If you haven’t heard of LinkedIn yet, you should definitely sign up (and don’t forget to add me to your network!). If you are signed up for LinkedIn, are you aware of how powerful this website can be? In this entry, I want to talk about getting LinkedIn to work for you!

It's like connection Heaven.

There’s honestly no point in signing up for a Social Networking site and then not contributing to it. It’s not just about adding friends - it’s about joining groups, contributing thoughts, commenting on discussions and …. NETWORKING!

Would you just stand against the wall and twitter about the awesome buffet line? I sure hope not!

You need to communicate! Mingle, network, schmooze. Introduce yourself, make small talk, and join in on all the good gossip. Maybe you’ll find people with a lot in common, with the same goals and experiencing the same problems and challenges that you do.

This is the world of LinkedIn. There’s a lot to it, and it only takes a little while to get used to it. It’s sort of like the professional Facebook.

You start by filling out your profile - which is a mix of Facebook information and a resume. You can add a photo, change your status (what you’re working on) and giving a little summary about who you are. Add jobs and descriptions, education, awards and accolades and contact preferences.

It doesn't ALL have to be serious.

My favorite part of LinkedIn is the “Recommendation” section. You can request recommendations from people in your network (friends you’ve added). These are great additions to your profile. Who better to talk you up than people you’ve worked with! They’re great for job interviews and giving you some insight in to who you are as an employee.

My recommendation from Tina. I think she got confused when she said she managed me at Engle? But you get the idea.

Have you noticed the Job Search? LinkedIn members (many of whom are HR Directors) can post job openings on LinkedIn. Why is this better than Careerbuilder or Monster? Well, think about this: for every person that applies, the HR Director has a direct connection to that person’s profile where they can see beyond the resume basics to get a hint at your personality and what other’s are saying about you. They might even see that they’re connected to you through a contact of a contact, or through a common group association. Now you’re first in line for an interview instead of Joe Schmo who applied online.

Job search - Lots of great tools on this page!

Which leads me to my next point - join Groups and participate in discussions, news and events. Find groups that share the same hobbies or associations. Most employers will set up their own Group so employees and affiliates can join and participate. For larger companies, this is a great way to get to know people in other departments, or other parts of the country. Our “Engle Homes” group that I started actually has connected me to my peers in Engle divisions across the country - many of whom I’ve never met but now share regular communication with. It’s all about bringing people together!

Group discussions. I'm a chatterbox apparently!

I was the cutest Rudolph the Central St. Preschool had ever seen.

Thanks for joining my discussion on LinkedIn! Feel free to leave some comments about how LinkedIn has worked for you and how you have benefitted from it.