Enjoy 10 LinkedIn tips from my "LinkedIn for Job Seekers" presentation with a nice steamy cup of your favorite hot wintertime beverage...
Dust off your LinkedIn profile, ensure it is updated and get familiar with new features that were added over the past year. Read the LinkedIn blog for all the skinny.
Join 50 groups (50 is the limit and they are free and all contain a job board) according to industry, location, Alma mater, etc. and introduce yourself through a post on the discussion board with a mini bio and mention you are a job seeker.
Search the Questions & Answers feature for questions you have expertise in and can answer and ask questions of peers - great way to get your name visible and dialog with people you would likely otherwise not have the opportunity to.
Export your contacts and send an email to them monthly, the first time with a re-introduction and monthly with an update on your job search. Be sure to bcc everyone so you don't disclose their email addresses.
Learn how doing your job search via LinkedIn jobs shows you who you are connected to at the companies you are interested in that have jobs posted. This allows you to apply through the front door and network through the back door.
Follow companies you are interested in employment with by doing a company search and clicking the follow button. See who works there and get busy making connections.
If you have a professional blog link it to your account to introduce it to visitors.
Don't link your Twitter account to LinkedIn if you tweet random things - it's truly annoying to everyone but you. Use select tweets. Actually, please use select tweets with Facebook too.
Do a strategic contact search, pick up the phone and start calling!
Realize that every time you make a profile enhancement or post an interesting status update you show up in the time line of all you connections - stay in their face, in a professional way - of course.
There is a lot I haven't covered, what's your hot LinkedIn tip?
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