Megan Fitzgerald, Expat and International Career Coach of Career By Choice, discusses Linked In and how you can use it to accelerate your career and build your personal brand and network.
3. W hat?
• Online professional network
• Database of connected people and resources
• Collection of tools to help you connect,
access & share resources & expertise
13. ow does it work?H
• Create your profile
• Build your network
• Seek out people, opportunities, resources
• Share your expertise
• Goals & strategy drive network activity
14. rofileP
• IMPORTANT for Google Page Rank
• Settings Public Profile, Full View
• Public Profile URL:
www.linkedin.com/in/meganfitzgerald
• Use keywords throughout profile
15. rofileP
• Full Name ONLY
• Professional photo
• Headline – important 120 character soundbite!
16. rofileP
• SUMMARY
• Short branded
professional bio,
2000 characters
• Be engaging, build
credibility, inspire
someone to connect
17. rofileP
• EXPERIENCE
• Your online resume/CV
– results and target
audience oriented
• 2000 Characters per
position
• Include all experience
21. uild Your NetworkB
• Import your address book
• Search out old colleagues/classmates
• Invite people directly with email address
• Get introduced through 1st degree contact
• Send direct message to fellow group members
22. uild Your NetworkB
• THE APPROACH: Quality vs. Quantity
• Linkedin Open Networker(LION) = more is better
• Your network = access to others
• Danger of inviting people you don’t know
• Set clear goals, create profile of target
connections & follow strategy
23. uild Your NetworkB
• 1st
degree – direct connection
• 2nd
degree – connected to 1st
degree contacts
• 3rd
degree – connected to 2nd
degree contacts
• Real power in 2nd
degree – network of network
• Elminates “cold calls” – leverages trust
24. eekS
• SEEK OUT people, resources & opportunities
• Search
• Groups
• Jobs & Companies
27. eekS
• COMPANY PROFILES
• How you’re connected
• Jobs, top skills &
expertise
• Employees you may
know
• Recent Updates
28. hare Your ExpertiseS
• BE RECOGNIZED AS EXPERT
• Status Updates – Provide valuable info/resources
• Groups – Start Discussions, Post News, Comment
29. oals & StrategyG
•STRATEGIC APPROACH = more results/less time
•What do I want & who can help me get it?
•How do I connect with & support them?
•What regular action will I take to reach my goals?
•Use metrics to evaluate progress
30. ips for Job SeekersT
• Insure profile is 100% complete
• Leverage all associations to build network
• Explore jobs & company profiles
• Engage & communicate with network & groups
• Jobs Toolbar – if viewing job listing on external
website, shows your connections there
31. Megan Fitzgerald
Expat Career & Personal Branding Coach
Career By Choice
www.careerbychoice.com
Questions?
connectingonline@careerbychoice.com
Editor's Notes
Highly competitive marketplace requires a compelling and unique message of value or personal brand in order to stand out and get noticed by your target audience it ’s important that the message of value stay visibile to your target audience on an ongoing basis if you want to be considered for job and business opportunities - With LI ’s strong google page rank, your LI profile will help you stay visible both in this very popular global network and in the search results. - Once you have become visibile – the easier you make it for people to connect with you, the greater chance you have in translating that visibility into a connection that will lead to job or business opportunities. LinkedIn has done a great job of upgrading their interface to further enhance already robust ways for people to connect. We ’ll talk more about those later but the bottom line…. Increased visibility = increased chances your personal brand message being “seen” and you being considered person of choice by employer or client Increased connectability removes barriers that people who want what you have to offer
People want to hire experts – not generalists – to deal with their problems Sharing your expertise on subject of importance to your target audience will position you as an expert and hence the candidate of choice. Be it through the Answers section, groups or various applications you can use to enhance your profile, Linkedin provides many ways for you to showcase your expertise. Also, one of the best ways to support your network is to use your unique value and expertise to help them reach their goals. So the linkedin platform allows you to easily nurture and grow your network by providing value to others. Additionally, the small business owner, there is a lack of business or industry intelligence inhibits growth and informed choices. So by leveraging Linkedin ’s wealth of knowledge and resources, a job seeker or business owner alike will find more timely and relevant information to help
“ As an MBA student studying abroad, I felt immediately comfortable with Megan because she understood my position of living abroad and trying to adapt to a new culture and work environment. She was professional and fun, and literally walked me through creating an effective resume and narrowing down my world of ideas to a few of most feasible and genuine. She encouraged me to follow my passion, to not sacrifice my priorities and to remain confident in my choices. I always left our meetings feeling inspired to refine my interests and connect with the right people.”