Starting a LinkedIn Profile

Starting a LinkedIn Profile If you are a professional business person or someone seeking to expand your network of contacts, then you need to join LinkedIn. Over the next several weeks and months, I will be providing tips for designing your LinkedIn profile page, finding contacts, asking for recommendations, and becoming an expert in your professional area. LinkedIn is another social media tool that can be considered much more “professional” than Facebook or Twitter. Think of utilizing LinkedIn as your online resume. There are over 75 million users on LinkedIn and that number is growing each day. Everyone knows there is only so much time in a day to use social media, so you need to make it count. And, in my opinion, LinkedIn is a way to make a statement in the social media atmosphere. LinkedIn is designed to add to your list of contacts. It is a place to find people you already know and expand to those you want to know for networking purposes. It’s an opportunity to connect with people quickly and easily in a professional medium. Many people are starting to use LinkedIn profiles in addition to a traditional resume or a replacement for that document. Find out the key words being utilized in your industry and use them on your profile, especially in your summary statement. This will help ensure your profile is found when individuals are searching for professionals in your field. Develop your areas of expertise and list those, along with accomplishments and job history. Finally, you may want to summarize why you have joined LinkedInâ€"perhaps you are interested in connecting with similar people in your field or maybe you are seeking additional job opportunities. To start your LinkedIn profile, simply go to LinkedIn.com and sign up today. Watch for the next blog which details how to effectively develop your summary statement and design a profile worth seeking.   P.S. If you would like to connect with me on LinkedIn, search for Heather Rothbauer-Wanish and click Connect.