Recently, a former client called to share an experience and ask what I thought. He was interviewing candidates for a newly created position in his division and called one of his top candidates to clarify some data as he prepared to check references on each candidate.
The candidate had only listed the LinkedIn Public Profile address for each of his references and when called for detailed contact information the candidate responded with “I suggest you go to LinkedIn read all my great recommendations, then if you feel you still need to talk to my references Send InMail and find out if they have time to talk to you, or check with your trusted connections and see you can introduce you to my references. I look forward to reviewing your offer soon …”, then the call ended was a pleasant good-bye.
Somewhat taken aback by the response from the candidate, my former client had paused to ask himself several questions. Was he behind the times in how LinkedIn was being used? Was this candidate just a poor match for the job and the organization with this approach? Should he invest time in checking the references of this candidate?
What do you think?
How does this differ from your approach?
accelerate your search, LinkedIn, Social Media
Are you still attempting to learn the rules of the road on LinkedIn?
On Friday, Andrea J. Stenberg shared a great story in her post, “LinkedIn Invitations – Why hitting I Don’t Know This Person is a bad idea”. It is a post worth reading and thinking about before you select the “I don’t know this person”.
The rules on of connecting on LinkedIn and the rules of connecting via other social media sites are important and can make or break you in business. Do you know the “rules of engagement”?
Almost weekly, I see people fail to connect at networking events, social gatherings, or business meetings because they don’t know the rules, don’t understand the nuances of connecting with others or simply don’t think about the consequences of their actions. Do you need to brush up on these skills?
Play to your strengths, learn the rules and help others learn what you know. You’ll be surprised at the benefits and the connections you’ll make.
accelerate your search, focus, LinkedIn, Social Media
In early December 2009, Kristin Burnham, Staff Writer for CIO.com in the article 5 Ways to Get More from LinkedIn in 2010 provided tips on how to get more from LinkedIn in 2010. She noted that using five features could help you gain more from LinkedIn. Ms. Burnham recommended participating in Groups, finding and connecting via Events, using the Advanced People Search for seeking new connections, discovering relevant trends about companies of interest, and seeking Recommendations to enhance and validate your profile.
All these are solid tips and helpful suggestions, as I talk to those who use LinkedIn and get results I always ask “What do you do and what features to you use?” I find that the specific features vary from person to person, however the common thread among those who get results is that each person has a specific strategy for using LinkedIn and how much time is spent using, connecting and researching via LinkedIn.
One savvy user, who has landed four (4) interviews via LinkedIn connections since mid-November told me that it took him about 20 days to figure out the best ways to use LinkedIn. Then he could connect with those who could hire him and make the most of all the company information available via LinkedIn.
He noted initially he spent a couple hours a day just learning what information was on the site, setting up his profile and inviting connections. Then he decided on a plan with clear action steps. Now he uses LinkedIn less than a couple hours a week with great results.
Do you have a plan for using LinkedIn?
What is working for you?
What results are you getting?
accelerate your search, build a network, LinkedIn, Social Media
