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Betsy Offers Advice on "Making Connections" on LinkedIn

On Monday, we introduced you to Kerry Sandberg Scott and her blog Clue Wagon.  In Part 2 of the week long series, she addresses making connections on LinkedIn. 

See Part 2 here - or check out the content below!

LinkedIn 101: Making Connections by Kerry Sandberg Scott

This is part two in our series on using  LinkedIn effectively.  Yesterday we talked about how to get started.  Tomorrow we’ll focus on the effective use of LinkedIn Groups. On Thursday we’ll wrap up with information on some of LinkedIn’s other features, like profile pictures, recommendations, and status updates. 

If you want to make sure you don’t miss a post, you can subscribe to Clue Wagon via RSS and get posts delivered right to your desktop.  If that’s too fancy, you can also subscribe via email. 

Our resident experts and super-generous contributors are:

•    Jennifer McClure, Vice President at Centennial, Inc. Jennifer blogs at CincyRecruiter and at Fistful of Talent.  You can also follow her on Twitter at @cincyrecruiter.
•    Betsy Curtin, Executive Recruiter for Outdoor, Sport and Lifestyle Brands at plum.  Her You can follow Betsy on Twitter at @betsycurtin.

So let’s talk about making connections!

Is there such thing as too many connections?  Should I only connect to people I knew well?  What if a potential employer is looking at my profile and doesn’t like one of the people I’m connected to?

JENNIFER: Your connection strategy will likely depend upon how you plan to use LinkedIn.  If you’re planning to use LinkedIn to find trusted connections to opportunities, your best bet is to connect only with those that you know personally.  That way, if you find a person that your connection knows whom you’d like to be introduced to, they should be able to do that for you without any problem.  Likewise, you’ll likely only receive Introduction Requests from your friends and personal contacts - which can be very helpful.

On the other hand, you may choose to have a larger network and connect with more people - many of whom you don’t know, or don’t know well.  LinkedIn wasn’t created with this in mind, but many people certainly have gravitated in that direction.  Some of the pros of a larger network include the ability to use your “Status Update” to communicate a message/promote yourself or your services to a wider audience.  Also, if you’re using LinkedIn to search for people (for example like a recruiter or business development person would do), then the information you’re able to access is more complete the larger your network is.  Some of the cons of a larger network include receiving Introduction Requests and requests in general from people that you don’t know well enough to recommend.  Plus, they’re using LinkedIn to promote themselves too and the noise on your Network Updates page can get overwhelming (although you can choose what information you want to see/not see on your Home Page in the Accounts & Settings section).

In general, LinkedIn suggests you need around 70 contacts to be able to effectively use LinkedIn search, etc. so a larger network isn’t necessary unless it’s helpful for you to be able to communicate what you’re doing to a larger group of people.

As for an employer looking at your profile and seeing that you’re connected to a person they don’t like?  Do you really want to work there?  Plus, they’ll only be able to see your connections if they are a 1st degree connection to you (one of you has invited the other and accepted).

BETSY: I think this depends on your purpose for being on LinkedIn.  As a recruiter that works with outdoor, sport and lifestyle brands, I connect with everyone/anyone who could be a potential candidate.  And most of the people who connect with me, are either looking for a job now, or understand the value of connecting with a recruiter for future opportunities.  Not every connection leads to something right away—building a network is a long term strategy.

And if you want to keep your connections private, so a potential employer can’t see who you are connected to, you can do that!  It’s in the privacy settings.  You can share your network or keep it private.

It’s awkward to try to connect to people I haven’t kept in touch with.  What’s the best way to do that?

JENNIFER: First - make sure there’s a reason to connect with them. If so, then ALWAYS write a personalized invitation and let them know how you know them/why you would like to connect with them. You may even want to send them an email outside of LinkedIn first to ask if they’d like to connect. Since you don’t know them well (or haven’t maintained your relationship well), you don’t know what their LinkedIn connection strategy is. They may only want to connect to people they know well (and have stayed in contact with) and you risk that they might click the dreaded “I Don’t Know This Person” button on your invitation. If you send invitations to 5 people who click IDK, then your LinkedIn account will be suspended, and you’ll have to beg forgiveness from the LinkedIn Gods to be reinstated.

BETSY: Just do it! Send then a connection request—”Hey Sally, I know we haven’t been in touch in a while, but I saw that you are on LinkedIn, and would love to reconnect with you!”
If it’s someone you don’t know really well, but you worked together 10 years ago, remind them why you know them.  Most of the time people will connect, because they want to grow their networks, too.

