This document will serve as an how-to guide when trying to understand what LinkedIn is, why it is important to use, and how you can use your profile as a digital resume when searching for a new position.

1. F O L L O W T H E S E T H R E E P H A S E S T O G E T
Y O U R S E L F O F F T H E C O U C H A N D I N T O T H E
W O R K P L A C E !
B Y : K I M B E R L Y H U N L E Y
How To Find a Job Using
LinkedIn

2. Phase 1 : Understand What
LinkedIn Is, & How It Will Be The
Ultimate Tool in Your Job Search.

3. What is LinkedIn?
 “LinkedIn is a fast-growing
professional networking
site that allows members to
create business contacts,
search for jobs, and find
potential clients.
Individuals have the ability
to create their own
professional profile that
can be viewed by others in
their network, and also
view the profiles of their
own contacts. “
 Users can then invite other
users to join their list of
connections. Connections
range from direct
connections, 2nd degree
connections, and 3rd degree
connections. From their
network, one can learn and
search for jobs, business
opportunities, and connect
with the people that can get
them there.
Source: CrunchBase

4. LinkedIn Profile
This is what my personal
LinkedIn profile looks
like. By including current
and past positions,
education background,
and links to other social
networking cites you are
on, your LinkedIn profile
page will act as an digital
resume that allows
recruiters and companies
seeking new employees
to find you.

5. Why Use LinkedIn?
 According to research by Harris Interactive, 2,667
HR professionals found that 45% of them use social
networking sites to research possible job candidates.
 Also, that an additional 11% plan on implementing
social media screening.
 This study was done in 2009. With how fast social media is
moving, imagine how big that percentage is today!
Source: CMS WIRE

6. Why Use LinkedIn?
Jim Stroud, HR Representative of The Recruiter’s Lounge:
“LinkedIn is a tool recruiters cannot ignore.
Recruiters who do not want to be bogged down
with resumes turn to LinkedIn to find quality
candidates and their peers… LinkedIn is
becoming the next „Monster‟ with more and
more recruiters turning to it”
Source: Mashable “How to Get the Most Out of LinkedIn”

7. Why Use LinkedIn?
Daily traffic of
people per day
in a 6 month
range.
Globally= Max
of 5.7 Million
Source: CrunchBase

8. Why Use LinkedIn?
Number of visits to LinkedIn per month. In March 2010, reached
almost to 80 million!
Source: CrunchBase

9. Why Use LinkedIn?
 J.T. O’Donnell, nationally
syndicated career strategist, and
corporate trainer and founder of
Careerealism.com has three main
reasons why she would help a
stranger on LinkedIn get a job.
1. In her mind, she is not dealing
with a stranger.
She believes because only 7% of
communication skills (through words
and writing style) are used through
LinkedIn, that it is amazing she still
can have professional and enjoyable
dialogs with new contacts.
Source: Mashable “She’s the BEST Employee I’ve NEVER Met”

10. Why Use LinkedIn?
2. Networking online is easy and
efficient.
It took O’Donnell three minutes to learn
that she was two contacts away from the
HR Director she had aspired to meet to
refer a friend to. Also, within another 5
minutes, she could send an e-mail
recommending her friend to the director.
3. Being helpful is good for your
business-of-one.
O’Donnell believes that helping others is
thoughtful and much needed. She believes
that it boosts ones own credibility as a
professional, and the return will be greater
for the person who does the referring.
Source: Mashable “She’s the BEST Employee I’ve NEVER Met”

11. “ I N T O D A Y ‟ S W O R L D , T H E S E A R C H F O R
C A N D I D A T E S S O O F T E N S T A R T S O N
L I N K E D I N . T H E S A D P A R T I S , I T O F T E N
E N D S T H E R E T O O ”
- B R A D R E M I L L A R D , F O U N D E R O F I M P A C T
H I R I N G S O L U T I O N S
Phase 2: Create a LinkedIn
Account That Will Blow The
Competition Out of The Water!
Source: IMPACT Hiring Solutions Career Blog
Don’t let your profile fall
short! Follow these next
slides to complete your
LinkedIn profile!

12. Creating a LinkedIn Account
1. Go to http://www.linkedin.com/ to
view the LinkedIn homepage.
2.Fill out the information in the
“Join LinkedIn Today” box.
3. Click “Join Now”
4. Click on the “Edit Profile”
tab to start adding your current
and past positions, your
education background,
recommendations, and
websites such as a blog or
personal website.
*Importing your current resume will
automatically fill out some of this
information for you!
5. The number of connections
will increase as more people
join your network.
6. You can even link your
Twitter to your LinkedIn page!

