You’ve heard the saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know that matters.” And while being educated and intelligent is equally important, the benefit of forming and maintaining connections with classmates and coworkers is often overlooked. As jobs change, and people move it can be hard to stay in touch with only the use of email and cell phones. This is where LinkedIn, a professional networking site comes in.
LinkedIn, an online network with over 20 million professionals, is a great way for finding jobs, that most graduates don’t take full advantage of. Joining LinkedIn is free, easy and makes managing your contacts simple. Once you create a profile, you can include your resume, accomplishments, interests and websites. You can then search for and be contacted by former friends, managers, clients and coworkers. Many companies post and distribute job listings through LinkedIn and will contact you if an opportunity arises that they feel you would be a great candidate for.
A friend of mine used this site to her advantage after graduating. She formed a connection with a coworker that she had worked with during college at a fashion magazine. This coworker saw her current location and contacted her about an office they were opening in her area with an open position. This certainly was a relief after many hours searching the internet and temp agencies for a position similar to this one.
As a recent graduate, you may not have as extensive a list of experience and connections as Steve Jobs does, but this is the perfect time to start. Even if your resume is limited, it’s a great way to get introduced to others and discover jobs through inside connections. I could go on about the many benefits, but I’d encourage you to create a profile and explore the site for yourself. If you already have one, expand your profile and really take advantage of this network. The earlier you start, the better.
Tags: Job, Networking
