Part 30 (1/2)

Second, you invite all your friends and business a.s.sociates to join. Many sites have technology to facilitate inviting your entire Outlook database. When these people join, they are ”1 degree” away from you. Their network of contacts then would be ”2 degrees” away.

Your network will grow as quickly as you recruit members who recruit members. Your ability to e-Network your way to a new job grows exponentially as your network develops.

Link In and Connect

LinkedIn () is my favorite. A basic account is free and you can upgrade to premium accounts for less than one night out on the town.

LinkedIn works by first requiring that you set up your online profile and then invite your friends to join your network. After people join, they ask their friends and colleagues to join. For job hunters, this is a treasure trove of leads.

There are several ways to use the site to find people you're looking for quickly. This site recommends doing a search on the company you want to be referred to and see whom you find. You then send a note to the person who is directly linked to the person whom you want to connect to. With our PeopleSoft example it would look like Figure 8.2 Figure 8.2.

The Results Show 13,653 Contacts

You can experiment with the technology to get more or fewer results. In my case, 13,653 people (via my network) is far too many to start to network with. I want fewer people but at a higher level in the organization. By putting in the t.i.tle vice president, I narrow the number of contacts down. In our example, this amounts to 1,263. I can narrow this further by location if I want to, so I select to narrow it down by zip code 10001 in New York. The 68 hits is a manageable number for me.

Figure 8.2 Networking example. Networking example.

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The basic idea is to then request, via the technology, for someone to connect you to the person you want to network with. The technology is set up to facilitate the introductions electronically.

LinkedIn also lets people who have linked with you leave testimonials on how you were to work with. As a headhunter, I can view the testimonials, click to see if the testimonial writer is someone I should believe, and then decide if I want to contact the person. Not having testimonials doesn't mean someone is a dud, but having 10 or more that are consistently good will make me want to connect with that person.

From a headhunter's standpoint, LinkedIn has it all. From a job hunter's standpoint, LinkedIn represents an opportunity of a lifetime to establish a powerful network of influential colleagues and friends.

Here's a dirty little secret: recruiters can and will use your LinkedIn profile as a screening tool. In fact, recruiters use LinkedIn every day to find candidates for positions. A recruiter may be looking at your profile even as you read this. This is not how LinkedIn was intended to function when it was built, by the way, but this is how the site has developed. Many consider it your first interview. They'll read your profile and a.s.sess your previous employers and your accomplishments. They'll look to see if the resume you sent is consistent. If you said you accomplished ”x” at your last employer, it would be in your best interest to have a quote saying so from your previous boss as part of your profile.

LinkedIn gives you all the tools you need to create and maintain your online ident.i.ty. It is not a toy. Unlike many other social networking sites, LinkedIn is for serious career-minded professionals. Like ZoomInfo.com, LinkedIn is currently used by 252,285 third-party recruiters. Often it's the first site they visit in the morning-even before opening their e-mails. It's that powerful. There are several great books on LinkedIn, so what I'm about to tell you will help you get up on LinkedIn quickly and ”supersize” your exposure quickly.

