Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Job Search Tips Networking and Personal Branding Recommended Career Resources Social Media on February 25, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Many thanks to Dan Schawbel for interviewing me on his Personal Branding Blog.
Here is an excerpt:
Dan: When you go to speak to students across the country, how have you accessed their proficiency in job searching and resume building through online means? Most students I talk to don’t know what LinkedIn is. What are your experiences?
Lindsey: A year or so ago, very few students I met had even heard of LinkedIn. Today, I’d say about 1/4 of students at my workshops are aware of the site, but most don’t really know how to make the most of it. I believe that an active presence on LinkedIn is no longer optional for a career-minded person of any age, so I talk about it in every speech and workshop I give.
1. First, I advise students (and everyone else!) to set up a complete profile including keywords a recruiter or business owner might use to find someone with your skills and interests.
2. Then I recommend joining groups on LinkedIn (such as the Personal Branding group, of course) to build connections and become part of conversations about industry news.
3. Third, I recommend customizing those little “I’d like to add you as a connection” messages – that’s a great way to stand out and show that you are someone who takes the time to personalize your communications.
Another important tip, particularly for those who are just starting out in the workforce, is to scour other people’s LinkedIn profiles to look for companies you may want to apply to, job titles or professions you didn’t know about, professional organizations where you might network and people with similar interests who might be willing to offer some job search advice. If you’re trying to build your own personal brand, LinkedIn is incredibly valuable as a massive database of other people’s personal brands and career paths to research.
@Bernice and @Lauren,
Jason Alba wrote a book called “I’m on LinkedIn, Now What?” that you might want to check out. It’s available on Amazon.
Hope that helps,
Lindsey
Hi Lindsey,
Thanks to your recommendation, I am now on LinkedIn but I’m a little but confused on how best to use it. Is there a LinkedIn Etiquette guide somewhere that you would recommend? One questions I have is: How well do you need to know someone to ask them to be a contact? Also, when is it appropriate to ask for a recommendation?
Thanks for your advice!
That is interesting, I am not really aware of LinkedIn either. There are just so many sites out there especially in regards to making your online presence known. I like a site http://www.personavita.com that helps get me on the right path. I will also check out LinkedIn.
@Virgina – Thanks for letting us know about your blog. Glad to know you agree that personal branding is more important than ever.
- Lindsey
Hi Lindsay,
I enjoyed your post introducing college grads to Linkedin. One thing I’d like to add is that most people are already branded (because of their web presence) whether they intended to be, or not. I recently wrote a post on the subject on my blog, http://www.BrilliantJobSearch.com.
As someone who has been a headhunter for the past 25 years, I serve as the bridge between jobseker and employer; I facilitate the dance that brings them together. When jobs are scarce, companies become gatekeepers rather than suitors,and that’s not all bad for jobseekers; this is their time to learn to sell themeselves, a skill that will serve them well over their lifetimes.
Virginia
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