The document provides guidance on setting up a LinkedIn profile for career transition, including filling out basic information, completing a profile, adjusting privacy settings, connecting with contacts through searching, invitations and groups, using applications like Events, and maintaining an active presence through regular updates, connections, groups participation and recommendations. The key is to fully complete your profile, connect with others, engage on the platform weekly, and treat your LinkedIn network like a garden that requires ongoing cultivation.

1. How to Get Started Using
LinkedIn For Career Transition
By Kathleen Smith,
ClearedJobs.Net

2. Setting Up Your
Account
Easy steps for setting up your
account:
Fill out Name, Email Address and
Password.
You will need to confirm your
email address before continuing on
to complete your Profile.

3. Basics of Setting Up Your
Profile
Name, Headline, Locations &
Industry show at the top of your
Profile, this is what people see
in Search
Name: This is the name that
people will see when they
search for
Headline: is your current
Position, Location, Industry

4. Completing Your Profile
Yes, you need to add a
Picture.
You will have a quick
snapshot of your career
history and an opportunity
to fill this out more later.
You can also import your
resume to help with the
Profile completion.
It is helpful to add a
Summary which should be
at least two paragraphs
long describing your skills,
and accomplishments.

5. Settings … Profile and
Privacy Controls
You will find Settings
underneath your name in the
upper right hand corner.
The bottom box contains 4 key
areas: Profile, Email
Preferences, Groups, Account.
Each of these areas help how
you see your network and how
they see you.
Profile:
Select who sees your
broadcasts, who sees your
connections, who sees if you
have looked at their profile…

6. Settings continued….
Email Preferences
Email Preferences covers how
frequently you get
information from LinkedIn
and your network.
Also controls how people can
email or connect with you.

7. Settings
continued….Groups,
Companies, Applications
Controls how frequently you
get information from your
groups and the companies
you are following.
Controls how much
information is shared with
Third Party Applications

8. Settings
continued….Account
Account information and how
you see the updates for your
network.

9. Home versus Profile
Home is what you will see when
you log into your account.
This will show your network
activity, recommendations on
who to connect with, who has
viewed your profile along with
any ads that may be targeted
toward you.
You can also post Updates from
your home page. This will show
up on your Profile as well.
A best practice is to post a new
Update each week.

10. Applications
There are many Applications
that you can have attached to
your LinkedIn profile.
One of the most used and
helpful for networking is
Events.
Once you have Events, you
can share with your Network
the Events you are attending.
You can also post an Event
and share it with your
Network.

11. Contacts
It is all about building your
network and adding new
Contacts.
The magic number to reach is
500, at that point LinkedIn
just lists you as 500+
connections.

12. Connecting with Your
Community
One of the first ways to add
connections is to connect
your LinkedIn account with
your Web Email Account to
import email addresses.
If your connections use the
Web Mail email address as
their LinkedIn email, you will
be able to find them, but
many folks use their work
email address.

13. Searching for Contacts
You can search for Contacts
through the navigation bar at
the top.
You can Search based on
recommendations from
LinkedIn. The more people
you connect with the better
recommendations you will
receive.
For any of these searches, you
can also narrow the search
through the Filters.

14. Sending Invitations
Only connect with people you
know.
You will have to select how
you know them: through
school, work or a group.
It is best to personalize the
invitation.
Once someone connects with
you, thank them for the
connection.

15. Groups
Groups are categorized as
either Open or Closed.
Open means anyone can join
the group; Closed means you
have to request to join and
the Group Manager will have
to approve you to be part of
the Group.
Groups are categorized
around a key topic, schools,
locations.
There are Networking,
Alumni, Conference,
Nonprofit and Company
groups.

16. Navigating a Group
Groups are a good place to get
information on articles, events,
jobs or general information. Each
group has a different level of
activity depending on the
members of the group.
It is good to introduce yourself to
the Group and why you want to be
part of that Group.
Being part of the Group also allows
you to connect with the other
members of the Group.
Jobs are also posted under the
Jobs and Career Discussions tabs.
You can also Comment or Like
other members’ discussions.

17. Jobs and Job Postings
Jobs are posted under the
Jobs tab. You can search for
Jobs just like you would on
any job board. You will also
see who you are connected
with in that company who
could refer you for that job.
These same Jobs are posted
to the Groups that the person
has elected to have them
posted to. These are different
from the Career Discussions
which are posted by members
of the Group.

18. Recommendations
The more Recommendations
you have the higher you will
appear in the Search results.
This is another way that
recruiters pre-screen candidates.
You will want to request
Recommendations from your
colleagues and be prepared to
provide Recommendations in
return.
It also shows on your Profile if
you have Recommended
someone else.

19. What to do next?
A network is like a garden,
you have to tend it frequently
to get the results that you
want.
Complete any unfinished part
of your profile.
Connect with 20 new people
Set a weekly goal of
connections.
Update your status weekly.
Join groups and participate!