LinkedIn a great site for job hunting, networking

If you've had me as a teacher, you know how passionate I am about networking as a way to find jobs and build your professional presence.  Networking is absolutely essential.

LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) has emerged as the leading online site for professional networking.  LinkedIn is phenomenally popular, with 47 million users, including 5.1 million students.  Executives from every Fortune 500 company maintain profiles on the site.  If you plan to seek work after graduation and build a successful career, you need to join LinkedIn now.

You can think of LinkedIn as your online resume, but it's really much more.  LinkedIn lets you post your own profile, where you can list your education, work experience and skills, similar to a resume.  You can also include your photo and links to your blog, Web site or online portfolio.   Employers who are interested in hiring you can access your profile online. 

The real power of LinkedIn is the networking potential.  Similar to "friends" on Facebook, LinkedIn lets you "connect" with employers, peers and other contacts.  Hey, you can even connect with your college instructors.  Your networking can grow exponentially as you connect with groups, such as your college alumni organization or companies where you've interned or worked.   Venturing one step further, you can participate in professional discussion groups and begin to establish your interest or expertise on given issues. 

Similar to building a good resume, developing a highly professional profile on LinkedIn requires skill.  This isn't Facebook, so you want to be sure everything you post on LinkedIn is highly professional and career-focused.  A poorly executed profile on LinkedIn, just like a sloppy resume, can be a kiss of death with employers.

Lindsey Pollak, author of "Getting from College to Career" and a consultant to LinkedIn, offers these suggestions to students on building a successful LinkedIn profile:

1. Make sure your photo is professional and that it shows only you.  This isn't the place for that goofy photo of you and your roommate that you posted on Facebook (you know the one).
2. Think carefully about what to say in your headline.  It could focus on your area of study or your career ambition.  For instance, if you want to be an advertising account executive, say so in your headline or say you are an Ad/PR major.  Don't waste the headline by saying you wait tables at Chili's, unless, of course, your dream is a career in restaurant management. 
3. Use appropriate keywords in your profile.   What are the words or phrases that employers in your field typically list in job descriptions?  What software programs are important in your specialty?  Include keywords that will make employers stop and look at your profile.
4. It's OK to include internships, Study Abroad and volunteer experiences in your profile.  These activities reflect positively on you.  Don't limit yourself to only listing jobs.  
5. Don't neglect to include recommendations.  LinkedIn includes space for people who know you to write something nice about you and your professional skills.  Ask your internship supervisors, employers, college instructors and others who know your work well to submit recommendations for you. 
   

In today's job market, posting a profile on LinkedIn is almost as important as having a solid resume.  Take time now to visit LinkedIn and start your profile.  For more information, see "Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job" or visit LinkedIn's own site for college graduates at "Launch Your Career With LinkedIn."