LInkedIn & More for Networking & Job Searches

LinkedIn (& more)

for Networking

& Job Searches

Carl B. Forkner, Ph.D.

Chief Consultant

Success! Professional Consulting

© 2014 by C. Forkner

Agenda

• Branding & LinkedIn

• LinkedIn Foundations: The 6 Essentials

• Building on Experience & Skills

• Industry Focus & Specialized Categories

• Groups, Recommendations, & Introductions

• Employment: Looking for & Enhancing Careers

• The Real Objective: Going Beyond the Internet

• BREAK

• Introduction to Social Media Resources

• Q & A Period


What is “Branding?”

What does LinkedIn do for you?


Creating your Account

• www.linkedin.com

• If you do not already have a LinkedIn

account, you can easily establish one.

• Does anyone need to create an account?

http://www.linkedin.com/




• What you need:

• E-mail address

• Create a password

• Follow the menu-driven setup

• Yes, it is that easy!





I do NOT recommend…



Six Critical Components

1. Name, Headline, Industry, & Location

2. Professional Photograph

3. Summary

4. Current & Previous (2+) Work Experience

5. Education & Skills (5+)

6. Connections (50+)


Why is the Heading Important?

Phoenix Professionals Now

Phoenix Professionals Now

Your Name

Your Headline * Best

Salesman * Serving

Customers * Building

Your Business *

Will YOU pay to see more?


Name, Headline, Industry, & Location

• Proper Name

• NO Nicknames

• Include important designations (MBA, PMP, PHR, etc.)

• Headline

• 10-12 words describing who you are and what you offer to prospective employers

• NOT your current position

• Keywords preceded by powerful descriptive adjectives

• The Primary DESIRED Industry for your Expertise

• Geographic Location

• City, State …or… City/Province, Country


Name, Headline, Industry, & Location

Name

Picture Headline

Location/Industry


An Outstanding Marketing Headline

Howard YostManaging your Supply Chain • Supporting your Customer •

Profiting your BusinessChandler, Arizona | Semiconductors


Professional Photograph

YES

NO

FREE Professional photographs available weekly at Career Connectors!

Event schedule: www.careerconnectors.org

http://www.careerconnectors.org/


Your LinkedIn URL & Contact Info

Click to edit URL

Click to edit Contact Info


SummaryYou have 30 seconds to sell yourself!

For job seekers not currently employed:

**WHO YOU ARE PROFESSIONALLY pursuing position as ___________ in _____________ (industry) in the _______________ (geographic) area.**[blank line]Insert your 30-second “elevator talk” here…[blank line]Specialties: __________; __________; __________; etc… (Should be no more than 12. Each should be no more than 2 words long.)[blank line]e-mail:Twitter:

For people currently working but looking for other options (i.e. don’t want to make your boss mad):

**WHO YOU ARE PROFESSIONALLY [overall professional tag line, such as “providing superior client services”] in _____________ (industry) in the _______________ (geographic) area.**[blank line]Insert your 30-second “elevator talk” here…[blank line]Specialties: __________; __________; __________; etc… (Should be no more than 12. Each should be no more than 2 words long.)[blank line]e-mail:Twitter:


Summary (Looking for Work)

**EXPERIENCED LEADER AND EDUCATOR pursuing position in education & training,

corporate, or government leadership in the Phoenix, AZ area**

AWARD-WINNING PROFESSIONAL with over 20 years of leadership, research, and

educational experience in K-12, undergraduate, graduate university, and government

programs. Experienced research analyst and author.

Enhanced productivity concurrent with resource and cost savings are hallmarks of

success in leadership and education. My career is replete with experience leading

organizations to success through innovative strategic planning and providing

environments where personnel may thrive, learn, and advance. My passion is leadership,

education, and training that enhances institution and personnel accomplishment.

Specialties: Education Administration; Academic Affairs; Education and Training

Leadership; Strategic Organizational Leadership; Research and Analysis; International

Affairs; Culture & Language; Logistics & Supply Management; National Security Affairs;

Information Operations; Intelligence.

e-mail: [email protected]

Twitter: @carlforkner

Blog: http://www.writerbeat.com (host site)

1

2

3

4

http://www.writerbeat.com/


Summary (In a Job)

1

2

3

4

Bonus Content(but no too much)


Making Your Experience Count

• You must have:

• Current Experience

• At least two past positions

• “Experience” does not have to be a paid

position…

• …but only if you need it for your current position

listing.

• Otherwise, it is best listed as Volunteer work.


Experience

Required

Required

Required

Recommended (especially if local to the job market)

Template


Experience

Try to use generally understood terms (CEO, COO, Senior VP, VP, Director, Sr. Manager, Manager, etc…)

Spell out position and then include abbreviation, for example: Chief Operating Officer (COO)

If your company is already on LinkedIn, you do not need to describe the company. A link will appear to the company’s LinkedIn presence.If it is not on LinkedIn, put 1-3 lines describing the company (in general, strategic terms)

You need to put 1-2 lines describing your position/responsibilities.

