{LinkedIn Basics

ProfessionalU, March 10, 2014Presented by Christine Gertz

LinkedIn’s Background

{ {2008

❧ 32 million members❧ 2 billion annual

page views❧ Revenue: $79

million

2013

❧ 277 million members

❧ 47 billion annual page views

❧ Revenue: $1,529 million

LinkedIn Growth

{ {Canada

❧ 7 million members❧ 24% are in Toronto

❧ 12.6% Finance❧ 11.2% Manufacturing❧ 10.1% High Tech❧ 8.8% Medical❧ 8.2% Education

http://www.techvibes.com/blog/linkedins-seven-million-canadian-users-2013-05-13

Edmonton

❧ 200,000 members

❧ 17% Manufacturing❧ 10.1% Finance❧ 9.6% Education❧ 8.7% Construction❧ 8.3% Medical

http://fixedsocial.com/edmonton-linkedin-marketing/

LinkedIn in Canada

❧ LinkedIn is for business networking❧ Recruitment❧ Employment discovery

❧ Their target group is professionals❧ Have recently reached out to potential college

students

❧ LinkedIn wants text ❧ search functions rely on text content = keywords

❧ LinkedIn went public in May 2011❧ LinkedIn makes money with subscriptions,

marketing and advertising

LinkedIn Concepts

{How LinkedIn Has Turned Your Resume Into A Cash Machine by George Anders, July 16, 2012 Forbes cover story

“LinkedIn enjoys a vast sweet spot…helping fill high-skill jobs that pay anywhere from $50,000 to $250,000 or more a year.”

❧ Right now, you can still find employment by applying with own resume to a job posting❧ LinkedIn is not an “unemployment solution”❧ Your profile may increase LinkedIn’s revenue but may not

offer you any measurable returns❧ Organizations use LinkedIn as an ATS

❧ How knowledgeable are you about ❧ Companies ❧ Professionals❧ Occupational opportunities (job titles)

in your industry, profession, area of research?

Still want a profile?

❧ Photograph❧ Headline❧ Vanity URL❧ Connections❧ Summary❧ Education❧ Experience

Main Profile Features

❧ Profiles with a photograph are 7 times more likely to be reviewed

❧ Good photo: ❧ If I was meeting you for the first time, I could identify

you in a room full of strangers ❧ Context appropriate❧ Graduate photo? Limited time only

❧ Poor photo:❧ Inappropriate❧ Obviously a selfie

Photograph

Professional photographs, a headshot, cost $150-$400 depending on number of pictures and settings.

You are revealed in a search by the text, phrases and keywords, in your profile

❧ Job titles❧ Professions❧ Affiliations❧ Employer❧ Educational Institution❧ Degree❧ Skill sets❧ Languages ❧ Region/postal code❧ Name is also a keyword, do not use a nickname

Keywords

❧❧ ALIS’ OCCInfo❧ O*NET Online

❧ 2500 Keywords to Get You Hired❧ Perfect Phrases Series❧ Finding Needles in a Haystack (3 vols) by Wendy

Enelow❧ Word Pot http://www.wordpot.com/Default.aspx❧ Google Keyword Planner

https://adwords.google.com/ko/KeywordPlanner/Home❧ Ad Words (sign up required)

National Occupation Classification

Finding Keywords

❧ Default is to use your current job title❧ Current job title may not match your occupational career goal

❧ Integrate different roles and skills ❧ Add specificity to your profession

❧ Teacher, French language education, Curriculum Development, Instructional Design

❧ Teacher, Social Studies, Canadian History, Museum Educator, Historical Interpreter

❧ Civil Engineer, Water Engineering, Flooding, Disaster Recovery❧ Civil Engineer, Infrastructure, Construction, Roadways

❧ Your career is so new it does not have a name, but a set of skills or associated media/tools

Headline

❧ Vanity or custom URL❧ Useful on business card, email signature or paper resume❧ Can change only 3 times and 6 months between changes