KERRY’S NOTE: In my experience, people are on LinkedIn because they want to connect with people, either to find a job or to get business (or some variation on those two things).  As long as you have some reasonable connection with the person and you remind them what it is, most people are going to want to connect with you too.  After all, you both benefit from having a larger network rather than a smaller one.  It’s easy to say, “I feel so bad, I haven’t kept in touch with this person I was friendly with years ago…” but the fact is that they’re probably feeling equally guilty about losing touch.  Somebody has to make the first move, and it might as well be you.  I’ve actually reconnected with some long-lost friends via LinkedIn, which is always cool.

plum Recruiter's Advice Featured on Clue Wagon This Week

Clue Wagon is a blog written by Kerry Sandberg Scott, a SPHR certified HR Executive. Betsy (and the plum team) started reading Clue Wagon in February of 2009, when someone forwarded us a link to “Can Women Wear Pants to a Job Interview?”

Her non-corporate tone “had us at hello.” So, when she asked if Betsy would be interested in helping her with a piece she was working on she jumped at the chance. 

Check out the first of a week-long series here (content below):

LinkedIn 101: Getting Started by Kerry Sandberg Scott
It’s LinkedIn Week on Clue Wagon.  I’ve received a lot of questions from readers and friends lately on how to effectively use LinkedIn to connect with people who can help in your job search.  It’s been over a year since I used LinkedIn from the recruiting side of the desk, so I wanted to talk to some experts who are currently using this tool to find candidates.  Two people very generously offered to spend time answering a bunch of questions from readers.  They are:
•    Jennifer McClure, Vice President at Centennial, Inc. Jennifer blogs at CincyRecruiter and at Fistful of Talent.  You can also follow her on Twitter at @cincyrecruiter.
•    Betsy Curtin, Executive Recruiter for Outdoor, Sport and Lifestyle Brands at plum.  Her You can follow Betsy on Twitter at @betsycurtin.

Today we’ll focus on the very basics.  On Tuesday, we’ll talk about managing your connections.  Wednesday we’ll focus on the effective use of LinkedIn Groups.  On Thursday we’ll wrap up with information on some of LinkedIn’s other features, like profile pictures, recommendations, and status updates.

If you want to make sure you don’t miss a post, you can subscribe to Clue Wagon via RSS and get posts delivered right to your desktop.  If that’s too fancy, you can also subscribe via email.  You just have to promise you’ll come back and comment, because otherwise I get lonely.

Let’s get started!

How much detail about my various positions should I include in my profile?  Should it be the same as my resume, or just the title and dates of employment?

JENNIFER: If you’re trying to be found, then you’ll want to include enough information to be of interest to those searching for you. Use keywords throughout your Profile and think about the words or terms someone searching for you within LinkedIn would be using. Including much of the same information from your resume is okay, but I’d suggest using a more narrative form to appear approachable and interesting. Your LinkedIn Profile is your “on-line marketing brochure”. If you were handing a brochure to someone describing your product (you), it hopefully wouldn’t be written like a resume. It would be written to engage the recipient and entice them to “buy”. Write your LinkedIn profile like a marketer would.

BETSY: Tell enough information to pique someone’s interest, but don’t give it all away!  I think you should include company name, your title and dates of employment (month/year) and then include 2-3 of your major responsibilities.  Keep it short enough that people will read it, but juicy enough that they want to read it.

KERRY’S NOTE: Keep in mind that people will compare the resume and your LinkedIn profile to make sure they sync up.  Kris Dunn at HR Capitalist had a great piece on why LinkedIn profiles are more accurate than resumes.

I’ve spent a whole week connecting to people, joining groups and setting up a rock star profile.  Now what?

JENNIFER: Spend some time with LinkedIn each day or a few times a week. Check the Status Updates, Profile Updates and activities of those in your network on your Home Page. Respond to their Status Updates, congratulate them on their new job when they update their Profile, etc. You can also see who the people you know are connecting to and you may find some contacts that you’d also like to connect to or get an Introduction to them from your contact.
In general, don’t create your LinkedIn profile and neglect it. Use LinkedIn as a way to stay connected to those in your network, share what you’re doing, and to find contacts, resources and information.

BETSY: Now, it’s time for you to help your network.  You know the saying, “Give and you shall receive.”  Well, I find that is true for LinkedIn, too.  If someone in your network asks to be introduced to someone, introduce them.  If they ask you to forward a connection request, forward it.
Log in to LinkedIn daily, check your networks’ status updates - if you notice someone got a promotion, or took a new job, congratulate them.  Each time you initiate contact you increase your goodwill with your connections.

