Book Report - LinkedIn

I thought it would be interesting to talk about something different, instead of my usual dog posts.  I decided to read the following book about LinkedIn, a gathering place for professionals and networking: 

Sams Teach Yourself LinkedIn in 10 Minutes, Third Edition

Author: Patrice-Anne Rutledge

Publisher:  Pearson Education, Inc.

Published:  April 2012 

LinkedIn peaked my interest in the past six months because several coworkers of mine had indicated it’s a good way to network with people with similar professional interests.  After reading Sams Teach Yourself LinkedIn in 10 Minutes, which I accessed through the CSN Online Library,  I immediately compared it to Facebook and the concept of social media.  The difference is that LinkedIn concentrates in connecting business professionals who have similar goals and interests. 

LinkedIn accounts vary depending upon an individual’s needs, but for most users the free account is sufficient.  It’s easy to set up an account, but the user needs to be sure to enter all information correctly, especially for job seekers if messages are to be communicated in a timely manner.  When setting up any LinkedIn account, the user needs to be clear and concise in his or her goals.   The basic profile includes personal information such as the user’s name, email address, profile pictures, education and work experience along with areas of specialty that you would like others to know about you.   You can import email contacts from various sources, search for colleagues or classmates, or send an invitation to someone who is not yet connected with LinkedIn.   

This book is a step-by-step guide for all you need to know about LinkedIn, so to list everything in detail is impossible.  LinkedIn provides professional networking, especially for those that are looking for a job or a business looking for employees.   LinkedIn automatically connects you with those that have similar interests as stated in your profile.  It’s based on simple keywords used.  For example, if you listed accounting as your profession or chemical engineering in your education, LinkedIn will connect you with people or businesses related to those keywords.  You’re able to join groups or simply search for those that appeal to you.    In accessing specific groups, LinkedIn enables you to share and develop professional relationships in areas that interest you the most.   The key word in using LinkedIn is “professional”;  it’s not a social network, it’s not for posting resumes and it’s not for advertising products.  Many of the groups have lively discussions about current events or trends, and focusing on the quality of these discussions are sure to add value to the group.   Posting non-relevant information would certainly ruin your image among members looking for expert advice.    You can also follow groups as in Twitter, subscribe to RSS feeds, and updated news and events will automatically populate on your LinkedIn home page.   The home page gives you a quick look as to new updates from LinkedIn members you’ve connected with, jobs you may be interested in, groups you may want to join, and how many people have recently  looked at your profile. 

Since I have a career I already love and plan to retire from, I wouldn’t have much use for LinkedIn except for networking with other accounting professionals to keep up with current news and events.  I can see, however, in this economy how LinkedIn can definitely help in  a job search.  It enables a job seeker to set goals and connect with others that may be able to help in their job search.  Along with that comes the possibility of making the right connections by always being professional in discussions and keeping  profiles up-to-date for any potential employer to view.  On the other hand, businesses can also search for prospective employees by creating a business page that would list pertinent information and statistics about the company.  Businesses have the opportunity to target a specific audience depending on the position available.  Employers have also been known to search for LinkedIn members who have the necessary skills and talents they need by what a member has posted on their profile.   In today’s economy, this creates another way of recruiting skilled workers.   

This book was so detailed with step-by-step instructions that I didn’t see any weaknesses except that it would have been more interesting to read if it was set up in more of a book (reading) format, followed by the detailed instructions.   For those that are searching for a different way to network, whether looking for a job or staying current on trends and events, LinkedIn would be worth looking into.