Making More Out of LinkedIn

Making More Out of LinkedIn
And Why It Even Matters …
866.755.9800 stephen@ittechexec.com 1

Successfully Delivering Messaging & Job Search Solutions for CIOs, CTOs, Technology Executives, IT Experts
& Business Leaders at Top National & Global Companies, Start-Up & Venture Capital Firms, Government
Agencies and Contractors

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Throughout this presentation, we
will be looking at some common
perceptions or attitudes about
LinkedIn.

Attitude #1
So, you’re on LinkedIn. You’ve set up a
profile. You’ve connected with some
colleagues, past and present. And maybe
you’ve even joined a group or two.
So you’re thinking, “Now what?”
Everyone says it is so important, and you can see some relevancy
to it, but overall, it just seems like a big numbers game to you.

Yes, LinkedIn Is a Numbers
Game…If You Want to Play…
And
Sooner or Later,
You Most Likely Do
Now, it might pretend to be something else, and you may be using it for
something else. BUT as soon as you want LinkedIn to do more for you than
just be an extension of your resume compiling your past career
connections into one place (where you basically do little with them), then
it becomes what all social media essentially becomes:
a numbers game nonetheless.
But that’s not necessarily as bad as it sounds!
Or at least it doesn’t have to be. Read on!

Attitude #2
“I am VERY cautious about whom I
connect with on LinkedIn. I only connect
with people I know.”
On the surface, it sounds like a good strategy. And it isn’t all that bad if you
aren’t really looking to make a career move right now or in the foreseeable
future. BUT as soon you enter into the realm of either active or passive job
seeker, you will realize just how much of a numbers game LinkedIn really is and
why that’s not always a bad thing.
Peer-to-peer networking is great, yes, but today’s market offers more “pipelines” of networking, which LI can
help provide that. Why not do both?

And then the tune will
begin to change …
The more 1st level connections you have, the
more 2nd level connections you generate
(remember the 6-degrees of Kevin Bacon?).
And the more 2nd level connections you
generate, the more likelihood of having better
access to key decision makers in your target job
search area.
Not to mention, the better ranking you receive
in LinkedIn search (the same is true for how
many silly endorsements in a particular area
you receive…did you even know you had a
LinkedIn ranking? Sure you do, and it is basically
numbers based.)
LinkedIn isn’t really about 1st level
connections, you know, those people
you “know.” Sure, that is great that
you know 200 people, etc.
LinkedIn is really about 2nd level
connections.
LinkedIn uses a search algorithm
much like Google or other search
engines do.

It’s time to meet
new people. Only this
time, it doesn’t have to
be so uncomfortable!
Now, LinkedIn likes to play coy with this because essentially the
company is in business to make a profit (it is NOT a nonprofit service,
after all). Although it says that it is protecting you from the dreaded
spam, really, LinkedIn wants you to buy into its Premium services
(don’t forget this!).
So, it entices you to network, lets you connect with your friends for
free, and gives you access to groups.
BUT then it makes it difficult for you to expand your network to
connect with others you don’t know unless you are given an
introduction by one of your 1st level connections or pay for their
InMail services (which LinkedIn claims everyone reads, but very few
do…trust me).
So how do you get around this?
Like it or not, even on LinkedIn
(or any social media), you have to get
out there and meet people.
If face-to-face networking isn’t really
you’re thing, then maybe social
networking will be.

SIDE NOTE: Social media, LinkedIn in particular, has many great qualities.
But you can’t lose site of the fact that the numbers do matter.
Think Quality AND Quantity.
For more on this, check out our post called “The Age-Old Social Media Quality vs. Quantity Debate”.
Does today’s job search and social media all just seem like a big game to you? Honestly, it kind of is. Technology, as
much as we love it, has taken the traditional job search process and made it more convoluted…and expensive. The good
news, however, is that some tools are opening up opportunities that were much harder to find before.
The challenge is in knowing which game is worth playing for you.

