Through networking, I met some marketing and advertising people who started the Stuart Smalley Society, a networking and job search buddy meeting, on Facebook. The people organizing the SSS are doing a great job.
On April 9, Cindy Pain presented how to get the most out of LinkedIn at the School for Visual Concepts (SVC is offering limited seating at 50% off for all classes for folks unemployed in the last six months. Call 206-623-1560). Cindy is VP, Career Management Consultant / VP, Career Coach at Lee Hecht Harrison.
I began using LinkedIn in 2005. Since 2007, I have focused on growing my network and refining my profile. I’ve read many how-to’s, tips and secrets, including Rita Ashley’s handy and smart LinkedIn to Power Job Search. Definitely get your free copy of that jewel 
I recruited two friends to attend with me, and I wanted to learn what I haven’t yet found out. While the session was geared toward newbies, it’s always good to revisit the basics. Now I know what’s on my profile maintenance list!
Below are my notes from the session. These assume a basic working knowledge of the site but post a comment with any questions. I will respond.
Your title: Modify the title to be YOU – not a job title. (“Marketing Communications Manager” not “MarCom Specialist Level II”)
It is good to post your picture when trying to bypass HR to reach the hiring manager. This puts a face with a name, and offers an opportunity to let the hiring manager identify with you. (“He looks like a nice guy, someone I’d enjoy talking to.”)
Modify the profile URL to have your name in it. If your name is already taken, add your middle initial or middle name. When a person searches for you on LinkedIn, the geographical constraints will reduce the search results enough to make you easy to find. When Googled (and you will be), your profile will now appear in Google search results.
Privacy settings: turn these to “no” when making major updates. Leaving it to “yes” means every time you change even one letter in a word, your contacts are notified that your profile has been updated – but it doesn’t say what you did. Make all your updates in one session, then turn privacy back off so people will see only your fully revised profile. You don’t want to fatigue your contacts with excessive updates about you that aren’t really updates.
Be a lifetime learner, always reading, always learning. Be a trendspotter. Focus on employability, not job titles. The days of lifetime employment are dead and mostly a myth of the manufacturing economy. Your career is yours to manage and own. Focus on bringing value to your role, not just skills.
Profile Summary: Do not write this as dry as a resume is. Give the reader more to read. If you are in a creative profession, be creative because you are expected to be. This is the time and place to demonstrate your character and qualities. Look at Cindy’s profile as an example. Show personality, show enthusiasm, make yourself stand out from cookie cutter profiles.
Read other people’s profiles for ideas of what to write about yourself. If writing isn’t your strong suit, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Read profiles of people in your field, at your level, and find the ones who say it well. Then copy, put your own spin on it, and paste.
Be authentically you in what you say. If the words you say feel fake to you, imagine how they sound to the person listening.
I loved this metaphor: “Social networks are how we have a front porch since we are now so transient.” Using online social networks are how we keep up with everyone. This is called “ambient awareness” by social media experts.
Your resume is a reason to get someone to call you. When they ask about your experiences, don’t tell them how you did it. Tell them what you did and the results. Tease them. Make them want more. If you tell them the how, you solved their problem (by giving them the answer), and now they can do it on their own. And you got bupkuss for it.
Understand your market and your audience so you talk to them how they expect. If talking to marketers, use a marketer’s language. If talking to a recruiter, use language that she can follow. Remember: a recruiter fills many positions so they don’t necessarily know every industry’s jargon.
Get Recommendations! Reciprocate always. Talk about the person’s work, talk about him as a person. Pay it forward.
Connect with LinkedIn Open Networkers (LIONs) to generate many 3rd degree connections. You may never meet the LION, but the 3rd degree connection opens up pathways to many more people. LIONs are good to move your message forward when requested. Again, pay it forward and reciprocate.
Write a recommendation even if you only know a little bit about the person. Speak to the qualities you have seen and experienced.
Searching techniques:
- Use Boolean searches. Put search terms in double quotes to constrain search results. Modify by using AND, OR and NOT (in all caps) between search terms. For example, “John Doe” AND Starbucks.
Join Groups. Similar to connecting with LIONs, having a group in common lets you easily connect with others on your own. Also, groups are a great way to network online and in person. They range from your location, to your industry, to diversity groups and more.
Search for points of affinity when searching for people. For example, search for people from your university alma mater, from companies where you worked, or by job titles. If you want to connect with accounting supervisors in your city, search by job titles in your area to find them. Then use 3rd degree connections through groups or LIONs to network with them.
That’s the sum of 90 minutes of excellent presentation by Cindy. Please comment your thoughts below.