LinkedIn Basics II - Connecting

Connecting on LinkedIn
As the second of three parts of my LinkedIn Basics, I address LinkedIn's most common use, connecting with others.  The article describes how the reader may choose to manage their LinkedIn presence.  


a. Identifying which kind of LinkedIn user you are and which kind your connections are


In addition to the marketing opportunities provided through creating your LinkedIn profile, LinkedIn provides the ability to connect to others.  It is a great rolodex, especially for people with whom you are not regularly in touch.  It pays to be aware that people use it differently, so the results you will get with one group or another may differ considerably.  I view participants as lying on a spectrum between two extremes.

On one end of the spectrum are those who scrupulously connect with only those who they know well, perhaps ex-colleagues.  This group use LinkedIn as a handy online (or cloud-based) rolodex.  The rule that they adhere to is that they will provide active assistance to those who they know in the real world, rather than those they have encountered only virtually.  Those using these criteria will tend to build their network slowly.  Their watchword is “go deep”, perhaps know fewer people, but know them well.

On the other extreme are those who will connect with almost anyone.  People pursuing this strategy will reach out to those with whom they may have connected briefly at, for instance, a networking event or simply those whose profiles look interesting to them.  Their watchword is “go broad”, and have many connections to call on, even if they may not know them.

The two groups will have different expectations of their contacts.  The deep networkers, in addition to connecting with people they know, will also probably only expect to answer inquiries from people they know outside LinkedIn.  Contacts this group receives from those they know will be acted on in the knowledge that this is a contact from some part of their real as well as their virtual existence.  Those they do not know will be questioned or perhaps ignored.

Those who connect more widely, broad networkers, will tend to honor requests from further afield, happily considering requests from outside their acquaintance.  To manage their time, this group may make a quick connection and move on.  It is good to remember that LinkedIn is a community of both of these extremes and, like most of us, something in between.

Another consideration about contacting others is as true inside LinkedIn as it is outside LinkedIn; why you are contacting someone can very much affect their response.  If you are asking someone for something they have, they are generally happier than if you ask them for something they don't have.  If you ask them for information about an organization they know, for instance, they are more likely to respond.  Asking them about something they don't have, say, a job lead, is less likely to get a response.  In the experience of my clients, contacts will volunteer information about a job lead even when asked solely for information.

LinkedIn Basics

I thought it was worth noting how LinkedIn might serve us in our careers. LinkedIn seems to be constantly evolving, but for the moment I mainly I think of the uses of LinkedIn along three lines:

* Marketing – delivering your message into the professional workplace
 a. Creating your profile
 b. Updating your profile to remind people you are out there
 c. Using groups to get attention d. Soliciting recommendations


* Connecting – getting in touch with professional contacts
 a. Identifying which kind of LinkedIn user you are and which kind your connections are

 * Research – learning more about the marketplace
 a. Learning about organizations you want to know more about
 b. Finding organizations you don't know about in fields that might be interesting to you
 c. Finding general industry information

 I will cover Marketing this month, Connecting next month and Research in July.


Marketing yourself on LinkedIn
a. Creating your profile
Marketing in LinkedIn is starts with your profile. By placing your profile on LinkedIn, you are creating a professional presence for others to get to know your work-self. Think of a profile as you think of your resume. Just as with a resume, you will want to construct your profile to maximize your attractiveness to your audience.

 Also as with a resume, you will want to think through how to present your experience. The difference is that you can have many resumes and only one LinkedIn profile. For their LinkedIn profile, most people choose a simple chronology. If you are considering more than one career direction, as many people do, this is a good way to go. Listing specific accomplishments written without jargon will create an overall impression of competence.

 Do not be tempted to omit recent experience. As with a resume, omitting your chronology will only raise questions that will cause many employers not to consider you. Early jobs can be omitted, however, and relevant experience added back in, in your Summary. The Summary section is free form and has no requirement to include dates. The Summary section also allows you to shape your message to your different target audiences.

 It is becoming expected practice that one will have a LinkedIn profile. With this expectation comes a greater acceptance by bosses that an up-to-date profile is a normal part of professional career management and not an indicator of an employee disloyally considering other positions. Continual reinforcing and renewal of your brand is the hallmark of good career management.

 b. Updating your profile to remind people you are out there
By updating your profile periodically and adding current experience, you will not only keep up to date, but will also cause LinkedIn to include you in an e-mail sent to your connections to let them know about the change and to remind them of you and perhaps have them take another look.

 c. Using groups to get attention
You can also market yourself by joining professional groups and updating your profile details. Groups exist for almost any professional interest you can name. In addition, many LinkedIn alumni groups exist for organizations where you may have worked.

 Recruiters check professional groups in their areas of expertise regularly for new candidates and updates to candidates they are already following. Professional groups also provide a forum to track and participate in discussions of trends and new ideas in your area of interest. Use the Groups Search box to enter functional or industry areas of interest. Examples might be budgeting, programming, not-for-profit, publishing, etc.

 d. Soliciting recommendations
Recommendations are a plus and can help enhance your LinkedIn presence. You may choose to wait for someone to volunteer or you may want to actively solicit recommendations. Some people make life easy for bosses or clients by writing recommendations for them. Whatever you do, try to have them sound real. No one is perfect!