grace you with are very important. Lots of high quality compliments will bode well for your candidacy, so we encourage you to gather as many as you can. Do not be afraid to ask your former colleagues for a recommendation. If you have to write it yourself and forward it to your friend as a template, then do so. Get the commendation. Companies are increasingly looking to these commendations as a means of moving forward with a candidate and you should leverage this movement to the best of your ability.
Now Network
When you are ready to begin networking for a new job, LinkedIn will be a fantastic place to start.
While networking is reputed to be the best means for getting a job, we do not always recommend you start there. Like many things we begin anew, we will make some mistakes. It is better to make a mistake in the anonymity of cyberspace than in the close confines of personal networking. Get used to talking about yourself, your accomplishments and what you have to offer via recruiters and job applications before you embrace networking in your job search. You will be more confident and more convincing when you do.
We think the best thing any job candidate can do to get an interview is have a bull’s eye resume for the job they are applying to. When you find a job you want to apply to research the company thoroughly. Leveraging your contacts on LinkedIn for inside information as to what the company is doing and what kind of person they are looking for can be extremely valuable information. Reword your resume so that your experience is conveyed in the context of the employers goals.
Using LinkedIn with JobTabs
The contact particulars is a free form field. Whenever you have the opportunity to add a contact’s LinkedIn profile, do so. When you want to preview thier profile, just click the link on the contacts page and you’re there. In a future build, JobTabs will have dedicated tab for each contact’s LinkedIn information as well as support a host of other social networks.
LinkedIn Resources
http://www.linkedintelligence.com/ – Scott Allen’s Linked Intelligence is a resource for LinkedIn resources. Scott documents over 100 creative ways to use LinkedIn and advertises his site as the smart source for all things LinkedIn™.
http://blog.linkedin.com – LinkedIn’s LinkedIn blog.
LinkedIn Videos – YouTube videos on LinkedIn.
Did I forget anything? Please comment below . . . .
John Coffey is the President of JobTabs, LLC. Through JobTabs Job Search & Resume Builder, thousands of job seekers have taken control of their destiny in finding new and fulfilling careers. JobTabs Job Search & Resume Builder motivates job seekers by making the job search easier by a huge order of magnitude. John Coffey can be reached via his website at JobTabs Job Search & Resume Builder, by email via jpcoffey at jobtabs.com, and by phone at 404-255-0248.
