Even if you’re not “pounding the pavement” or living in a “speed dating for job candidates” nightmarish swirl, you should never stop keeping your eye open for what other opportunities are out there.  You never know when you might need them.  Who knew a month ago that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, titans Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual would need a bail out and American Express would want to turn itself into a bank to increase its access to capital?  If times could get tough for them, it could get tough for you and all the rest of us as well.  So you might want to spiff up how you look as a passive candidate, just in case things turn even uglier.

“Kay Luo, Director of Corporate Communications at LinkedIn, explains, “The main reason that companies are using LinkedIn is to find passive job candidates. Another reason why companies are using LinkedIn, is because referrals from their employees are highly valued because they typically have a higher success rate (hence the popular “employee referral bonuses”). LinkedIn helps companies leverage the networks of their employees.”

How Employers Use LinkedIn

One LinkedIn member (who will remain nameless because his company doesn’t know he’s job seeking) I spoke to received an inquiry less than 24 hours after posting his profile. He was amazed at how fast a former colleague found him.

Steve Goddard obtained his current job through LinkedIn. Recruiters working for his employer, VMware, Inc., searched LinkedIn’s database of information for people with relevant skills sets and experience pertaining to VMware’s existing requirements.

The recruiter discovered Steve’s work history, downloaded the information, circulated it to group managers, and then contacted him. After a couple of lengthy phone calls, VMWare scheduled an on-site interview. After that, it was hiring as usual.

Steve told me, “I regularly get headhunters or recruiters with small startup operations, that have found my contact information through LinkedIn, calling me or emailing me with new job openings and hiring opportunities.” From the company’s perspective, Steve noted that VMware internal recruitment staff believes that LinkedIn has been a tremendous help with recruiting.
Search LinkedIn

Take a few minutes to search LinkedIn and I’m sure you’ll find lots of contacts from your current and prior employers, clients, vendors, and schools. All those contacts have the potential to help you grow your career or find a new job. In addition, it can be a good source of employment references, as well as reference checking.

Job Search

You can search the Jobs section of linked in by keyword and location or used the Advanced Search option to search by more specific criteria.

How to Use LinkedIn

Guy Kawasaki’s Ten Ways to Use Linked In provides good insight into how to increase the value of LinkedIn. One example is “Increasing your visibility, because by adding connections, you increase the likelihood that people will see your profile first when they’re searching for someone to hire or do business with.”

One way to improve visibility is to enhance your profile. Take a look at Guy’s profile’s Extreme Makeover to see what a difference a few changes can make.

Speaking of connections – the more the better. Guy’s blog notes that “People with more than twenty connections are thirty-four times more likely to be approached with a job opportunity than people with less than five.”

How to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job – Or Have a Job Find You

• Create a Profile. Create a detailed profile on LinkedIn, including employment (current and past), education, industry, and web sites.
• Consider a Photo. You can add a photo (a headshot is recommended or upload a larger photo and edit it) to your LinkedIn profile. Note that it must be a small photo – no larger than 80×80 pixels.
• Keywords and Skills. Include all your resume keywords and skills in your profile, so your profile will be found.
• Build Your Network. Connect with other members and build your network. The more connections you have, the more opportunities you have, with one caveat from Kay Luo, “Connect to people you know and trust or have a business relationship with, no need to go crazy and connect with everyone.”
• Get Recommendations. Recommendations from people you have worked with carry a lot of weight.
• Search Jobs. Use the job search section to find job listings.
• Use Answers. The Answers section of LinkedIn is a good way to increase your visibility. Respond to questions, and ask a question if you need information or assistance.
• Stay Connected. Use LinkedIn Mobile (m.linkedin.com) to view profiles, invite new connections, and access to LinkedIn Answers from your phone.