I've written about this book before (The LinkedIn Personal Trainer
- Like every other social networking tool, one has to use LinkedIn in order to derive benefit from it. Using means checking LinkedIn weekly or several times a week, making new connections, following-up on old ones, updating your information, etc.
- You need to fully develop your profile with lots of information on what you do and what you have done. This will help people find you and understand your qualifications before talking with you. Getting your profile fully developed can take a couple of hours, but you do not have to do it all at once. You may be able to use text from your resume, although eventually you may want the information to sound less resume-like.
- Be sure to make meaningful connections with people. Don't just accept anyone as a connection, since you may be called upon to introduce them to someone or make a recommendation. If it is weak connection that you want to keep, take time to make it a stronger connection. By the way, you can delete someone as a connection and they won't know it.
- Ask for and give recommendations. Okay...you may feel funny asking for recommendations, but surely you can give some. Look at your connections and give recommendations to those people whose work you value. You don't have to do the recommendations all at once, but try to remember to give them when you have time.
- Proof your profile. If you're like me, typos will creep in, so proof, proof, proof. And consider having a friend on LinkedIn proof your profile for you or even give you advice on what you could include that you haven't included already.
I have to admit, as I was listening to the teleseminar (over Skype and on my headphones), I was editing my profile and putting their suggestions into practice. Just a few changes made a big difference in how my profile looks and how I think it will be perceived.
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