Groups provide great
networking opportunities
Groups are your one “free” way to meet and
network with other professionals in the same
industry or profession as you. So there is some value
in paying attention to what is happening in these
groups and to targeting individuals you would like to
meet.
After all, LinkedIn gives you 3000 invites you can
send out, so after “meeting” in the group, you can
send someone an invite providing a reason for why
you would like to connect with him or her (don’t
forget this part! Most people shun the default LI
text, so customize yours. Give a quick explanation of
why you want to connect by pointing out something
you both share).
If you are like me, you have joined
some of the LinkedIn groups that were
recommended to you (most likely by
LinkedIn), but either you show up
every once in a while or you never do.
You’re just out there as a passive
member because, well, who has time
to read through every post of every
group you belong to?

Even better is that LinkedIn group members can send a private message to
one another (provided a person has not shut off this feature) IF they are 2nd
level connections or better.
So this means that you can send a message to people in your groups introducing yourself without being so
presumptuous as to send an unsolicited invite.
Now, I wouldn’t go around sending a message to everyone or sending anything that sounds like the
dreaded “spam,” but it is a good idea if you see someone who meets your target area for networking that
you take the initiative of introducing yourself through a message.
As of July 2015, LinkedIn has put limits on the number of private group messages you can send each monthly.
They set the limit at 15, and you cannot carry over messages from month to month
(Remember: They want you to buy their Premium services. So they are making it more difficult for heavy users).
For most professionals, 15 per month is plenty, however.

Attitude #3
You’re a LinkedIn LION. You are everywhere
and anywhere on LinkedIn. You couldn’t be
more active if you tried.
Numbers are not your problem. Engagement might even be good.
After all, you’re a social media guru.
But other than some nice conversations, it hasn’t lead to much.

Don’t let your
connections sit in your
wasteland.
How do you do that? Figure out ways to be a value-added resource to
your network and provide that value to them.
Again, without “spamming,” you want to reach out from time to time,
touch base. Congratulate them on new jobs. Send them a link to a
relevant article. Ask them how they are doing….
My favorite is to make introductions. People notice and appreciate
that. We get very favorable responses when we do this for our
members.
Exhausted yet?
Networking is tiring. And the bigger your network gets, the more tiring it
can become. BUT if you are building a network that focuses in on your
target market (do you know what it is?), then the bigger the better. And
LinkedIn is happy to help you play the game.
Once you make these valuable new
connections, now you have to decide
what to do with them.
Otherwise, your profile is just going to sit
there with no real engagement with your
contacts and you aren’t really
networking.
Sure, they can see your “feed” as it
comes through each day, but they aren’t
that vigilant (again, trust me). If you want
an active network, then you have to wake
up the sleeping giant, so to speak.

So, which attitude do you have?
Either it’s time to get out there and start building your LinkedIn empire.
Or it’s time LinkedIn more effective for you.
For even more on this, check out our article “Building Your LinkedIn Network Empire”.
With 300+ million LI members, it’s also time to take a look at how your LI
profile is positioning you in the marketplace…

There’s no doubt
social recruiting on
LI is on the rise.
The stats paint an
interesting picture:
• 93% of recruiters use LinkedIn
to find talent
• 89% of them are hiring from
LinkedIn
Click on
image
to find
out
more
For 2 years in a
row, tech
recruiters have
reported “a lack
of skilled
candidates as
their greatest
challenge and
social media as
their greatest
opportunity.”
(study by
Bullhorn)
This should be
good news for
properly
positioned
technical
pros…

Like it or not, if you plan to be in tech job market for the next 5, 10, 15+ years,
you need to embrace LinkedIn in a more active way..
Do you have to do it?
No. You don’t have to do anything.
95% of technical professionals don’t.
As a result, they struggle to understand the market when the time is finally “right” for them to start looking.
This should be a
no-brainer, BUT
It’s not. Very
few pros are
willing to adapt.
To help you get a better feel for where you currently stand with your LinkedIn profile, I’ve
developed a simple self-assessment survey you can take that is quick to do, free, and helps
you compare your profile against those that are having more success on LI in either building
a recruiter “pipeline” or engaging their network:
LI Profile Optimization Self-Assessment

