| If you are job-seeking, you need to join | | | | bothered to keep your profile current, why |
| LinkedIn, an essential job-search tool. If | | | | should another person bother to engage with |
| you're not on a job search but you're into | | | | you? If I receive a Contact request, jump |
| online networking; or want to acquire new | | | | over to the requester's profile, and find |
| partners or clients; or otherwise want to rev | | | | that its details don't match what's in the |
| up your networking activity level, you should | | | | requester's email message, I'm already |
| likewise become a LinkedIn user, in my view. | | | | underwhelmed. Bonus: when you update your |
| All that being said, there are some iron-clad | | | | profile, you can send a one-click blast |
| rules for polite and professional use of the | | | | message to let your entire first-degree |
| network. Here's my Top Ten list for LinkedIn | | | | network know about your news. Note: please |
| do's and don'ts:1) DO connect to your | | | | don't abuse this feature! Reserve |
| "real-world" friends.I'm amazed by how many | | | | profile-update blasts for news on the order |
| LinkedIn users join up, create a profile, and | | | | of a job promotion, book launch or |
| immediately set to work inviting all sorts of | | | | appointment to a national commission....as |
| online strangers to join their networks. | | | | opposed to news items like "I have started my |
| Sure, it's fun to browse the LinkedIn | | | | PMP certification class."6) DON'T confuse |
| database and look up people you might want to | | | | quantity for quality.If I were a recruiter, |
| know better....but what about your friends | | | | I'd build the biggest network I could, on |
| back in three-dimensional space? The first | | | | LinkedIn or otherwise. After all, there's |
| thing to do as a new LinkedIn user - after | | | | zero downside to being able to view, and |
| creating a rockin' profile for yourself - is | | | | reach, a massive number of candidates when |
| to invite your true-blue friends and former | | | | your job is locating talent. But for the rest |
| workmates to join your network. There are | | | | of us, it's easy to get the notions "a big |
| three steps in this process:a) Download your | | | | network" and "a strong network" confused. The |
| Outlook address book so that LinkedIn can | | | | question to ask yourself is "could I |
| find your friends who are already members.b) | | | | recommend this person, and could he recommend |
| Use the Find Colleagues and Find Classmates | | | | me?" If not, the principal value in any |
| functions to synch up with people you know | | | | individual LinkedIn connection will be your |
| from school and past jobs; andc) Invite | | | | ability to view his network (and vice versa). |
| bunches of "real" friends who aren't already | | | | That's not a bad thing, but it would be a |
| LinkedIn users, to join the network - you'll | | | | shame to mistake that kind of visibility for |
| be helping them get connected at the same | | | | influence. Amassing connections can become a |
| time you grow your own network.2) DON'T | | | | kind of addiction, but withdrawal will kick |
| become an Invitation Spammer.It's tempting to | | | | in when these near-strangers begin to ask you |
| start sending "connect to me" invitation to | | | | to vouch for them to your dearest friends.7) |
| every Tom, Dick and Sally you find on | | | | DON'T pass along questionable requests.I got |
| LinkedIn, but it's bad manners. If you want | | | | religion on this item in an instant last |
| to reach out to someone you've spotted who | | | | summer, when a fellow asked me to send a |
| has an enticing profile, send the person a | | | | friend of mine a spammy invitation to his |
| Contact request rather than an invitation to | | | | business conference. "I can't do it," I |
| join your network. A Contact request, to use | | | | wrote, "it's purely a marketing message." The |
| an offline networking analogy, is like an | | | | gentleman's return message essentially ripped |
| invitation for a coffee date. An invitation | | | | my head off, affirming my initial gut |
| to Connect is like asking someone to go | | | | reaction that his request was an improper |
| steady. Unless you know a person already, | | | | one. Don't hesitate to stand up for yourself |
| don't spam him or her with a "want to start | | | | and for your friends when sketchy requests |
| recommending me to people, and vice versa?" | | | | come down the pike (and they will). If you |
| invitation - it's creepy.3) DO unto | | | | pass along every bit of dreck that finds you, |
| others....It's astounding that a person would | | | | your trusted friends will start to doubt you, |
| send out connect-to-me invitations while | | | | and that's a far worse fate than having to |
