Monday, January 31, 2011

Practicum - Post One (LinkedIn)

For my three social networking sites I decided to explore: LinkedIn, Bebo, and Last.FM. Today I decided to look more in depth at LinkedIn. I already had a LinkedIn account set up, so I didn't have to go through the process from the beginning. I know I haven't been using the site to its full potential so I went into the learning center to find out how I could get the most out of the social networking site.

LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network with 80+ million members. The goal for users on LinkedIn is to leverage and showcase your skills and talents so the right people and opportunities can find you. The first tip I found in the learning center was surprising simple, but something I had not thought to do prior to tonight... looking up a person before you actually meet them in order to understand their background better. This will be helpful in future interviews to understand what common ground I have with the interviewer prior to meeting them.

Another thing I didn't realize is that LinkedIn offers a "status" feature similar to that on Facebook. Unlike Facebook, however, this "status" feature is meant to display projects you are currently working on or places you are traveling for work. The third section that had passed by me unnoticed is "LinkedIn Answers," a section that allows users to showcase their knowledge and interests. Any questions and answers posted can be displayed on a users profile if they choose, and it is a good way to show off expertise.

The last new section I explored tonight was the "job" section and the way in which you can search LinkedIn for available employment opportunities. You can easily utilize the advanced job search to tailor a search by specifying an experience level or job title to find the right job or specific situation or career goal. As a senior graduating in a year it will be great to know how to properly use LinkedIn to find a job. I feel that in our field of work knowing how to use LinkedIn to do a job search will be especially beneficial as it will emphasize the fact that we are aware of new media and know how to properly use it.

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