Super-Sizing Your Online Career Portfolio-FREE with LinkedIn

Guerrillas are not slaves to technology. They leverage it for their advantage. Here's what you should do right after you have created your LinkedIn profile: 1. Send a request to link to me. Send a request to link to me. You'll get access to my second-level network of more than 700,000. They will become your third-level contacts instantly ( You'll get access to my second-level network of more than 700,000. They will become your third-level contacts instantly (/in/davidperry/).2. Get a personalized e-mail signature (like mine just above). Get a personalized e-mail signature (like mine just above). It's free and you'll have it for life, so no matter where you are 5 years from now your clients, friends, and favorite headhunters will be able to find you. Follow the instructions. It's free and you'll have it for life, so no matter where you are 5 years from now your clients, friends, and favorite headhunters will be able to find you. Follow the instructions.3. Download and install all of LinkedIn's productivity tools. Download and install all of LinkedIn's productivity tools. LinkedIn has made it so easy to search, build your network, and manage your contacts, all from the applications you use everyday like Outlook, Internet Explorer, and Firefox. LinkedIn has made it so easy to search, build your network, and manage your contacts, all from the applications you use everyday like Outlook, Internet Explorer, and Firefox.4. Download the Jobs Insider applet. Download the Jobs Insider applet. This applet displays the personal connections you already have in your LinkedIn account that are tied to the hiring managers and companies for any job listed online at Monster, CareerBuilder, HotJobs, Craigslist, Dice, Vault, and many more. It's a Trojan Horse (the good kind, i.e., clever Odysseus's wooden horse in the battle for Troy). This applet displays the personal connections you already have in your LinkedIn account that are tied to the hiring managers and companies for any job listed online at Monster, CareerBuilder, HotJobs, Craigslist, Dice, Vault, and many more. It's a Trojan Horse (the good kind, i.e., clever Odysseus's wooden horse in the battle for Troy).5. If you have a blog, web site, Facebook, or Mys.p.a.ce account that will add value to your job search, then link to it through the ”web sites” section of your profile. If you have a blog, web site, Facebook, or Mys.p.a.ce account that will add value to your job search, then link to it through the ”web sites” section of your profile. Go to the widgets section and download-at a minimum-the Company Insider and Share On LinkedIn applications. Go to the widgets section and download-at a minimum-the Company Insider and Share On LinkedIn applications.6. Go to Go toand follow the instructions to Link to the largest ”connectors” in LinkedIn. and follow the instructions to Link to the largest ”connectors” in LinkedIn. These people, known as LinkedIn LIONS are ”open networkers” who will accept your invitation to connect with them without question. This will instantly grow your contact base overnight. You can always uninvite people later These people, known as LinkedIn LIONS are ”open networkers” who will accept your invitation to connect with them without question. This will instantly grow your contact base overnight. You can always uninvite people later . . . . . . but why you would want to is beyond me. but why you would want to is beyond me.7. Become a groupie. Become a groupie. Go to the Companies Tab at the top of your page. Select company search. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select ”Browse All Industries.” Now select the industry(s) you want to search for a job in. Choose a company you want to work for. Find anyone in sales or marketing or the company's recruiter and look at their profile. Got it open? Now scroll down the page until you find the ”Groups and a.s.sociations” section. Now, look at the groups this person belongs to. Remember the expression, ”birds of a feather flock together”? It's important in networking. If appropriate, join the group. At last count there were more than 2,600 different groups. Make sure you join the Guerrilla Job Search group ( Go to the Companies Tab at the top of your page. Select company search. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select ”Browse All Industries.” Now select the industry(s) you want to search for a job in. Choose a company you want to work for. Find anyone in sales or marketing or the company's recruiter and look at their profile. Got it open? Now scroll down the page until you find the ”Groups and a.s.sociations” section. Now, look at the groups this person belongs to. Remember the expression, ”birds of a feather flock together”? It's important in networking. If appropriate, join the group. At last count there were more than 2,600 different groups. Make sure you join the Guerrilla Job Search group (/e/vgh/1189487/). Or, go to the ”Groups” link on your home page right now and join.8. Show and tell. Show and tell. Just like when we asked you to prove your claims with your Guerrilla Resume (reread Chapter 5 if need be), you'll want to show people that you're the real deal. To do this, you need to ask your colleagues, customers, and so on for recommendations. LinkedIn steps you through this on the site. Get the ones that back up your accomplishments first. Just like when we asked you to prove your claims with your Guerrilla Resume (reread Chapter 5 if need be), you'll want to show people that you're the real deal. To do this, you need to ask your colleagues, customers, and so on for recommendations. LinkedIn steps you through this on the site. Get the ones that back up your accomplishments first.9. From the ”Applications” link on your home page choose which of the applications you'd like to install. From the ”Applications” link on your home page choose which of the applications you'd like to install. Are you a sales or marketing person? How about uploading a PowerPoint that you use to sell your company's product/service (you may need permission from your employer). Are you an accountant who can make a spreadsheet sing and dance? Upload an example. Remember, everyone says they're smart, creative, driven, and so on. With LinkedIn, you can also prove it. Are you a sales or marketing person? How about uploading a PowerPoint that you use to sell your company's product/service (you may need permission from your employer). Are you an accountant who can make a spreadsheet sing and dance? Upload an example. Remember, everyone says they're smart, creative, driven, and so on. With LinkedIn, you can also prove it.10. Install the ”Polls” function. Install the ”Polls” function. When you have 150 or more of your own first-level contacts, create a poll related to your job search. Send it to them. It's faster than a networking letter or the phone. When you have 150 or more of your own first-level contacts, create a poll related to your job search. Send it to them. It's faster than a networking letter or the phone.11. Connect to your other social networking sites. Connect to your other social networking sites. Just as you can connect your blog or web site and so on to LinkedIn, you should link your Facebook and other social networking accounts to your LinkedIn profile. Many sites automate the process for you. For example, my Guerrilla Job Search blog hosted on Type Pad automatically updates my Facebook and LinkedIn account. This way I only need to enter my data once-in this case on my blog-and it appears in LinkedIn and Facebook auto-magically. Just as you can connect your blog or web site and so on to LinkedIn, you should link your Facebook and other social networking accounts to your LinkedIn profile. Many sites automate the process for you. For example, my Guerrilla Job Search blog hosted on Type Pad automatically updates my Facebook and LinkedIn account. This way I only need to enter my data once-in this case on my blog-and it appears in LinkedIn and Facebook auto-magically.

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GUERRILLA MISSION.

Stop reading! What you have just learned is so powerful that, before you do anything else, I want you to establish your LinkedIn profile and invite your network of friends and colleagues to join you-right now! I'm serious. Joining LinkedIn is free and not something you want to ”get around to.” It's very likely that your next job won't be your last. You must do it now. Read the online tutorials and learn how to maximize your network.

GUERRILLA INTELLIGENCE.

Be Found Jason Alba

If recruiters, hiring managers, human resource managers, owners of companies, executives, and other professionals are searching for you, don't you think you should be findable? There are plenty of opportunities for you to optimize your LinkedIn account and proactively find contacts and information to help you in your job search and career management. Let's explore what you can do.