Most of us have some point have signed into the social media site LinkedIn and received tons of invites from people we know, people we’ve forgotten about and vendors. I also receive requests from candidates. As such basically I have a network of people I know and don’t know. The difference between Facebook and LinkedIn is that LinkedIn is more business and Facebook is more social.
But LinkedIn can become a tool for you to network. In the old days, networking for job searching was calling people to let them know you were looking for a job and ask them to let other people know. It is still one of the most effective ways to search for a job. If you combine old-fashioned networking with people who you have a business relationship with, you can update your network of contacts exponentially.
How to Start
- Search old companies you worked for
- Find old co-workers and reconnect to them
- Search for recruiters in your industry and request a follow
LinkedIn Groups
- Check relevant groups on LinkedIn
- Join the groups
- Participate in them
The biggest thing with LinkedIn is not finding people but making contact with them:
- Give a recommendation for someone when appropriate and ask for one in return
- Make sure your contact and career information is up-to-date
- Start engaging with people
Next week – how social media can bite you during a job search.
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