LinkedIn with Neighbors-Helping-Neighbors!

Today’s Blog is about Linkedin.com!

Key Points:
-It is easy to use!
-It is a tool for networking and will not get you a job instantly!
-Keep positive and relevant and you will fit in just fine!

Greetings!
Neighbors-Helping-Neighbors is a non-profit, grassroots job search group dedicated to helping the unemployed, under employed, and gainfully employed find work in this struggling economy.

In this blog, I am going to talk about a very powerful tool for, Linkedin.com, a real asset to all of us involved in neighbors-helping neighbors. I will go over joining, what to put up and what to expect. All of this is based on my own experience with linkedin.com.

Unlike facebook.com, Linkedin.com has a far more professional feel and look to it. Conversations and postings tend to be geared toward accomplishments within careers, professional goals one would want to achieve, portfolio pieces, and matters within the field the person is employed in or would like to get in. While it will not get you the job next week, it will help you increase your networking reach and put you in touch with professionals that can guide you along your way.

Joining the Community
Joining LinkedIn.com is very easy. The first item you need is an email address. Make this your personal email address, one you would put on a resume. In my case, matthew.milsop@yahoo.com. Any email address with your first and last name divided by a period is just fine. No matter who you are, what your aim in life, on social networks, or on the internet is, it is critical to have at least one email structured like this, your first name or initial, a period, and your last name.

The next step is to fill out their form. It is easy to follow and self explanatory. Allow any and all information to be forwarded to the above mentioned email address. Load a nice, professional picture of yourself regardless of your age. Completing certain things, certain requirements of your LinkedIn.com profile make it more complete according to the sites standards. There is a meter above, on the upper right hand of your profile that will tell you how complete your profile is. The more complete it is, the more visible you will be to recruiters looking for good candidates as well as people wanting to make connections. See to it that the email address is also listed on the profile.
To make the profile complete:
-Fill out all of the critical information, though feel free to leave out your phone number or any other personal information you feel is too much and unneeded for your profile
-I cannot stress this enough, load a professional picture. Age matters to some employers, but it is the opinion of a few job coaches and professionals that they are not even worth your time anyway. If you are going to be judged, let it be on the merits of your work.
-Ask for recommendations. These can be sent to people in your contact list. Essentially, they ask that person if they are a witness to you working or accomplishing what you ask the recommendation for.
Other things you can attach include links to blogs you might have, your twitter account, or any website you are directly involved in.

Making Connections
Making connections is the equivalent to friending people that you know on facebook.com. There are two ways to do this on LinkedIn.com.
First, you can search for individuals in the search box on the top, right-hand corner. If they have a picture, their full name, and you recognize them, you can send them a request to connect, which they will receive in their email box. The other way is to join a few of the groups. You can find these groups by clicking on groups and typing in interests and key word in the search box. In my case, I typed in Technical Writer and found the wonderful Technical Writer in Action. Once you are part of a few of the groups, you can request connections from all of those group members.

 
Do not just randomly try to connect with anyone on Linkedin.com. LinkedIn will not let you connect with people you have no previous relationship with. When you do request connection, you will, no matter what, be taken to a page that will ask you how you know this person. If this is a person you have never met before, you will only have only two options when you get to that page: type in their email or select what group you know them from. If you are a member of that group, then the connection request will be passed on and you may have a better chance of connecting with them.

Expectations
Do not expect to sign up today and have a job by the end of the week. Linkedin.com is a tool for the job seeker not someone seeking instant gratification. Actually, whether you have a job or not, Linkedin is a phenomenal networking tool. And networking, as any job search coach, councilor, sales person, any member of Neighbors-Helping-Neighbors will tell you, is a huge part of any job search.

The best way to network on Linkedin.com is through the groups. Select about two or three groups that you really like, are active, and you can really participate in. This may take a little time and searching. There are some groups that have a spark of imagination and a few followers, but die as no one participates in them. If you see that you are part of one of these, look for greener pastures, but check in on it, posting what you can, and see if that stirs anything.

In active groups, read what the members post, post and articles, join in the discussions and ask questions, ask lots of questions. When I joined Technical Writer in Action, I was a novice to finding work as a technical writer. To change that, I asked questions on what methods to use, where to go for more information, and what recruiters are looking for. The members answered my questions which led me to more opportunities and new ideas.
And they encouraged me to ask more, making me part of that community.