❧ Connections❧ First degree : connected to you

• If you have no or few 1st degree connections, LinkedIn attaches a warning to your profile

❧ Second degree: connected to your first level connections❧ Third degree: connected to your second level connections

❧ Endorsements❧ You can only write Recommendations and provide

Endorsements for 1st degree connections

Connecting

❧ 2000 characters❧ Write in 1st person❧ Use appropriate tense❧ Write a keyword rich narrative

❧ Prose❧ Point form

❧ Can use Highlights from your Master Resume❧ Talk about professional goals that you may not have

been able to realize in your Experience

Getting Bullets in LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin-makeover.com/2012/06/28/linkedin-profile-bullets-symbols/

Donna Serdula LinkedIn-Makeover.com

Summary

{ {Education

❧ Post-secondary❧ Institution❧ Major❧ Minor

Experience

❧ Job Title❧ Employer❧ Location❧ Separate positions

within same organization (promotion, lateral move, job duties changed)

Education & Experience

❧ Create a policy for who you want to connect with❧ Explains more about the projects you are

interested in❧ Make use of this space if you are looking for

freelance and contract employment❧ Entrepreneur opportunities❧ Can explain more about your background if your

area is obscure or new

Advice for contacting

❧ Publications❧ Should I include my thesis?

❧ Honors and Awards❧ Volunteer Experience

❧ LinkedIn would like to provide a volunteer marketplace

❧ Organizations❧ Can include role in organization, such as Treasurer,

Communications, Social Convener, Vice President❧ Languages❧ Interests❧ Additional Information❧ Groups

Additional Areas

❧ LinkedIn will help you build your profile❧ Offers a robust database of organizations❧ While making changes turn off your activity

broadcast❧ Account & Settings>>Privacy & Settings >>Turn

on/off activity broadcasts❧ You need to use diverse but relevant keywords❧ Develop what first?

❧ Summary❧ Education❧ Experience

❧ Open to searches❧ Edit Your Public Profile

Completed Profile

❧ Subscriptions?❧ Job Search❧ Interests Menu❧ Join Groups

Tools

❧ You can see the keywords a person used to find your account if you have LinkedIn Premium

❧ There is no evidence that suggests you need any Premium service (including Job Seeker Premium) to find employment

❧ Costs between $20-$55/mo.❧ LinkedIn also offers a “Featured Applicant” perk

LinkedIn Subscription?

❧❧ In the Advanced Menu: Jobs❧ Change results to Sort by Date Posted Most

Recent❧ Limit by Location❧ Try other keywords

❧ Follow Companies and check their Job Boards❧ Apply Now Feature❧ Name of the recruiter

❧ Groups may also offer Job BoardsSearch within People, jobs, companies and more field

Job Search

{

● Companies to Follow

● Groups to Join (50)

● Pulse = News● Education – get

crowdsourced statistics on employment, industries and alumni

Interests Menu

❧ Alumni group❧ Discipline specific alumni group❧ Professional association❧ Other discussion, awareness, research and

interest groups on LinkedIn❧ Show/hide group affiliation on your profile

❧ Set individually❧ Group membership allows you to connect with

other members even if they are outside of your network

❧ Limit is 50

Groups

Join CAPS’ LinkedIn group to connect with working professionals:❧Ask questions about the day-to-day realities of a job❧Get feedback on work search methods and tools❧Browse profiles to learn about different career options

Search “University of Alberta Career Network” on LinkedIn.com

U of A Career Network

❧ LinkedIn Training from LinkedIn, http://help.linkedin.com/app/home

❧ How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile... And 18 Mistakes to Avoid by Brenda Bernstein (Kindle)

❧ http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/ by Jason Alba❧ http://www.librarything.com/profile/capsresource

items tagged “LinkedIn”

Sign up, complete your profile, get connections and update once a day (share a news story, make a connection, post a job to your updates)

More on LinkedIn

{Questions?

Please don’t forget the evaluation forms