LinkedIn Crash Course
Because of the rising relevance of LinkedIn in not just the hiring process but also in ongoing career management, we
find that many of our client members are not really using it or are unaware of how best to use it for them. It might
be hard to believe, but when we work with them to put together their LinkedIn profiles and/or help them identify
strategic introductions with profiled employers, the common theme that we come across is lack of experience using
LinkedIn other than just as a big Rolodex to store connections in.
So if you’re like the majority of our members, you know enough to dabble with it, and you know it is important, but
you don’t have the time or energy to research how to become an “expert” at it, much less keep up with its constant
changes. And, really, why should you? You’re busy, well, working and innovating and taking care of your family
and (hopefully) sleeping and, well, you get the picture!
It’s why my team and I have developed this crash course. We offer a customized, 1-1 crash course that is guaranteed
to (1) get you up to speed without taking too much of your time (1-2 hours tops), (2) give you a strategy tailored to
your goals (new job or future career advancement), and (3) provide you with the certainty that you need to know
only what you need to know and the convenience of not having to spend hours of free time doing the wrong things
or reading up on all the latest LinkedIn hype. And we do it all for only $295!
To learn more, check out an overview on our site:
http://www.ittechexec.com/linkedin-crash-course/

About Stephen Van Vreede
Stephen Van Vreede is not your average IT/technical résumé writer.
He provides career strategy and concierge job search solutions for senior (15+ years)
(ITtechExec) and up-and-coming (NoddlePlace) (5-15 years) tech and technical
operations leaders.
Stephen and his team focus on building simplified, targeted, and certain career move
campaigns, be it an external search or an internal promotion. He is co-author
of UNcommon with career development leader Brian Tracy (June 2015).
Contact Stephen directly at Stephen@ittechexec.com or send him an invite
at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenvanvreede.
To see whether Stephen and his team are a good fit for you, take their free (and
anonymous) compatibility quiz, Is the ITtechExec Approach a Good Match for You?

Another way to meet Stephen:
Set up your complimentary Upcoming Career Move Prep Session
with Technical Resume Writer & Career Strategist,
Stephen Van Vreede, today.
We've made it easy to schedule your consult with Stephen. Simply click on the calendar image below to schedule
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Coming in Summer 2015: The latest release by Brian Tracy featuring
Stephen Van Vreede. Click here to receive an advanced chapter release:
The Rise of the Corporate Entrepreneur

Maybe you can relate….
A lot of times we know what we “should” do, but
either we don’t do it or we just wait until we have to
because:
• We no longer have the ambition we once did
• We have kids to raise and focus on
• We believe the obstacles we will face in the
market are too overwhelming or exhausting to
face
• Work no longer matters much
• We’re too busy
• We always figure something out when we need
to
• We’re not really sure what we want to do next
• We have external concerns that weigh on us
• We have other unfulfilled goals and dreams

To learn more about ITtechExec or NoddlePlace:
Check ITtechExec Out
Or call Stephen toll-free at 1-866-755-9800; email at stephen@ittechexec.com.
(When you contact us, we will help determine which of our approaches is best
for you.)
Check NoddlePlace Out

ITtechExec
Protecting the Technical Career You’ve
Built So Far
ITtechExec members are senior managers, directors, executives,
and C-level tech leaders (15+y ears of experience) who specialize in
the following fields:
• CIO & CTO
• IT Operations
• Project/Program Management
• Enterprise Architecture
• Telecommunications
• Engineering (Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical…)
• Manufacturing
• Call Center Operations
• Technical Sales Leadership
• Medical Device
• And all things technical related…
These members have worked hard to get where they are today, and
they are committed to investing in protecting and maintaining
these careers. They come to us as guides through the technical job
market “zoo” to help them invest their valuable time and resources
wisely on solutions that produce effective results.
NoddlePlace
Your Technical Career Advancement.
SIMPLIFIED.
NoddlePlace members are the up-and-coming versions of our
ITtechExec members. With about 5 to 15 years of technical career
experience under their belts, they are dedicated to investing in
steady career advancement.
They understand that they are likely to make 8 to 10 career moves
over the next 25+ years of their career, and they are looking not
just at getting a resume but at building in a strategic approach that
positions them for this next move and beyond.
As with ITtechExec, we provide a concierge-type service, where we
combine the resume portfolio side with the job search “launch”
side.
Our goal is to produce measurable ROI and to reduce the stress that
comes with job search and career management for both our
NoddlePlace and ITtechExec members.
At NoddlePlace, we make technical career advancement simple in a
job market that’s gone insane.

Making More Out of LinkedIn

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Making More Out of LinkedIn