13. 6 Things to Follow When Building a LinkedIn
Profile
1. Complete your profile 100%
 According to Lewis Howes, author of
the LinkedIn book, “A profile that is
only 55% complete, without
recommendations and an updated
work history may not make a solid first
impression when people find you
through search.”
This also includes:
*A Photo
*Executive Summary & Skill Set
*Education
*3 Recent Positions
*3 Recommendations from
Connections
Source: Mashable “13 Essential Tips for Landing a Job on LinkedIn”

14. 6 Things to Follow When Building a LinkedIn
Profile
2. Create a call to action
 After people learn about you through reading your profile, tell them what to do
next.
 Within your summary include: who you are, who your services can help, how
you can help them, and how they should get in contact with you or what they
should do next. You can accomplish this by including the best way to get in
contact with you.
3. Connect with EVERYONE!
 When looking for a job, you never know who will be the one to say they are
looking for someone just like you! Make sure you include a personalized
message stating why you are connecting with them. You also could include a
reminder of how you know one another.
Source: Found Through Twitter “7 Ways To Market Yourself On LinkedIn”
Mashable “13 Essential Tips for Landing a Job on LinkedIn”

15. Finding Contacts to Join your Network
 After you have set up your profile
page, you are now ready to add
contacts to your network. Finding
contacts can be done in many
ways.
A. You can go to
“Contacts” and click
on “Add Connections”
and search for people
that you already know
by using their email
address.

16. Finding Contacts
B. By clicking on
“People You May
Know,” you can
then find contacts
through a work
position, what
school they
attended, or invite
someone you know
is already LinkedIn
to connect with you.

17. 6 Things to Follow When Building a LinkedIn
Profile
4. Join and create a group
 Groups are helpful because they not only have built-in job boards, but new jobs
are added regularly. You are able to send messages to most within your group
without having to upgrade to a premium account. This is great because you can
contact people who you are not directly connected to.
 Starting your own group is a vast idea because you are able to lead a
community of people you want to market yourself to. This makes you look great
because your name comes up as the group leader, and you are generating a
larger presence within those in the same workforce.
Source: Found on Twitter “7 Ways To Market Yourself On LinkedIn”

18. 6 Things to Follow When Building a LinkedIn
Profile
5. Answer Questions
 This is a great way to show what you know to get people to notice you. By
answering questions you are helping others while you are opening yourself up
to more job opportunities.
On your top header
with the site
options, click on
“More” and then
scroll down to
“Answers”

19. 6 Things to Follow When Building a LinkedIn
Profile
6. Stay active
 Don’t be the person that signs up for a social networking site and never
returns. By looking at someone’s LinkedIn profile, one can tell how much
effort they have put into making contacts and promoting themselves.
LinkedIn has the similar function that Facebook has that notifies all your
connections of your actions within their home page.
Source: Mashable “13 Essential Tips for Landing a Job on LinkedIn”
“The more people see your picture, read your name, and check out
the compelling content you are delivering, the more likely they are to
think of you when a position opens up. Stay active, and the
opportunities will be much more abundant than if you don‟t
participate at all”

20. Creating a Profile That is Appealing to All
Audiences
When looking for a job, your digital resume content
and activities need to appeal to 4 different audience
groups:
 Existing and/or older connections
 New connections or fellow group members
 Recruiters/hiring managers who have your name and are doing
research to specifically learn more about you
 Social network recruiters who are sourcing candidates on
LinkedIn

21. Existing and/or Older Connections
 Connections that you have
had for a while.
 Include:
 Mix of Friends
 Family
 College Alumni
 Past Co-Workers
 Questions to Consider:
 Is it clear from your profile
info & activities that you are
in the market for a new job?
 Is it clear from your profile
what field you are interested
in entering?
 What type of job you are
interested in?
Source: J2BMarketing “LinkedIn Profile Writing For A Four Dimensional, Job Search Audience”

22. New Connections Or Fellow Group Members
 New Connections
 Include:
 People you have recently
met through networking.
 People you have met
through the interviewing
process.
 People you have simply
spoken to for 10 or so
minutes, and exchanged
business information.
 People you have
participated in LinkedIn
groups with.
 Questions to Consider:
 Are your accomplishments,
skills, and area of expertise
clear?
 Do you have a picture linked
with your profile so it is new
connections can “put a name
with a face?”
Source: J2BMarketing “LinkedIn Profile Writing For A Four Dimensional, Job Search Audience”

23. Recruiters/Hiring Managers
Recruiters have received
your resume, and now
they want to find out
more about you!
 Questions to Consider:
 Do your profile and
resume information
match?
 Do you really stand out
above other candidates?
 Does your information
make them want to call
you for an interview or
pass you by for another
candidate?

24. Source: J2BMarketing “LinkedIn Profile Writing For A Four Dimensional, Job Search Audience”
Social Network Recruiters Sourcing Candidates
 They can find you
through:
 LinkedIn Talent Advantage
 The Advanced People Search
Function
 Automatic search alerts that
notify them when new
candidates meet their
requirements.
 Scan the answers section
looking for users who
answered industry questions
appropriately.
 Questions to Consider:
 Does your name come up
in search results?
 Have you changed your
privacy settings so there
are “limited search results
view?”
 Does your profile info
impress recruiters and
define you from other
candidates?