Then you need 2-4 bullets highlighting your accomplishments in that position.+ The accomplishments need to be results-based.

+ For example: - Did “x” resulting in “y”+ If you can quantify with numbers (%, growth, savings, magnitude, etc.) it

draws people to the facts.


Education & Skills• Education

• Highest Degree First

• For graduate degrees, include thesis/dissertation title

• Reverse Chronological Order (newest first)

• What sets your education apart as unique?

• Do not include dates if >20 years ago

• Do not include high school if:

• You attended postsecondary education

• AND/OR you are at least 25 years old

• “Skills & Endorsements”

• Pick those that represent your marketable skills

• Used by Recruiters & HR as searchable keywords

• Push to bottom of profile


Education

University of Phoenix

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Higher Education Administration

2009 – 2013

Dissertation: "Writing Assessment as a Predictor of Performance in an Executive

Graduate Degree Program.“

Activities and Societies: Cohort writing coach.

Western Illinois University

Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.), Special Education; Education Administration

Thesis: "Disproportionate Placement of Black Students in Special Education Classes in

the Illinois Public Schools“

Activities and Societies: Graduate Teaching Assistant in Assessment and Evaluation;

Phi Delta Kappa

NOTE: No date (>20 years ago)


Skills & Endorsements

• Select from the list of available skills

• Start with your most important “Top Ten”

• Once you have skills posted, others may endorse you for those skills

• Remember to endorse others, but only for skills you know they possess

• “80/20” Rule…

• This should be the LAST section at the bottom of your editable profile!

• The main purpose is providing keywords for electronic searches by Recruiters and HR


Skills & Endorsements

As you type, standard fields may appear.

This indicates the skill is a widely-understood standard

Type skill here

When skill comes up in the dropdown window, click on it!


Connections• Build your connections by:

• Searching for professionals you know personally

• Searching your connections’ connections

• Build at least 50 connections to be an “All Star”

• Only “All Star” profile posts can be autoshared on Twitter or Facebook!

• “All Star” profiles show up in the top group in searches done by recruiters and HR personnel!

• Be careful with connections…

• If someone you do not know asks to connect:

• View their profile

• See if they are connected to your connections

• If not, are they in your career field?


What to do with Connections

• The real value in connections is access to the 2nd level connections

• Use your 1st level connections to lead you to others in your industry

• Use your online connection to develop a relationship that results in a face-to-face meeting

• “Can I meet with you and buy you a cup of coffee/tea/etc. and talk about _____?”

• Make them feel important, not just the company.

• Personal connections are the goal of networking (whenever possible & practical)


Volunteer Experience

• Volunteering in the community, within your

school, church, etc.

• Viewed as positive engagement activities

• LinkedIn will not automatically put them in

reverse chronological order

• Use the black arrows in your edit screen to move

them into the order desired.


Industry Focus

• Profile organization based on industry

• Organizing the profile to highlight the right

data first

• Aligning past experience with desired

positions


Organization ExamplesEducation

• Summary

• Education

• Certifications

• Experience

• Courses (Taught)

• Publications

• Projects

• Volunteer Work

• Organizations

• Awards & Honors

• Languages

• Add’l Info

Business

• Summary

• Experience

• Education

• Certifications

• Projects

• Publications

• Patents

• Organizations

• Volunteer Work

• Awards & Honors

• Languages

• Add’l Info

Technology

• Summary

• Experience

• Certifications

• Education

• Projects

• Patents

• Publications

• Organizations

• Volunteer Work

• Awards & Honors

• Languages

• Add’l Info


Highlighting the Right Data

• Most jobs have many facets.

• Highlight the parts of your experience that reflect

the position you are trying to obtain in your

desired industry or companies.

• This is *not* cheating! Much like a resume, your

LinkedIn profile has limited space to sell yourself

and your achievements as they apply to your

desired career.


Align Experience with Target

• Look, for example, at someone with sales experience…

• If you want a job in sales, it is easy.

• Recognized for three straight quarters for exceptional sales, exceeding target sales projections by over 30%.

• If you want a job in customer service:

• Expertly responded to customer inquiries, resulting the right product being delivered, increasing customersatisfaction and potential return business.

• If you want a job in the financial sector:

• Optimized ability to acquire services based on client needs and financial resources, resulting in customer satisfaction while increasing company business.


Finding Groups

Select “Groups”

Select “Interests” from the Menu Bar


Search for a Group

• You are limited to 50 groups

• If you join groups, try to be active in them at least monthly!

From “Groups” Page

From Main Search Box Menu


Recommendations

• You should try to get at least 2, and up to 6,

recommendations for each position listed under

“Experience” in the last 20 years.

• Best method:

• Request recommendations from another LinkedIn

colleague. They can enter using the LinkedIn

recommendations system.

• Give them something to work with! Tell them what

accomplishment(s) you would like them to write a

recommendation about.