Personally, the only rules I have for posting are to keep the articles relevant to that group and keep all posts positive. You want to be a positive contributor and seem open and friendly. In addition, you want to see attractive to recruiters, so you want to look like a calm, even minded person, who is passionate and intelligent!

Do not see Linkedin.com as a way to get easy results for a tough job search. In the current economic situation, there are no easy searches, no easy answers. LinkedIn.com, however, much like Neighbors Helping Neighbors, is about inspiration! Ask the questions, take back the results, analyze them, and act.

Neighbors-helping-Neighbors USA, Inc. (NhN) is a cost-free, highly successful Peer-led volunteer support and networking group targeted to individuals who are actively looking for work and interested in reinvigorating their job search. Membership is open to anyone in career transition, including unemployed or underemployed individuals and recent college graduates in the fields of business, non-profit, and education, as well as persons re-entering the job market, struggling small business owners and retirees looking for part-time or volunteer work.

For more info www.neighbors-helping-neighbors.com

***Attached is a copy of this blog in PDF format.****

Here is a list of meeting places and times for Neighbors-Helping-Neighbors:

NhN Meeting Locations
Founding NhN Library Program

Hasbrouck Heights Library
320 Boulevard
Mondays  1:00pm-2:30pm
Phone - 201.288.0484
http://hasbrouckheights.bccls.org

River Edge Library
685 Elm Street
Thursdays 7:00pm-8:30pm
Phone - 201.261.1663
http://riveredge.bccls.org

Bergenfield Library
50 West Clinton Ave.
Tuesdays 7:00pm-8:30pm
Phone - 201-387-4040
http://bergenfield.bccls.org

Hawthorne Library
345 Lafayette Avenue
Tuesdays 7:00pm-8:30pm
Phone - 973.427.5745
http://hawthorne.bccls.org

Westwood Library
49 Park Avenue
Mondays 7:00pm-8:30pm
Phone - 201.664.0583
http://westwood.bccls.org

Ridgewood Library
125 North Maple Avenue
Thursdays 7:00pm-8:30pm
Phone - 201.670.5600
www.ridgewoodlibrary.org

Waldwick Library
19 East Prospect Street
Mondays 7:00pm-8:30pm
Phone - 201.652.5104
http://waldwick.bccls.org
at St Lukes while library
room is renovated

Mendham Township
2 West Main Street
Brookside, NJ 07926
Mondays 6:30pm-8:00pm
Phone - 973.543.4018
www.mendhatwplib.org

Englewood Library
31 Engle Street
Mondays 7:00pm-8:30pm
Phone -  201.568.2215
www.englewoodlibrary.org

Mahwah Library
100 Ridge Road
Thursdays 7:00pm-8:30pm
Summer Meeting Day
Tuesdays 7pm July -Aug
Phone - 201.529.READ
www.mahwahlibrary.org

Maplewood Library
51 Baker Street
Wednesdays. 7:00-8:30pm
(except 4th wed of each month)
Phone - 973.762.1622
www.maplewoodlibrary.org

Cedar Grove
1 Municipal Plaza
Thursdays 6:30pm-8:00pm
Phone - 973.239.1447
Http://cedargrovenj.org/library

Fair Lawn Library
10-01 Fair Lawn Avenue
 Mondays 7:00pm-8:30pm
Phone - 201.796.3400
http://www.fairlawnlibrary.org

Ringwood Library
30 Cannici Drive
Tuesdays 10:30am-12:00pm
Phone - 973.962.6256
www.ringwoodlibrary.org

Oakland Library
2 Municipal Plaza
Thursdays 10:30am-12:00
Phone - 201.337.3742
http://oaklandnjlibrary.org/

Emerson Library
20 Palisade Ave
Tuesdays 7:00pm-8:30pm
Phone -  201.261.5604
http://emerson.bccls.org

Oradell Library
375 Kinderkamack Avenue
Tuesdays 1:00pm-2:30pm
( every other week )
Phone - 201.262.2613
http://oradell.bccls.org

Cranford Library
224 Walnut Avenue
Wednesdays 6:30-8:00pm
Phone - 908.709.7272
http://cranford.com/library

Lake Hiawatha Library (Parsippany)
68 Nokomis Ave.Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034
phone:(973) 335-0952
Tuesdays 7:15-8:45 pm.
http://parsippanylibrary.org/our-branches/lake-hiawatha

Monmouth County Library
Eastern Branch
1001 Route 35
Shrewsbury, NJ 07702-4398
Phone: (866) 941-8188
(732) 683-8980 (Freehold area