LinkedIn : My Favorite

I love LinkedIn.

That just happened.
(Drops mic, walks out of room)

But seriously. I do.

LinkedIn to me, was bound to happen, the inevitable outcome of the tech generation dominating the professional world.   It's Facebook for the yuppie. Kinda.

I've been  on LinkedIn since 2010, and I have to say, if anything it's the one social media channel that has truly added value to my life, real tangible value.  Now, I get value out of other channels, specifically, I enjoy being able to reflect upon photos with friends, but LinkedIn is one site that I recommend for anyone out there in the professional world.

If you're on LinkedIn though, here are a list of simple rules I recommend you follow.

1.  It's not Facebook.  Don't Ask to Connect.

So, there's this ongoing trend in LinkedIn where people, whom you know, and very well may be friends with on Facebook or another social media channel, will ask to connect with you on LinkedIn.  To me, that defeats the purpose of LinkedIn itself.

If you've never worked with the person, taught the person, or vice versa, were a student to the person, there is literally no way to gauge the quality of work an individual is capable of doing.  It's supposed to be an online social networking/CV/Resume, not another place for you connect with everyone you know.

2.  Make Sure It's Up to Date

I've seen plenty of people who have a LinkedIn account, but barely ever keep it updated.  What's the point of having it if you don't use it the right way?  I've had LinkedIn get me plenty of interviews, and this is in large party that I make sure to have all of my experiences posted on the site.

3.  Utilize Skills/Experiences

Do you work in a certain industry?  Are there specific requirements/skills for that industry?  Make sure you have those as options on your user profile.

For example, let's say you're a computer programmer.  You should probably have HTML, C++, CSS, Python, SQL, Root Error Analysis, and various other buzzwords in your skills section.  Now, let's say I'm your boss, and I log onto LinkedIn.  It will automatically pop up with your face, asking me if you are experienced within those fields.  My simple click, acknowledging a big fat yes, is essentially my endorsement.  I'm saying, yeah, this guy knows what he's doing.

That's enough for now.

More tips for social media will come soon!