This document provides an overview of the professional social media platform LinkedIn and how it can be used by a career services office. It outlines five key areas: what LinkedIn is and how it works; getting started by creating a profile and connecting with others; how career services can maximize its use for career education, job development, and alumni outreach; and what features and best practices to emphasize to students, such as expanding one's network by joining groups and using both passive and active engagement. The document encourages experimentation to effectively harness LinkedIn's evolving tools and features.

1. Linkedin Overview Created for Career Services By Hyun Woo June 24, 2009

2. Purpose A guide for using Linkedin created for the Career Services team. By effective use of this tool, we may be able to… Augment career search efforts of students Enhance our job development network Create a personalized, online presence for alumni activity

3. Outline: the Five Areas What is Linkedin? How Linkedin Works / Proper Usage Getting Started: Creation of Profile / Using features How Career Services Can Maximize Linkedin What to Emphasize to Students

4. I. What is Linkedin? Linkedin is a social networking tool used by business professionals for the following: To promote one’s professional accomplishments and career aspirations To share best practices or emerging trends To gauge the B2B marketplace To create or elicit business or career opportunities Background on Linkedin: Started in May 2003. Today: 42 million members in 200 countries and spanning 170 industries Members include executives from each of the Fortune 500 companies Current Management Team includes former leaders from Paypal, Google, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, Logitech, and E-Loan: companies that are leaders in e-commerce, web 2.0, and emerging technologies.

5. What Linkedin is NOT: NOT a place to actively look for personal relationships or activity buddies. NOT a place to express highly personal views on religion, politics, or any potentially divisive issues (unless relating to business matters). NOT a place to SPAM or conduct mass solicitation.

6. II. How Linkedin Works: Connect with other members by inviting them into your network. Join a group and send other group members personalized questions, requests, or invitations. Use tools to reach others (discussions board, job boards, blogging links, slideshows, surveys, etc.)

7. Proper Protocols Some Commonly Shared “Best Practices”: Create a profile first, before contacting others Join different groups, to expand your network Personalize your messages: state briefly who you are and the nature of the contact. (Generally, it is best not to send invites yet). At the end of a message, leave open the potential of connecting. If contacting an “Open Networker” (LION: Linkedin Open Networker), it is fine to send a direct invite. Before engaging someone, make sure that they are open to being contacted. Look for this info at the end of their profile. An existing contact can introduce you to someone in their network. It is best to explain to this person why you wish to contact the other.

8. III. Getting started with Linkedin Sign Up and Create a Free Account. Create a Personalized Profile. Search for and Connect with Current and Former Colleagues. Join Groups (max of 50 allowed). Make “Passive” contact with members in groups, and end messages with the possibility of sending/receiving a connection invite(include email). Create or comment on discussion boards. Ask questions to group members on these boards. Investigate how others are using Linkedin. Play with the various other tools.

9. Creating a Profile A combination of a brief autobiography and a resume. Most important: Highlight accomplishments, articulate aspirations, and summarize skills. Show personality, but do not overdo. Unlike a resume or letter, you may control how much to present, but be cognizant of your potential audience Manage your contacts: make notes on them (space provided on their profile page – viewable by only you).

10. Additional Tools Job Search Engine Company Profiles Industry, Alumni, and Trade Groups Slideshow (for Presentations) Group Discussions Blog/Chat Options Various others

11. IV. How Career Services can Use Linkedin Career Education: teach students on its value and features. Job Development: use for initiating and maintaining contact with employers. Resource Base: use Slideshow Feature to make available presentations or documents. Alumni Outreach/Support: use Group and Job Board features (within each group) to reach alumni, gather information, and to present opportunities. Conduct Research: use Discussion Board, blog features, and survey tools to gather information.

12. V. What to Emphasize to Students Key differences between Linkedin and other Social Networking Tools (ala MySpace). Importance of a Strong Profile: effective Summary Statements and appropriate career info. Expanding One’s Network: Joining groups and participating in them. Respectful Engagement: Understand your target (Be a sniper, not a shotgun). Using both passive and active approaches Asking questions/Making thyself known. Being creative: social networking is ever evolving.

13. Closing Linkedin, like much of social networking, is an ever evolving tool. Experimentation and feedback is what will make the tool effective, as well as your initiative in maximizing its features. Please be creative, respectful, and share what you learn.