• 30-40% of people will respond if you give them a hint…

• 10-15% will respond if you give them a “blank sheet of paper.”


Recommendations

Dropdown box toSelect Experience

Select Contact to Ask

Give Contact a Review of What You Want to be Recommended for!**Make it a personal professional message – one contact at a time**


Recommendations

Dan Henk

Director, Air Force Culture and Language Center at United States Air Force

Carl is a visionary leader and manager and extraordinarily hard worker. Over the course

of three years, he developed and implemented an innovative new program for military

language learning in the two senior Air Force professional military education colleges.

This required the coordination of multiple agencies and the interpersonal skills to

convince educational administrators to accept significant change. The program itself was

notable for its high quality and highly positive rating by students. Carl accomplished all

this while maintaining a full-time teaching position in strategy and warfighting - a

remarkable achievement.less

January 31, 2011, Dan worked with Carl at Air War College

Director

Air War College

Position

Company/Organization

Who recommended you

Expanded experience description

Th

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eco

mm

en

da

tio

n

How the recommender knows you

Recommendation date

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=45949255&authToken=De8a

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=20856778&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile


Recommendations

• What if the person is not on LinkedIn?

• You can ask the person to send you a signed

letter of recommendation.

• Scan the letter

• Post it under the position as media


Introductions

• Some people on LinkedIn do not allow people

not already at least a 2nd level contact to

request to connect directly.

• Introductions allow your contacts to

“introduce” you to another person.

• This is also good if you want to contact with a

senior HR or Hiring Manager—it is best to go

through a contact you both already know, much

like having a company employee hand your

resume to the Hiring Manager or HR…


Introductions

• Search for a contact’s name

• When you open the person’s profile, scroll

down until you see how you are connected

in the righthand column.


Introductions

YOU are Here…

Contacts who mayIntroduce You

Target Contact


Finding the Right Companies

Select “Companies” from the “Interests” Menu



Type in a Company Name or Industry



Matching Company Profiles

Matching Company Options

Matching Company Groups

Current Employees

Past Employees

Job Postings


Following Companies

Who You Know

Click to Follow

Company News

Company Profile Click to See Jobs


Job Postings at Target Companies

Job Postings!


Begin a Targeted Network

• Identify and send a connection request to

people in companies you targeted for your

career.


Begin a Targeted Network

• Note the potential connections and what positions they hold in the company…

1. Select contacts based on your skill set

2. Connecting with HR & Recruiters may link you into the company better…

Recruiter

Specific Field of Focus


Successful Networking

• Know the Environment!

• Most available fields

• Appropriate attire and demeanor

• Commute distance (Relocation?)

• Online helps…but is not the end…


“Handshakes”

• Even in the digital age, face-to-face is key!

• Human interpersonal communication is about 80% non-verbal cues and messages…

• Taking the step to reach out:

• Shows initiative

• Shows class

• Makes your name more recognizable


Get Up, Get Out, Get Going!

• The computer can only take you so far…

• Get out and take a first-hand look at your

target companies

• You may be able to get a brief tour through a

connection!

• Networking opportunities abound in the

Phoenix Metro area!


Networking Opportunities

Google Search is Your Friend…


Networking Phoenix

http://www.networkingphoenix.com/

http://www.networkingphoenix.com/


Professional Networking Meetup

http://professional-networking.meetup.com/cities/us/az/phoenix/

http://professional-networking.meetup.com/cities/us/az/phoenix/


Executives Network

http://www.executivesnetwork.com/

(This group is for Director-level positions and above)

George Fleming isPHX Coordinator(see LinkedIn profile)

http://www.executivesnetwork.com/


Network After Work

http://www.meetup.com/Network-After-Work-Phoenix-Networking-Events/

http://www.meetup.com/Network-After-Work-Phoenix-Networking-Events/


Professionals Career Network

Mr. Edward Desjardins runs this group. He has over 40 years of HR and Recruiter leadership experience.Look him up on LinkedIn.

Ed hosts a bi-weekly networking meeting at Lovitt and Touche on 1050 W. Washington Street in Tempe, AZ. The meetings are a great way to network if you are looking for work or need employees. His meetings follow a "round table" approach and usually have informed speakers that are interesting and motivating. To contact Ed Desjardins go to his website at: www.hrinsights.info or call him at: 623-986-0133

Let’s take

a

10-minute break…

Other Social Media

&

Opportunities


Facebook Personal Account


Facebook Professional “Page”


Facebook Company Page


Twitter Personal Account


Twitter for Job Searches

#jobs

What if

JOBS

came to

YOU?


TweetMyJobs.com


Pinterest for Jobs#jobs


Pinterest for Jobs#hiring


YouTube for Jobs#jobs


Managing it all: Hootsuite


Managing it all: Mobile

HootsuiteMobile

Flipboard Mobile

Questions

&

Answers

LInkedIn & More for Networking & Job Searches

Presentations & Public Speaking

Transcript of LInkedIn & More for Networking & Job Searches