What Can LinkedIn Do For Me?

As a person that uses LinkedIn (LI) every single day for networking purposes, I often get questions from LI novices asking me how can they use LinkedIn to make it work for them. People often get frustrated because they will put together a LinkedIn profile and wait for people to join their network. They see others that will make LI work for them for job searches, building their network, or closing million-dollar deals. The novice LI user that does not understand how to use LI properly will give up and leave their profile hoping that someone will seek them out. Today, I am going to help give some pointers that will help you land your dream job or close the million-dollar dealer.

Ten Ways to Make LI work for you:

1. Create a detailed profile that is engaging and will want people to connect with you. It is important that you highlight your experiences and education on your LI profile. Recruiters will often look at the LI profile when they get a resume and this is the time to showcase your background.
2. Have a dynamic header/headline. Be creative and let people know what you do. This is the first thing that pops up on a profile when we do a search for candidates.
3. Take a professional headshot. CVS and Walgreens takes excellent headshots for LI. You want to make sure that it is a clear picture that is from the shoulders and up. This is not Facebook. We are not looking for pictures of you will your pets or doing activities. A headshot makes me remember you. If I go to a networking event and I see you walking towards me, I will more then likely remember your name if I see you at a networking event if I saw your profile and it has a picture.
4. Be truthful on your profile. Make sure your dates line up with your resume. If you did not graduate from a school make sure it is accurate. We do look at your profile when we get your resume.
5. If you have scheduled a call with a new customer or are going on a job interview make sure that you review the person’s LI profile before you meet. This is critical as you might have joint connections, you could of attended the same college with that person or have been in the same club while in school. You want to make sure that you have as many relatable points as possible.
6. If you do not have a ton of experience then make sure you build up your volunteer experience or any organizations that you have been involved in at school. If you were the treasurer of a Greek organization then you have experiences that will build your profile.
7. If you reach out to a connection on LI make sure you write a note before you send it to the person. Make it personable and if you actually met the person prior, in the notes mention where. People are more then likely to accept your invitation if they have met you.
8. Do not send invitations through your cell phone. It will not allow you to craft a note on the invitation. You have one shot to make that impression.
9. Join groups. You are allowed to join over 50 groups. They can be business or academic related or can be something that you have interest in. I created my own group for my high school. I did some networking and catching up in the group and actually got a two million dollar deal out of it. It was unexpected but amazing. GO Utica Eisenhower EAGLES!!!
10. Saving the best for last…. Be a connector and reach out to as many people as possible. Build your networking well now before you need it. The most important tip to be successful is to give and not take. Always offer help to others and people will realize that your are a good person and will more then likely will give you a shot. If you are genuine good things happen. Do not SELL immediately. Build the relationships first then sell. If someone is pushy or sells right away I often will not do anything with them.??

Written by Matthew Karrandja

Matthew Karrandja is a dedicated LI user that has used the platform for professional success and has developed strong relationships over the years. Matthew is currently the Vice President of Sales at LER TechForce and is responsible for business development within technical sales and resources within the embedded software, controls and hardware space. Matthew is a proud graduate of Oakland University – Go Grizzlies and serves on numerous boards. Please feel free to reach out to him on LI.