If you are not already using Linkedin, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you are behind in the game. Linkedin is a “business oriented social networking site.”¹ But when you hear “social networking,” don’t think Facebook or Mysapce; Linkedin is where professional networking happens online. As of November 2010, some sources show Linkedin to have more than 80 million users, and it grows every day.

If you already know what Linkedin is, you may want to skip down to the section entitled “How do I use it well?” or read our article on Linkedin Etiquette.

So What is it really?

You’re wondering what “professional networking online” really is? Well it is basically on online resume + professional connections + some extras. Let’s clarify:

1. Online Resume: Your Linkedin profile is a page where you display information about you, your expertise, professional background, education (like an online mba program), etc.
2. Professional Connections: Linkedin allows you to maintain a list of connections with your colleagues that are also on Linkedin. This is where the real magic is . . . we’ll talk more about this in a minute.
3. Extras: There are a number of extra things you can do on linked in, we’ll just highlight a couple of our favorites here:

• Recommendations: You can “recommend” people you have done work with. This is basically writing a brief paragraph about how great someone is, which will show up on their profile if they choose to. You can also request recommendations from people you have worked with.

• Groups: These are groups (obviously) of Linkedin members that share some common interest, trait, etc. where you can share information, news, or post discussions. Members do not have to know one another to join a group. Examples include: online mba programs alumni, healthcare professionals, fans of…whatever.

What Linkedin is NOT: A place where you can write on someone’s wall, poke someone, post endless pictures, or play any games – this is just business people!

How you should start:

Here are the basics for getting started. If you already have a profile, you may want to skip down to the next section.

First (after you have created a new account), fill in all the basic information fields about your professional life. This is a great opportunity to highlight some professional accomplishments, academic achievement, and anything else that might make you stand out. It is a good idea to include a profile photo, so connections from your past might more easily remember you – but make sure it is a professional looking photograph! This is the only photograph you can upload on Linkedin, so make sure it represents you well. Please don’t leave these fields blank, there is nothing more disappointing than finding someone on linked in with a profile that just says:

John Doe
8 connections
Pepsi Co.
3 Years, 6 months

Next, add some extras to your profile. These are a great way to add a little more excitement to your profile that you don’t usually get to include in a resume.

1.       Recommendations: I strongly suggest requesting a couple good recommendations to add to your profile. It says something about you when people you have worked with are willing to take the time to write a recommendation to add to your profile. BUT make sure to only do a few, otherwise they will get lost in a long list down at the bottom of your profile. Also make sure to request recommendations from people that have significant experience working with you, so they can write something meaningful. You may want to write a recommendation for someone else, which will often result in a reciprocal recommendation from them.

2.       Groups: Join a few groups that you can be proud to display on your profile. These group logos can be shown on your profile and help identify you as someone that stays current with associations in your industry. This is especially true if you include industry recognized professional organizations that have created “official” Linkedin groups for the organization – which most have!

Finally, start connecting with colleagues. During the set-up process you can use your email address book to search for people on Linkedin and connect with them. If you do this, make sure to look through the list Linkedin generates and remove anyone you don’t really know or that won’t remember who you are. You can also search for specific people to find them on Linkedin. Another good way to discover colleagues is to peruse the connection lists of your connections – they may be connected with people you know but forgot to add.

So what’s so great about Linkedin?

Okay, here is the good stuff – why we love Linkedin. It’s not really about creating an online list of your connections, the real nectar of this flower has 2 main benefits:

1.       Your online reputation: Your presence online is becoming increasingly important. If you don’t think recruiters, hiring managers, or other business professionals are going to search you online before doing business with you, you are wrong! Linkedin is one of the best ways to present your professional persona online – it is a well respected site for professionals and best of all, you can control it. A quick Google search of my name and Linkedin is the #1 result…

2.       Connections of your connections: You’ve heard of the “Six degrees of separation” right? Well with online media today, it is probably less than 6! Linkedin allows you to not only search for companies, industries, keywords, etc. within your connections, it shows you results from the connections of your connections (2^nd level) and even their connections (3^rd level) – all considered “Your Network.” This is a powerful way to find connections into almost any company or any industry. Once you do find that connection, you can request an introduction from one of your colleagues to their colleagues, and so on.

A quick search on my Linkedin for some keywords gives these results JUST within 1sts and 2^nd level connections: “Apple” = 79 people, “Marketing” = 4051 people, “Private Equity” = 101 people

DANGER WILL ROBINSON

Be careful when using Linkedin. While Linkedin can be a powerfully positive tool for your job search after an online mba degree or your career progression, it can also be a powerfully negative thing if used incorrectly. Make sure to always be professional, connect with people you know, don’t post personal contact info on your public profile, and be thoughtful about the “online resume” you are presenting to the world.