Linkedin is still relevant

LinkedIn is a great tool and service, if you know how to properly use it.  It seems simple to find people from your email accounts, search for specific names and even those with specific skills.  But there is so much more to LinkedIn that can assist in getting the most out of it. Here are some best practices to ensure that you get the most out of LinkedIn, that others can find you and that you can help others.

1. Customize your LinkedIn profile page URL name. Go to ‘edit my profile’ in your LinkedIn account and click on ‘edit’ next to ‘Public Profile’ a little way down the page.
2. Add your LinkedIn profile page to your email signature. For gmail click on ’settings’ in the upper right hand corner and in the text box half way down the page labeled ’signature’ enter a custom signature including your new Public Profile URL.
3. Connect with your existing contacts. Click on ‘add connections’ on the left side of the screen and follow the process of letting LinkedIn scan your gmail, outlook or other contact lists. By doing so you will be able to invite your contacts to connect using the very easy process provided on the site. Note that you will not automatically invite everyone in your gmail or outlook contact list.
4. Use the Browser Toolbar. The most important feature of the browser toolbar is that it adds a LinkedIn icon next to email addresses in your gmail. This icon enables you to see a LinkedIn summary (job title, position in your network, number of contacts, etc) of any person who emails you. It also enables you to invite people to LinkedIn from your gmail account – making it easier to connect with people.
5. Use the Outlook Toolbar. This application integrates into your outlook as is useful in a few ways. First, it adds a LinkedIn icon that is similar to the one described in the browser toolbar. Second, it enables you to update your outlook contacts based upon changes that people make to their LinkedIn profiles – keeping your contacts up to date.
6. Add a picture. It’s always helpful for other people to be able to associate your face with your background, making it easier for people to introduce themselves at social events.

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