The Workosaur Blog

LinkedIn is an online network of more than 26 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries. It is also the largest online business network in India with 1.1 million Indian members. Recruiters are actively looking at LinkedIn to weed out profiles that are not active on the popular jobsites. We strongly encourage workosaurs to create a profile on LinkedIn and use the following steps to leverage LinkedIn for better career opportunities.

1. Complete your Profile & Make it Searchable
• You should fill out your profile like it’s an executive bio, so include a professional summary, specialties, current/past positions (with descriptions), education, affiliations and activities. This makes you appear in more search results as well as gets you more connected (as explained in the next step).
• Upload a professional-looking profile photo. This will also help people identify you quickly.
• Create a public profile with a customized URL that includes your name. Enable “full view” of your public profile. Also, LinkedIn enables you to make the profile information available for search engines to index.

2. Get Connected with Contacts already on LinkedIn
• Search your webmail contacts for people who are already on LinkedIn.
• Search your past or present colleagues: If you have filled your past and present employment details correctly, then LinkedIn allows shows you other people from the same organization who are on LinkedIn and also alerts you when new members from the organization join LinkedIn.
• Search your classmates: If you have filled your employment history correctly, then LinkedIn allows shows you other people from the same school who are on LinkedIn and also alerts you when new members who are from the same school join LinkedIn.

3. Make your Profile more Saleable
• Have colleagues, clients, teachers, and partners speak up for you - get recommended for the work you do on LinkedIn. Obviously, the more recommendations you have, the better. Also, make sure you have some solid recommendations all-around i.e. from your managers, your peers and your subordiates.
• Be a serious participant on LinkedIn Answers for topics related to your career. If your answer is chosen as the Best Answer, you are shown as a domain specialist by LinkedIn.
• Join 3-4 relevant LinkedIn Groups. These groups are displayed in search results and serve as a good visual cue to draw attention to your profile.

4. Promote your LinkedIn Profile
• Add a link to your profile as part of your email signature.
• Display a LinkedIn badge leading to your profile on your blog (if you maintain one).
• When you comment in a blog, include a link to your profile in your signature or in the URL field.
• Publish your LinkedIn profile on your resume (for the recruiters to verify the veracity of your resume and to show off your recommendations/specialties)

5. Be Active & Contactable on LinkedIn
• Log in to LinkedIn and check your Inbox (messages / InMail / Introductions / Invitations / Q&A / Recommendations) on a daily/weekly basis. You will then be more visible in the Network Updates feed that your connections see when they log on to LinkedIn.
• Edit your status message to reflect the current activity you are involved in. You’ll be surprised at the number of LinkedIn connections who would chip in with suggestions when you let them know what you are doing.
• Add the Answers Application for a regular feed of Q&A in your domain of expertise. This ensures that you are able to participate in relevant Q&A discussions.
• Add the Jobs Application for a regular feed of relevant jobs that fit your profile. When something interesting comes up, you can apply without the hassle of e-mailing or uploading a resume.
• Edit your contact settings and grant permission to be contacted for different opportunities. Also, ensure that you provide your phone number here.

Adherence to these steps will soon show results. If you need any inputs relating to your LinkedIn profile, do send a mail to nimish [at] workosaur [dot] com and I shall make my services available.

Next Steps:
1. Participate in the discussion - For more LinkedIn Tips
2. Send this post to the girl who’s been scrapping you on Orkut.