Suggestions For LinkedIn:
When signing up for LinkedIn, the two MOST important thing that you will do, that you can change later, is to pick a email address to be used and your Name for LinkedIn purposes.
Choose an email address that you can NOT possible ever lose access to. Never ever use your current employer's. Stuff (i.e., firing, layoffs, bankruptcies, mergers, system changes) happens! Never use an ISPs; they change to. At best, get your own domain and use its email. You do have your own domain don't you. Mine forwards "literally anything you put here @ reinke.cc" to me! :-) At least, get a gmail free mail account. That email address you chose will be critical to people finding you.
Choose a name for LinkedIn purposes that you can live with for a long time. I suggest getting your email address in your name so that people can contact you directly without relying on the LinkedIn mickey mouse pass a note system. Put your email address as part of your FIRST name. Try to figure out how to do it without the at sign. Sooner or later, the LinkedIn folks are going to figure out why more people are NOT paying to connect.
Write your short description with your email repeated in it. When people search for others and the result is outside their "network", either too far away or not path exists, it only shows the description. If your email is in the description, they can reach you outside of LinkedIn.
Use a dedicated personal email that you can know that an inbound email comes from a LinkedIn buddy. If you use Outlook, set up a rule that alerts and flags such an email. Pay attention to this "channel" of email. It could be your lottery ticket to a new opportunity. I try to respond to every message within one business day. If you fill your inbox with crud, guarantee you'll miss one. I know I have.
Don't put your email address in front of your last name. It then sorts funny, looks "dumb", and people can't find "REINKE" in the R's. It's about being "findable". Staying logical is important.
Fill out the LinkedIn stuff as completely as you can. It helps to make you "memorable". No sense doing anything half way. A job, education, experience, or interest might make some say "Ah Ha!" and that's the effect you want to achieve.
Write endorsements of your contacts WHEN they do the LinkedIn version of the Vulcan Mind Meld with you. Take the time to figure out something that is both truthful and lauditory. Perhaps, they'll do the same for you. Don't ask. That comes off as desperate and cheap!
Measure how often you interact with your LinkedIn connections. (I use average days since last contact!) Use the new Google spreadsheet, you learn, and and at the same time have something novel to chat about in an interview. If you ask nice, I'll share mine with you.
Interact with every contact on a regular interval. I use 90 days. I want to have some MEANINGFUL interaction with each and every LinkedIn contact once per quarter. Note:"Tag, you're it" does NOT qualify.
Remember networking is not about having a grazillion LinkedIn connects that you can NOT even remember any connection with old so and so. Some people are very happy about having 500, 1000, or one fellow that has 8k+! "Scalp hunting" is not networking imho. Networking, even LinkedIn networking, is about having an ONGOING conversation!!
Take the time to load ALL your email contacts into LinkedIn as other colleagues. Then, when one of your contacts joins you'll know, and be able to connect. It's surprising how many connects you can "freshen up" into an conversational status.
Those are my suggestions. Please share yours with me. I'm still learning.
FjohnR
The Big Turkey
Posted by reinkefj 
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