| proclaiming on his or her profile that no new | | | | write to another LinkedIn user, "I'm sorry, |
| connection invitations will be accepted. Talk | | | | but I don't feel comfortable passing this |
| about all take and no give! There are other | | | | on."8) DON'T abuse the Find Colleagues |
| LinkedIn users who set up a profile and make | | | | feature.LinkedIn's Find Colleagues feature |
| connections, and then specify on their | | | | allows you to find old workmates and send |
| profiles that they won't act on requests to | | | | unmediated connection requests to them, a |
| forward (a key piece of LinkedIn's value). | | | | boon if you've lost their email addresses |
| These messages say, I want to be on this site | | | | over the years. Unfortunately, it's easy to |
| and get its value, but I don't want to deal | | | | abuse the feature by listing false employers |
| with other people's requests. A modern-day | | | | or dates of employment on your profile. What |
| Dante would design a special, uncomfortable | | | | can we say about this? If you believe in the |
| and crowded level of Hell for these folks: no | | | | wheel of karma, avoid the temptation to claim |
| pits of fire, but perhaps a zone where all | | | | employers and employment dates you're not |
| connections are dial-up, cell phones can't | | | | entitled to.9) DO join the PowerForum.Newbie |
| hold a signal and no one helps you with | | | | LinkedIn users have lots of questions, and a |
| anything, retribution for the me-first | | | | great place to get answers is the user group |
| approach to online networking that you showed | | | | called MyLinkedInPowerForum. Send a blank |
| in your most recent incarnation on Earth.4) | | | | email message to to join the group and get |
| DON'T make assumptions about your own | | | | LinkedIn (and general) networking advice. |
| irresistibility.Connection invitations should | | | | MLPF founder Vincent Wright is a helpful |
| state clearly why you expect your invitee to | | | | guide and mentor to LinkedIn users all over |
| link up with you - for instance, because you | | | | the world - I can virtually guarantee that |
| serve on the same fund-raising committee or | | | | you'll learn something useful from the |
| because your daughters are best friends in | | | | Forum's daily conversation.10) DO disconnect |
| the fifth grade. With so many activities | | | | from bad apples when you need to.Finally, |
| crowding a typical businessperson's schedule | | | | it's worth noting that LinkedIn gives you the |
| and so many people in the mix, it's easy for | | | | ability to disconnect from other users if you |
| people to forget how they know you. Likewise, | | | | find that the connection no longer works for |
| even Contact requests should state your case | | | | you. If you're plagued by inappropriate |
| as plainly as possible. A message that says | | | | requests or other annoyances from one of your |
| "May I call you? We could collaborate" is not | | | | connections, you can cut the cord and save |
| the world's strongest pitch. People are | | | | yourself from recurring headaches. Some |
| incredibly busy - if you're job-seeking, or | | | | people just don't get the notion of an online |
| trolling for new clients, you may lose sight | | | | community with standards and norms; and it's |
| of the fact that a person needs a compelling | | | | not your job to teach them how to behave. |
| reason to even spend ten minutes on the phone | | | | Just move on.Liz Ryan is a workplace expert, |
| with you.It's helpful to remember what I call | | | | 25-year corporate (Fortune 500) HR executive, |
| the Happy Life theory of networking: when you | | | | and the founder and CEO of WorldWIT, the |
| reach out to a stranger, that person is | | | | world's largest online community for |
| presumably leading a happy and fulfilling | | | | professional women. Liz is an international |
| life without the benefit of knowing you. It's | | | | keynote speaker on workplace, work/life, |
| not enough to say "I'll buy you lunch!" or | | | | leadership, and women in the workplace |
| the online equivalent of that offer; a $25 | | | | topics. WorldWIT provides internal |
| lunch (or a scintillating phone conversation | | | | communication and community-building |
| with you) just might not be as hard to pass | | | | services, consulting and training to |
| up as you believe. So lay it out there: | | | | employers seeking to create a diversity |
| here's what I can do for you, or here's what | | | | culture and to increase retention and |
| I need, or both.5) DO keep your profile | | | | engagement of women and minorities. Liz lives |
| current.A pox on the person who lets her | | | | in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and |
| LinkedIn profile languish! If you can't be | | | | five children. |