Linkedin is used differently than Facebook and Twitter. Many businesses are actually using Linkedin to find prospective employees. Some of the people I have spoken to and heard from say that with the online resume and postings, not only can they see a potential candidate’s qualifications, they can also see the person’s professional persona. Does the person present a professional image? Does the person go on regularly? What kinds of postings does the person put online? Facebook may show the social aspect of a person, but Linkedin gives a pretty good idea of a person’s professionalism and ease online.
Some weeks ago in our local paper, there were a series of articles on social media, and it is apparent that people are using them to find out more about people. Linkedin is quickly become an online recruiting tool.
And the opposite can be also true. People who are looking for a job have another way to network and get themselves out there where people can see them at their leisure. Although traditional methods of finding a job haven’t gone away (networking and recruiters), Linkedin has been added to the mix.
Another person mentioned that his company uses Linkedin to keep an eye on their competition. They take a careful look at how their competition markets themselves as well as what they may be launching in terms of new products.
Others use Linkedin to keep up with various organizations that may be affiliated with their industries. Maybe they belong to professional groups through Linkedin or professional associations. They use the forums to discuss new ideas, trends in the industry and even to ask advice.
Of course like all the other social media sites out there, it is only as good as the time you put into it. If you join a networking group and never attend any of their meetings, you are not getting the full benefit of it. The same goes for Linked in.
At first you will have to spend quite a bit of time since you should get your profile up and running and explore the various groups you might want to join. Once that is done, you should log in a few times a week and see what’s being posted. Find a few things on Linkedin that are useful to you whether it is to keep in touch with colleagues, find out the trends in your industry, interact with your online organizations or recruit new talent to your company.
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