“Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile to Secure Your Next Position”

Joe Devine, Partner

Bridge Technical Solutions

• Why LinkedIn?• Optimizing Your Profile• Connections• Recommendations• Companies• Searching• Groups• Answers

Why LinkedIn?

• 45,000,000 LinkedIn Users

• All 500 of the Fortune 500

• Over 195K Recruiters

• To Find, Be Found and to gain valuable information.

• Network

Optimizing Your Profile

• Headline• Experience• Education• Status• Summary/Specialties• Website Links

• Photo• Vanity URL• Interests• Awards, Honors, etc.• Applications

Connections

• Determine your “Connection Strategy”– Closed– Flexible– Wide Open

• Make Connections

• Display Your Connections

• Review Your Connections Periodically

Recommendations

• Great way to establish that you are trusted and trusting.

• Give and receive!

• You have control!

• Are You a “Service Provider”?

Searching

• Companies

• People

• Jobs

Groups• 387,085 LinkedIn Groups• Typically easy to Join• Some Common Thread

– Industry, Geography, Skills, Job Title, Company, Interest

• Most include:– Discussion, News, Jobs, Members, Updates,

My Settings, Some have Sub-Groups

• Form Your Own

Project Management Groups

Business Analyst Groups

Other ideas

• Profile updates

• Contact Settings

• Introductions

• Improve your Visibility

• Problems?

• Bottom Line – You must make it your’s!

References

• Jason Alba; I’m on LinkedIn, Now What???• Joel Elad; LinkedIn for Dummies• Steven Tylock; The LinkedIn Personal Trainer• Guy Kawasaki blog post "10 Ways to Use LinkedIn“• Patrice-Anne Rutledge; Sams Teach Yourself LinkedIn

Cupcakes? Not!• Amy McDermott; Recruiter and Manages our

Outreach Efforts

• Kristi Brewster; Sr. Recruiter and Manages our Business Analyst Practice Area

• Jon Samolis; Recruiter and Manages our Project Management Practice Area

• Joe Devine; Partner and Presenter