LinkedIn – not just a job search tool

Over the last year I have introduced hundreds of job seekers who have faced redundancy to the power of social networking.  My favourite business tool is LinkedIn and my lectures on networking revolve around its functions and the successes it has had to aid business and careers.

I was sent a link to a video spoof on LinkedIn touting it as a job search tool by a savvy delegate looking for my reaction.

Apart from the fact that it is a simplistic (and not entirely accurate) view of LinkedIn, it does raise some interesting thoughts:

• If you play on Facebook and LinkedIn at work all day you'll get yourself in trouble. If you wait until you get laid off to create your accounts and try to network, you'll seem desperate. However, if you keep track of all your professional associations over time, you'll build up a large group of leads to tap into when you need to job hunt again.
• The links do nothing on their own…it's what you do with them!  It's up to the user to reach out, generate connections and develop relationships.  LinkedIn is making it very easy to gently nudge people in the direction of networking.
• This video is misleading as LinkedIn never claims to find you a job. That really isn't the point of it. LinkedIn benefits people who are genuinely interested in networking for business reasons and for establishing contacts with industry people who may be able to help you with your business endeavours and/or ideas.
• LinkedIn is not an end in itself, but – if your connections, recommendations and of course your CV are up to it – it'll help you find out about open positions and land the job you're looking for.

For more information on using online and offline networks to make connections to power your career, keep an eye on our regular blogs at www.recrion.co.uk or come along on 4 February 2010 to the Back to Business Club in Peterborough where Katherine Wiid,  Career Management Expert will be talking about "Networking – the railroad that runs beneath your career".