The old fashioned Rolodex seemed like such a great invention in its day. The device managed to hold all your scribblings and business cards in a single circular wheel and if you were ambitious or motivated enough to alphabetize everything and keep the information current, you could actually keep track of business associates, customers, and friends. Unfortunately, the Rolodex had one major drawback: If someone changed jobs or moved your card was toast. In fact, you could find yourself back to square one and completely out of touch.
Fast forward to the Digital Age. The Rolodex is DOA, though I'm certain you can still find one at an office supply store near you! More than 35 million people have turned to LinkedIn, which allows you to post your essential contact information and a resume online. This alone makes it a valuable tool for connecting to others. After changing jobs or moving, a quick update to one's profile keeps everyone connected. No more falling out of touch.
But LinkedIn serves as more than a way to post data and stay connected. It's also a way to network with others, ask questions and hold discussions, mine leads, and possibly find a new job. Corporate recruiters routinely scan LinkedIn for promising candidates. You can also check a job listings section, reverse check on hiring managers and other executives at a company, showcase your expertise or talent by participating in industry discussions, and let others know you are looking for work.
Meanwhile, small business owners can also use LinkedIn to amp up opportunities. You might expand your network and find new customers, give and receive references and recommendations, conduct market and business research, and post job listings of your own.
One of LinkedIn's most valuable features is the ability to view the connections of friends and colleagues. This creates a sort of "six degrees of profesional separation" that harnesses the full power of the Internet. It doesn't take a genuis to figure out that these individuals could represent new clients or customers as well as employers. But it can also help you reconnect to former colleagues and alumni groups.
Here's how LinkedIn works: When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your education, accomplishments, and work history. You then invite colleagues, clients, partners, and others of your choosing to “link in” to your network (and, conversely, they invite you). Once a person accepts, you can view his or her profile and other connections—as well as the additional people those connections know. LinkedIn offers a basic service that is free. For $20 to $200 per month, it also provides premium business accounts with more powerful features.
As with any networking tool, the bigger your investment in time and energy the greater your return. Last week I talked about using Twitter, the latest online service. While it's tempting to fire off a string of cliches (i.e. "Don't fix it if it ain't broke"; "Why reinvent the wheel?") just remember this disturbing fact: in today's business environment, standing still is the equivalent of moving backward. As other adopt these tools and use them to gain an advantage, you may find yourself a relic of a bygone era. Not exactly a comforting thought for an older worker.
But the opposite is true as well. Don't think that LinkedIn, Twitter, or any other service is going to automatically and single-handedly solve all your problems and catapult you to the top of the job market. In the end, finding the work (and job) you love is all about embracing a well-rounded approach and achieving balance in the quest for success.
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