Paula Brand presented on using LinkedIn effectively for career and professional networking. The presentation covered how to customize your URL, upload and edit your resume and profile, add a photo, connect with others by sending personalized invitations, and join relevant professional groups. The goal was to teach attendees hands-on how to optimize their LinkedIn profile and fully participate in the online professional network.

1. LinkedIn for Beginners: A Hands
On Approach
Paula Brand – MA, CPRW, GCDF
Career Advisor for AAWDC and Founder of
Brand Career Management
MCDA Annual Conference
January 27, 2012

2. LinkedIn - Hands On
TODAY YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO:
 Get a vanity URL
 Upload your résumé
 Start editing/adding information
 Upload picture
 Send an invitation
 Join a Group (NCDA or MCDA)

3. GETTING A VANITY URL
You can and should personalize your web address (URL) on LI
It’s quick & easy to do.
It’s similar to getting a vanity license plate for your car - it’s a
customized web address/URL
This helps you:
•Be found more easily by others
•Improve your Google ranking
•Makes your URL more memorable
•Helps in branding yourself – add it to your marketing materials

4. 4

5. 5

6. 6

7. UPLOADING YOUR RÉSUMÉ
and EDITING YOUR PROFILE

9. ELEMENTS of a GREAT PROFILE
 Create a vanity/customized URL
 Complete a full profile without typos
 A picture is worth a thousand words
 Avoid very personal info
 Should you care about % completed?

10. SENDING INVITATIONS TO
OTHERS
TO CONNECT WITH YOU

11. MAKING CONNECTIONS
 Find the person by searching for a
name in the top right hand corner
of the screen
 Click on “Connect”
 Select how you know them
 Always personalize your message!
 There are consequences of IDK

12. 12

13. 13

14. Instead of using the
generic greeting, say
something like this:
Hi Paula, I enjoyed your LI
workshop at NCDA.
Would you like to get
connected?
14

15. 15

16. JOIN A GROUP
• Find a group to join -- Click on Groups, then
click on Group Directory and search by keyword
• Or, just start typing the name of a group in the
top right corner search box (be sure to have
selected to search in “group” mode)
• Look for MCDA, NCDA or another group like
the Federal Job Search Support Group
• Click Join Group, then await for a Group
Manager to approve your request, if needed

18. THANKS FOR ATTENDING
QUESTIONS????
PAULA BRAND
paulabrandcprw@gmail.com
paulabrand.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/paulabrandcprw