Using LinkedIn and Improving Your Networking Skills

Over the past few weeks I’ve given more thought to the idea of effective networking. I remember when I was just starting my career about 15 years ago, attending Chamber of Commerce events in Rochester, NY on behalf of the city’s orchestra. It felt very cliquish, and although I was young and representing a well known institution, I never really felt like I fit in. So I get that feeling that many people have when they walk into a room of people they don’t know. There are times today when I still get that feeling—that “nobody likes me, nobody cares what I have to say” squeamishness. Even me, who goes to like a gazillion of these things every month.
But when I think about it, that’s how I am reacting to those around me. They have no reason NOT to like me. And as with any relationship, you’re only half of the equation. The person you’re trying to have a conversation with has their own issues, dramas, and fears who may be too nervous or shy to reach out to you. So it’s not always you—sometimes it’s them. Get over it.
As a jobseeker, you need to reach out to others for help. If you have a friend who is a hiring manager, encourage them to tell others about the jobs they’re looking to fill. The only way that networking will work is if people work together. The days are gone when we can sit in a little silo and mindlessly hit “send” on job applications on Monster.com.
A way to start from your desk is to check out LinkedIn.com and really explore all of the options. First and foremost, people are on the site to be found and to help others. That’s the purpose. It’s not for passing movie recommendations, or sharing family vacation photos, it’s to keep up with your network of people you’ve worked with, and whom they have worked with, so it’s not an intrusion for you to search for people you know. You start by essentially putting your resume online as your profile. Then you want to connect to people you’ve worked with, friends, neighbors, classmates by sending them an invitation to connect. Chances are they’ll accept your invitation. If they don’t, then they’re not really “getting” the networking scene. Get over it, it’s them. However, once you’re connected with them, send them a personal note and let them know you’re in the job hunt. If they live in the same area, ask if you can get together for coffee to catch up about what’s going on in the industry. DO NOT make them feel like they should get you a job. You’re asking for advice. A good topic for discussion is to just get their feedback on how you’re searching for a job. You’re probably making assumptions about why you’re not getting jobs, so connecting with someone who is active in the industry will give you honest, genuine feedback. I’m pretty sure you could use that. Searching for a job can be a lonely process, and the only way to keep your sanity is by reaching out to people who know you. Maybe you can end up helping them with a problem like finding a good contractor or even the best place for Mexican food. The goal is to just get yourself on their radar and remind them about how awesome you are, if they can give you some good advice, that’s a very welcome benefit.
Second great way to use LinkedIn—search for groups of people you can join. If you look at my profile, you’ll see that I’m a member of 15 groups. Many of which are from my college, there’s some jobseeker-specific groups, and the rest are either affiliations from my speaking opportunities, or my networking groups. So searching my network also allows me to search the members of these groups—and their connections.
What else can you do with these connections other than search for people who work at the company you’re applying to get into? How about asking your network if they know any good recruiters they can recommend you use? I did that as a way to grow my business, and got some amazing results. People I hadn’t heard from in years reached out to me to recommend people I should contact. A personal recommendation is the best you can ask for.
LinkedIn also has job postings, many of which are not posted anywhere else on the web. So you’ll definitely want to keep a finger on those.
Looking to get into a particular company, or found a job on a board that matches your qualifications? Search the network you’ve created to see if someone in your network already works there, and either ask them directly if they can provide some help, or ask the person who is connected to them for an introduction. The best case scenario is if they would be willing to stick up for you and walk your resume into the hiring manager’s office. I’ve heard of cases where two long-lost friends from college reconnected on LinkedIn, and one was able to give such a glowing recommendation of the other, that it earned her a job interview at the target company. Like anything else, it doesn’t work this well 100% of the time, but anything you can do to tip the scales in your favor is worth it.
They’ve also beefed up their question and answer forums. You can post a question about an industry—even asking for advice about what qualifications are necessary if you want to change industries, and you’ll receive expert advice from people around the country. In some cases, you may be able to answer someone else’s query and get yourself branded as an expert. I’m pretty sure that hiring managers want to hire experts.
You can also ask people in your network for recommendations. How cool is it if you put the URL of your LinkedIn profile on your resume, the employer checks it out, and finds an abundance of great recommendations about your work. That’s pretty powerful stuff, and shows that you are a professional who knows the importance of making a great impression.
A recent study by SHRM (the Society for Human Resources Management) says that hiring managers are turning to social networking sites to identify passive candidates. Whether it be on LinkedIn, or an industry trade site, if your profile is complete and highlights your experience, you have some recommendations, or better yet, they were impressed by your response to a question on a blog, they feel a deeper connection with you than with a piece of paper or an email they received with your resume attached.
Hiring someone without knowing anything about them is a risky proposition, especially when companies have so much on the line. The more good stuff they can find out about you from the beginning, the more likely they’ll feel comfortable calling you in for an interview to see if your in-person persona matches what they read.