Ten Top Tips - LinkedIn Patrice Reid www.linkedin.com/in/patricereid www.patricereid.com

1 - Build Your Context Headline - can be different than job title Industry - don’t be career limiting Summary - include elevator pitch highlights Websites/Twitter - include your own domain, blog, etc. up to three plus Twitter accounts Specialties - great place to use keywords and be found easier in recruiter search Contact Settings - how open are you to hearing from folks you don’t know but could help you

Headline - can be different than job title

Industry - don’t be career limiting

Summary - include elevator pitch highlights

Websites/Twitter - include your own domain, blog, etc. up to three plus Twitter accounts

Specialties - great place to use keywords and be found easier in recruiter search

Contact Settings - how open are you to hearing from folks you don’t know but could help you

2 - Build Your Profile Positions - search in listing for company and edit display name as needed Profile Detail - overview approach to show highlights / provide custom resume on contact Profile Ideas - see how others present themselves especially by company / position Education - use years or not / don’t forget continuing education / include focus areas Honors and Awards / Interests / Language 100% Profile Completeness

Positions - search in listing for company and edit display name as needed

Profile Detail - overview approach to show highlights / provide custom resume on contact

Profile Ideas - see how others present themselves especially by company / position

Education - use years or not / don’t forget continuing education / include focus areas

Honors and Awards / Interests / Language

100% Profile Completeness

3 - Build Your Connections Alpha Method - methodically review and invite 2nd degree connections if positive relationship Company Search - search for past, present and future colleagues by company name Contact Search - search people from your address book, import, etc. Welcome - welcome others to invite you once you have established rapport, common interests, etc. Ask to Invite - determine level of openness and send personalized invitation to avoid blacklist

Alpha Method - methodically review and invite 2nd degree connections if positive relationship

Company Search - search for past, present and future colleagues by company name

Contact Search - search people from your address book, import, etc.

Welcome - welcome others to invite you once you have established rapport, common interests, etc.

Ask to Invite - determine level of openness and send personalized invitation to avoid blacklist

4 - Request Recommendations Mass Request - personalized greeting provided by LinkedIn, get two per position if possible Suggest - text or topic areas can help, three to five sentences is enough Visible / Hidden - manage your recommendations, edit process, etc. Return Favor - include offer to provide a recommendation for them in return References - may still be asked for names, others from your company may also be contacted

Mass Request - personalized greeting provided by LinkedIn, get two per position if possible

Suggest - text or topic areas can help, three to five sentences is enough

Visible / Hidden - manage your recommendations, edit process, etc.

Return Favor - include offer to provide a recommendation for them in return

References - may still be asked for names, others from your company may also be contacted

5 - Display Public Profile www.linkedin.com/in/NAME - change from random characters to your name, etc. Business Card - include profile link Email Signature - include profile link and/or use Tools Overview in LinkedIn Settings - connections, network, public Google/Yahoo NAME - search for yourself on major search engines

www.linkedin.com/in/NAME - change from random characters to your name, etc.

Business Card - include profile link

Email Signature - include profile link and/or use Tools Overview in LinkedIn

Settings - connections, network, public

Google/Yahoo NAME - search for yourself on major search engines

6 - Join Groups Focus Areas - which groups would promote your key strengths, relationships, focus areas Max 50 - you may have too many interests like me :) Visible Members / All - can display group to all or just to others in that same group Participate / Post - show your knowledge, contribute to the discussion, news, etc. Answers - can also demonstrate your knowledge, ability to contribute, etc.

Focus Areas - which groups would promote your key strengths, relationships, focus areas

Max 50 - you may have too many interests like me :)

Visible Members / All - can display group to all or just to others in that same group

Participate / Post - show your knowledge, contribute to the discussion, news, etc.

Answers - can also demonstrate your knowledge, ability to contribute, etc.

7 - Stay In Touch Review - periodically look at your connections list and touch base or respond to updates from connections on your home page Organize - beta feature allows you to sort and filter the list but export often to backup data Send Leads - forward LinkedIn jobs to others Message - use send message link or click on email link in profile to reach out to a connection Forward Profiles - send profiles of interest to your connections as an alternate to introductions

Review - periodically look at your connections list and touch base or respond to updates from connections on your home page

Organize - beta feature allows you to sort and filter the list but export often to backup data

Send Leads - forward LinkedIn jobs to others

Message - use send message link or click on email link in profile to reach out to a connection

Forward Profiles - send profiles of interest to your connections as an alternate to introductions

8 - Search For Jobs Jobs - lower right on your home page Edit Search - can edit title, zip code, etc. Exclusive - some jobs are only listed on LinkedIn, filter used by some recruiters Inside Connections - see who in your network may be able to get you in the door Web (SimplyHired) - allows you to search wider web from within LinkedIn

Jobs - lower right on your home page

Edit Search - can edit title, zip code, etc.

Exclusive - some jobs are only listed on LinkedIn, filter used by some recruiters

Inside Connections - see who in your network may be able to get you in the door

Web (SimplyHired) - allows you to search wider web from within LinkedIn

9 - Research Org & People Break Ice - mention you saw something of interest on their LinkedIn profile Rapport - mention a connection you know in common or a shared interest / group Impress - show you know something more than just what is on the company site Culture Fit - find out more about who you would be working for / with to get a preview of the company culture

Break Ice - mention you saw something of interest on their LinkedIn profile

Rapport - mention a connection you know in common or a shared interest / group

Impress - show you know something more than just what is on the company site

Culture Fit - find out more about who you would be working for / with to get a preview of the company culture

10 - Update Profile / Status Status - share what you are engaged in with just your connections or the whole world via Twitter Front of Mind - keep yourself fresh in people’s minds for leads to come your way Home - check regularly / respond to others / people you may know / invite / groups to join One Profile - search, replicate connections and then delete any duplicate profiles you have Professional - keep it professional and more business-oriented than Facebook, Ning, etc. Applications / Events / Tools / Settings / Help

Status - share what you are engaged in with just your connections or the whole world via Twitter

Front of Mind - keep yourself fresh in people’s minds for leads to come your way

Home - check regularly / respond to others / people you may know / invite / groups to join

One Profile - search, replicate connections and then delete any duplicate profiles you have

Professional - keep it professional and more business-oriented than Facebook, Ning, etc.

Applications / Events / Tools / Settings / Help

Questions / Comments Patrice Reid www.linkedin.com/in/patricereid www.patricereid.com