25. Common Branding Mistakes To Avoid
 The Laundry List
 Filling up your profile with a list of industry keywords.
 Ex: Instead of: Email marketing
 Use: “Email Marketing pro, with ability to increase email open rates
through use of creative keywords and subject lines.”
 Using Tired Words and Phrases
 Phrases used so often, they loose their meaning.
 Ex: “thought leader”
 Use: “A sought after thought leader in international marketing,
who’s spoken at 10 different conferences in 2009.”
 Scary Gobbledygook
 Interesting words- maybe big words, but combined they say very
little to readers.
 Use: Simple words that are not unrecognizable.
Source: J2BMarketing “5 LinkedIn Profile Branding Mistakes To Avoid”

26. N O W T H A T Y O U U N D E R S T A N D L I N K E D I N ,
U S E T H E P R O F I L E Y O U C R E A T E D T O
M A R K E T Y O U R S E L F F O R T H A T D E S I R E D
J O B .
Phase 3: Find That Job!
Tip: Before
completing the
final phase,
make at lest 20
connections!

27. 5 Tips To Find a Job on LinkedIn
1. Spread the Word
1. Make it known throughout your network that you are
looking for a new position. Try adding it within your “status
updates” section on your profile. (see example below)
1. “The more people who know you’re looking, the more likely
you’ll find a job”
Source: BlogGuyKawasaki.com

28. 5 Tips To Find a Job on LinkedIn
2. Find out where people with your
background are currently working
2. Try doing an advanced search for people within your area
with the same work skills.
Source: BlogGuyKawasaki.com

29. 5 Tips To Find a Job On LinkedIn
3. Check which company is hiring.
3. On company pages on LinkedIn, there is a section called
“New Hires” that shows who has recently joined a company.
Try contacting them about how they got their new job.
3. Tip: Try observing their backgrounds to see what possibly
attracted their new employer.
Source: BlogGuyKawasaki.com

30. 5 Tips To Find a Job Using LinkedIn
4. Find the hiring manager or HR person.
4. After searching for the kind of job you are interested in on
LinkedIn, pay special attention to those who are no more
than 2 degrees away from you. It means that you know
someone who knows the person who posted the job!
4. “Power tip: two degrees is about the limit for getting to hiring
managers”
4. After connecting with someone within the company you wish
to work for, see if they will directly give your resume to the
HR department. More attention is paid to resumes handed in
by coworkers.
Source: BlogGuyKawasaki.com

31. 5 Tips To Find a Job Using LinkedIn
5. Find the “secret job requirements”
5. Try finding a connection within the company that can get the
scoop on what really is put into consideration when filling
your desired position.
5. Tip: by doing a company search, the results will show you who
in your network connects you to the company.
Source: BlogGuyKawasaki.com
For Example: After doing a search
for Noble, LinkedIn tells me that I
have no 1st or 2nd degree
connections.

32. Helpful Tools
 Check who has viewed your profile
 You can monitor the number of times people have
viewed your profile, and how many times you‟ve come
up in search results.
 Go to your home page and this will be displayed in the
right hand column.
Source: J2BMarketing “LinkedIn Profile Writing For A Four Dimensional, Job Search Audience”

33. Helpful Tools
 Join the IMPACT Hiring Solutions Job
Search Networking Group.
 There are 5,905 members in the group that focus on
job search issues.
Source: IMPACT Hiring Solutions Career Blog
You can receive
helpful tips from
real professionals
that can help you in
your job search!

34. What Are You Waiting For?
Sign up for a
LinkedIn account
today! Who knows
who your first
connection will be!

35. References
Howes, L. (2010, November 4). 7 Ways To Market Yourself On LinkedIn. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from
http://www.lewishowes.com/linkedin/marketing-yourself-on-linkedin/
Howes, L. (2010, May 19). 13 Essential Tips for Landing a Job on LinkedIn. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from
Mashable/Business.
Kawasaki, G. (2009, February 2). Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job. In How to Change the World; A practical blog
for impractical people. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from http://blog.guykawasaki.com
LinkedIn. (2009, May 9). In CrunchBase. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from CrunchBase.
O'Donnell, J. T. (2009, January 15). She's the BEST Employee I've NEVER Met. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from
Mashable.
Peacock, M. (2009, August 21). Employers Use Facebook More Than LinkedIn for HR Screening. In CMS WIRE. Retrieved
November 7, 2010, from CMS WIRE.
Remillard, B. (2010, March 22). How Recruiters Search Using LinkedIn & What We Look For. In Career Blog. Retrieved
November 7, 2010, from http://www.impacthiringsolutions.com/careerblog/
Reynolds, M. (2009, October 10). 5 LinkedIn Profile Branding Mistakes To Avoid. In J2B Marketing. Retrieved November
7, 2010, from http://j2bmarketing.com
Reynolds, M. (2009, November 2). LinkedIn Profile Writing For A Four Dimensional, Job Search Audience. In J2B
Marketing. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from http://j2bmarketing.com
Wallace, B. (2008, November 2). How to Get the Most Out of LinkedIn. In Mashable. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from
Mashable.