Is YOUR LinkedIn profile up to date?   Do you have all of your current information on it; do you have recommendations from colleagues and clients on there?  Are you connected to the people that you want to be connected with in a meaningful way?  Do you have it set up so that you can see your messages on your phone or handheld device?
If you answered no to any of these questions, you had better get out there and get to work!
Yes, there’s a lot of “buzz” and “chatter” out there about social media and what it means, and where to have a presence.   It can be overwhelming and confusing at times.  LinkedIn is a true professional networking tool that is right at your finger tips.

Trust me on this, if you want to be recognized for how great you really are, make sure it’s all out there on your own personal profile!

LinkedIn is an amazing tool for professionals to connect and network, no matter your level or your industry there is a wealth of knowledge and people right at your finger tips.  Get to know how to use it and make it work for you!

As a recruiting professional, it is one of my favorite resources.  Before I get on a call or have a meeting with anyone, I check out their LinkedIn profile ahead of time.  It gives me all the information I need to go into my meeting informed about their background.   I have talked with many employers who do the same before they even look at a resume.

Here are some fun facts from the LinkedIn site itself that you might find of interest:

  • As of September 30, 2011 (the end of the third quarter), professionals are signing up to join LinkedIn at a rate that is faster than two new members per second.
  • The company is publicly held and has a diversified business model with revenues coming from hiring solutions, marketing solutions and premium subscriptions.
  • As of September 30, 2011 (the end of the third quarter), LinkedIn counts executives from all 2011 Fortune 500 companies as members; its corporate hiring solutions are used by 75 of the Fortune 100 companies.
  • More than 2 million companies have LinkedIn Company Pages.
  • LinkedIn represents a valuable demographic for marketers with an affluent & influential membership.

There are so many people and candidates that I have connected with via LinkedIn and I can honestly say that I have placed several of the candidates that I have found through my networks there.  So get moving and build your own personal “brand,” your network will notice and expand!  Who knows, you might acquire some new clients or find a new job in 2012 because of this great professional networking site!

Mary Olson-Menzel mary@mvpexec.com Managing Partner of MVP Executive Search & Development, 20+ years of experience working in corporate America and executive search consulting. She specializes in senior level recruitment across digital, print, broadcast and cable media.

 

~ ASK THE EXPERTS ~
Questions from our Readers
Answered by Mary Olson-Menzel

I’ve been out of work for almost a year, is it time to get creative with my resume and cover letter. Creative as in sending my documents in on unusual color paper, sending it wrapped in brown paper and string, that type of thing.

Creative is good, anything to make yourself stand out, yes, but only to a point. How many resumes are you actually sending via mail anyway? Stop, think digital. Send via email. If you don’t have a computer, go to a library.

If you want to get creative… put on your suit and stop by the place of business that you are targeting and drop off a resume in person. I have a friend who was looking for was job in nursing and did exactly that, the hiring manager was there at the time, met with her that day and hired her on the spot. It can happen!

Why do employers run blind ads and are they even worth pursuing, or worse, are they just a way from criminals to get personal information?

Usually a blind ad is run by a third party recruiter or when a confidential search is being done. I don’t know of any “criminals” out there spending the money to run ads, but I guess you never know – I would just be very careful what ads you are applying to, and don’t have too much of your personal information on there (social security etc)

Posted on: Cynopsis Media