Be sure to subscribe to Clue Wagon...and check back all week for new content.

Growing your Network through LinkedIn Groups

Consider joining groups with like personal and professional interests.  When joining a group, you instantly expand your network.  

Go to your LinkedIn home page (www.linkedin.com), log in, and then, select Groups on the left hand margin.  LinkedIn describes a group as:

“LinkedIn Groups allows you to join and organize communities of professionals who share a common experience, passion, interest, affiliation or goal. LinkedIn Groups features offer members a private space to strengthen old business contacts, and to be introduced to new ones. The space offers a forum for topics to be discussed and solutions to be discovered. Group members are also able to communicate freely with one another through LinkedIn messaging.”

Once there, click on Groups Directory and start looking for groups that interest you.  Some of the groups that plum is a member of include:

Action & Sport Innovators

Action Sport Networking

Apparel Executives Forum

Brand Management

Brand & Communications Management

eMarketing Assocation Network

Global Fishing (gotta have fun, too, right?)

Innovative Marketing, PR, Word-of-Mouth & Buzz Innovators

Outdoor Business Network

Outdoor Sporting Goods Connection

Public Relations and Communication Professionals

Recruiting Professionals Network

Retail Advertising and Marketing Association

Sports Industry Network

and many more...

You can also find many alumni organizations (Nike, adidas, Timberland, and even NOLS).  This can help you reconnect with people you know from previous organizations. And look to see if your university has a group too!

You can choose to allow members of the group to inMail you directly.  (you can update this in your settings for the group - see below)

This increases your visibility amongst recruiters seeking you out in professional arenas.  You can join 50 groups (and once there, you can withdraw from those you aren't interested in...to add others).  Be sure to remove the logo from your profile (unless you want them showing) and determine whether or not you would like to receive a digest (daily or weekly) of communication from the group.  Consider creating a mail folder in order to keep your inbox from becoming cluttered.

There are some great groups related to apparel, footwear, marketing, sport, and outdoor!

Check them out and join to instantly increase your visibility - and your network!

Everyone needs a recruiter - when they AREN'T looking for a job.

Well, as we said in our earlier blog (PART 1) it is a good idea to have a relationship with a recruiter when you are looking for a job.  But what if you are happy in your current position and aren’t looking for something new?

• Think Relationship. Building a relationship with a recruiter when you are not looking for a job can benefit you in many ways.  When you build a relationship without the stress of a job search associated with it, you’ll be more honest. Have you ever said you’d relocate to an area just to be considered for a job? You’re secret is safe with us…we’ve done it to. When you aren’t pressured to get a job, you can be honest with your preferences – what you want, what you don’t want.  And this helps a recruiter weed out the right jobs for you.
• But I’m happy. So, if you are loving your current job and not looking to make a change ..that’s great! But what happens if the perfect opportunity arises to: Get to the next step in your career (larger company, advance to a larger role within smaller company, manage a team, make more money and have a more flexible work day, relocate to a preferred location, etc…)  With a recruiter looking out for you – aware of your needs, goals, and preferences…you can hear about the opportunities that are right for you.  Let your recruiter filter out all the “job noise.”
• Network, network, network. Regardless of whether or not you are looking – you need to continue working and developing your network.  Recruiters live and die by their network – so, it’s great to reach out and “tap in!”  A good recruiter will open many different doors for you.

A good recruiter serves as your agent.  Like the hot talent in Hollywood – you wouldn’t be caught dead without an agent, “in the know.”  The same applies to your career.  You need a specialist – looking out for your interests.  You have a lawyer for your legal needs, a CPA for your taxes, a stylist for your hair, a mechanic for your vehicle...you need a recruiter for your career.

Steps to take to find a good recruiter:

1. Find a recruiter that focuses exclusively on the industry you are targeting in your job search.
   
2. Reach out to build a relationship. Call them, explain what you are looking for in a relationship, and if they don’t get back to you – or seem not to have time for you…move on.
   
3. Check back quarterly to touch base.  Let the recruiter know if you are still in the same situation; and if your preferences are the same …geographical, compensation, role, etc.
   
4. Network with your recruiter and meet face to face if you can (trade shows are great for this – and it only takes a few minutes).  Offer to network with your recruiter to help them fill jobs. You can be a connector for your friends to hot opportunities.   
   
5. Remember:  As with any relationship, it is a two way street.  A recruiter that continually comes to you – without offering value for you and your career, is worth forgetting.