I was not a huge supporter of linked in for quite a while and decided last year to give Linked In a try and found it be pretty static at first. But as the year went on they continued making improvements to the site. Some the things I found the most helpful were the following:
- Looking for a specific service (I was able to post a need I had for a contract worker in various groups and received valuable leads in a very short period of time).
- Joining like minded individuals through the use of groups. (This was great for staying on top of industry news and staying connected with alumni networks.)
- Staying connected on a business level (instead of in my personal space on facebook)
- Connecting to co-workers both past and present.
- Seeing what books peers are reading. (I love to read and use this feature quite often
- Lead generation (I was surprised but yes I actually received a couple of leads and was able to turn those into new clients from Linked In.)
- Introductions (If you find someone while looking through your connections network of connections that you think would be a good contact for you, you can very easily ask for an introduction to be made, turning a cold lead into a slightly warmer lead).
- Recommendations (I really enjoy this feature on Linked In. It is a great way to say thank you to someone you have worked with by giving a recommendation and in most cases it is reciprocal and you will get a recommendation in return.)
If you have not created a linked in profile for yourself I recommend you do so. See who you can connect with and see the community works. You will find it similar to facebook but for professionals. You will rarely see a person comment and you will never have to weed through game updates.
Feel free to connect with me via linked in.