How Can LinkedIn Groups Help My Job Networking?

By Larry French

As mentioned in previous articles, your LinkedIn Profile will be a changing entity. As you learn how to use your Profile in your job search strategy, updates will become a routine process in developing your own effective LinkedIn Profile. In time, you will begin to receive definitive responses as a result. Now, let’s take a look at another one of the features you can use in your Profile, LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn Groups

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Remember, your LinkedIn Profile is a tool you can use in your job search strategy. Like any tool, it can be useful but will produce the best results when you use it for the right task. That’s where LinkedIn Groups can come into play. To help get your Profile noticed you want to participate in groups. The groups are a place where you can meet other professionals like yourself, find expert advice and share your knowledge and experience. To acquaint yourself with this LinkedIn feature, go to the ‘More’ tab on the tool bar at the top of your Profile page and select the Learning Center, http://learn.linkedin.com/ and then choose the ‘Groups’ listing under Site Features in the sidebar.

 

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Take the time to view the media clip that you find on the ‘Groups’ page of the Learning Center. This brief presentation will run you through the basics of what the Groups feature is all about. Then go to your own Profile and explore the Groups available to you. Look for Groups specific to your job search and also those associated with your geographical area. Use the Groups Directory. Select a group that seems like a good fit for your field of expertise. You may also wish to associate yourself with groups near your location (such as ProNet Central Florida, ProNet Central Florida Job Vacancies, Linked: Daytona, or Job Openings, Job Leads and Job Connections!). To join any group, simply click on your selection and follow the prompts to request admission to the group. You’ll receive a confirmation notice once you’ve been admitted.

Image provided from Larry’s LinkedIn Profile

Participate in Groups

Find a group or groups that match your job interests and skill sets and follow the conversations that go on. Look for topics or discussions you can comment on. By commenting on posts, you can respond to questions being asked and present yourself as an expert in your field. There is an option in discussions to acknowledge that you ‘like’ a comment someone has posted. You can also ask good questions on topics and participate. Your participation will add value to your Profile.

Keep in mind your activity in various Groups and Discussions is going to show up in your Profile Activity. Take a look at the example from my own Profile. This can gain the attention of people (recruiters/HR managers) who may be browsing LinkedIn looking for talent. Pulling up your activity in a Group can display at a glance the comments you’ve posted. This is one of the ways you can position yourself using LinkedIn to stand out and be noticed. It’s a quick way for a recruiter to find out just how knowledgeable you are.

Start a Group Discussion

Image provided from Larry’s LinkedIn Profile

In addition to joining in Group Discussions, also consider starting your own Group. If none of the groups you explore seem to match your own job strategy or work area, create one that does. For example, you could start a group discussion centered on your specific profession or on some aspect of your work that you could lend some expert advice on. Check out the LinkedIn Learning Center again for tips on doing this. You can invite other professionals on LinkedIn to join your group and interject comments to keep the discussion going. By doing all of this you increase your exposure on the www and gain the attention of would-be employers.

You will find that your reach for notice on the www will increase as you continue building your Profile and incorporating these tools in LinkedIn. This will work exponentially for you the more you add to your Contacts. Use your Contacts, Jobs, and Groups participation to build functionality into your job search strategy. LinkedIn can help you stand out and hopefully this series will you to do just that. If you find this series helpful engage in discussion at the CBE Blog, http://cbeworkforce.blogspot.com/ or if you’re already on LinkedIn join the ProNet Central Florida Group.

Larry French is a novelist, speaker, editorial writer, and content provider of Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, and Mathematics curriculum. He is now seeking a publisher for his first novel, Time Will Tell, The Awakening which blends his love of history and science and is set during the American Civil War. http://www.linkedin.com/pub/larry-french/12/213/534