Are you really ON LinkedIn?

I was talking to someone recently who was looking for some career and job-seeking advice. He asked me to review his paper resume and I asked if he’s on LinkedIn. He said yes with a big confident smile on his face. There was no hesitation in his answer.

After looking up his LinkedIn profile, I said to him, “You’re not on LinkedIn. You have a LinkedIn profile.” Needless to say, we changed this.

I see people make this mistake all too often. Job-seekers think that just because they have a LinkedIn account and copied their resume over to their profile that they’re going to start getting jobs, opportunities, resources, clients, etc. There’s a huge difference between having a LinkedIn account/profile and being ON LinkedIn.

Being ON LinkedIn requires interaction and creativity. Recruiters on LinkedIn are not your traditional recruiters. They are looking for much more than a resume to review your education and experience. They’re looking for examples of your work; they’re looking for your unique thoughts; they’re looking for endorsements and recommendations.

So, let’s tackle some of the things that take you from having a LinkedIn Profile to being ON LinkedIn. The assumption here is that you already have a profile setup with your work experience, education and hopefully, a lot more.

Being active on LinkedIn is the key to successful online networking and knowledge sharing. Here are some things to start doing so you become more active and visible.

LinkedIn Posts
There are two kinds of postings that you can take advantage of on LinkedIn. On your newsfeed, you can type right into the “Start a post…” box and your message will be seen on your connections’ news feeds. Pushing out updates regularly gives you visibility. Be careful not to over post, though. If you can’t think of anything to post, think about your passions. Post interesting articles that you find, inspiring quotes or even updates on cool projects you’re working on.

LinkedIn also has another posting option. You can write articles that can be visible by your connections, everyone in your network and anyone who follows you on LinkedIn. These posts are usually a little longer in length and should reflect some of your deeper thoughts. I treat mine like blog posts where I share my thoughts on different topics that I think my audience might be interested in. Your reach is much larger when you write articles on LinkedIn. Whether you’re trying to find a job, gain new clients or grow your network for knowledge, resource and idea sharing, visibility can impact your success. Posting gives you that visibility.

LinkedIn Groups
Joining and actively participating in groups is a great way to network and share knowledge and resources. Ask questions in groups about relevant topics that get people thinking. You can share articles here too, including ones that you wrote and posted yourself. Try to strike up conversations though with your posts rather than just posting them.

Don’t forget to comment on other people’s posts too and answer questions that they pose in the groups. Participating in groups is like attending a networking event. Eventually, you’ll connect with people who enjoy discussing, posting about and debating similar topics.

LinkedIn Jobs
If you’re looking for a job, you can do it right from LinkedIn. Some employers post their jobs on LinkedIn but require you to go to their website to apply. Others allow you to apply straight from LinkedIn.

If you apply for jobs on LinkedIn and the employer can see all of your activity (posts, comments, etc.) relevant to the job, your chances of spiking their interest might just increase.

LinkedIn Companies and Education
Follow companies you apply for jobs at or that you would like to work at one day. Keep up with what they’re doing – big projects they have going on, what they’re making the news for, awards they’re winning and other relevant announcements. Knowing these things will greatly benefit you in an interview to show that you’ve been keeping up with the company.

LinkedIn’s Education features also allow you to connect with students, alumni and professors at colleges and universities. This is a great way to network and connect with people who have something in common with you.

LinkedIn Connections
Connections are more than just a static network or popularity contest. LinkedIn Connections are about relationships. LinkedIn has a great feature where you can see your last conversation with a connection. Make sure to reach out to your connections every once in a while especially if they are not people you see or talk to regularly.

Maintaining relationships is more important than simply connecting on LinkedIn. Put a reminder on your calendar every few months to reach out to people on LinkedIn.

It’s a commitment to really be ON LinkedIn but it’s one worth making. What are your best practices on LinkedIn?


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Leverage relationships to reach success

You hear it all the time now – build relationships, develop a strong network and connect with other professionals online – but what are you supposed to do with all of these new connections? Leverage these relationships to reach success.

What people fail to tell you is that it’s not just about building relationships but it’s about really getting to know the people in your professional networks and maintaining those relationships. Only then can you take advantage of that network to help you grow and develop your career. This is easier said than done. It requires a lot of time and effort.

Understand the People in Your Network

Get to know the people you’ve connected with – beyond their name, job title and place of work. Find out what their strengths and obstacles are so you can leverage their strengths and perhaps, help them overcome their struggles (it’s a two-way street).

Professional development is much more than figuring out what the next job in your career will be. If you know the strengths of each of your connections, you’ll be able to easily reach out to the right people at the right time, and it’s often when you least expect that you will need them. You may want to leverage their expertise for a project you’re working on or when you’re trying to find a specific resource or learning opportunity.

Maintain Your Relationships

In order to be successful, you need to turn the connections you make into a network of long-term relationships. This requires continuously reaching out to people, learning about what they’re working on and keeping them posted on what you’re working on. This can be as simple as a quick LinkedIn message once in a while for some connections or it can be a regular phone call or coffee break for your closer relationships.

Strong relationships are easier to keep up with but if you have a difficult time maintaining some of your other relationships, try scheduling them into your calendar. Place a reminder for every four months or so to take five minutes out of your day and write them a message. How awkward would it be to ask for something, even advice, from someone you’ve lost touch with? They may not even remember you.

Take Advantage of Your Connections

Taking advantage of your connections does not indicate a one-way relationship where you take and never give. You’ll also benefit from helping others. It all goes back to the first point about understanding the people in your network.

When you are working on a project you need guidance on or when you really are ready to make that next step in your career, you’ll know exactly who to reach out to for what because you’ve taken the time to get to know the people you’ve met and develop a true relationship with them.

Perhaps, you’re not even looking for a job for yourself but rather, you’re in a fortunate position and are looking to hire a strong team of professionals. Leverage the relationships you’ve already built to find the best talent. It might not be them but other people they know.

If you stop thinking of your connections as people just to “have” in your network and start building relationships with them and staying connected with them, you’ll be able to better leverage them to reach success in your current career or future career.


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