“Facebook for professionals”

It seems a little odd to me to be writing about other social media on a blog but the topic of LinkedIn comes up often in my daily life working in Drexel’s Career Center.  LinkedIn, in my opinion, is one of the best networking tools that nobody really uses…or at least uses effectively. 

I was first introduced to LinkedIn as an Executive Recruiter at Turnkey Sports and Entertainment.  As a recruiter, having a tool like this at our finger tips made our job ten times easier.  Before LinkedIn, we would rummage through team media guides, we would make hundreds of calls, and we would review hundreds of resumes- all for one search.  We liked to believe that we knew everyone in the sports industry and if we didn’t, we knew someone who knew that person (confused yet?).  The bottom line was that we were very good but not great networkers.  Something was missing.  When we first stumbled upon LinkedIn, we, as recruiters, figured that it was simply a place to store your online resume or your professional profile and allow others to view it.  So that’s what we did- we looked people up and we recruited them.  What we found is that it was a place much more valuable than that!

For a professional in any industry, but especially in sports, whether you are or are not be an active job seeker, LinkedIn is as necessary of a tool as a cover letter, resume, reference list, or samples of your work.  Yes it is where you post your educational experience, work experience, personal or company website, achievements, and skills.  However, that is just the start.  You can get your recommendations displayed (reference list), add networking contacts (business cards), join relevant groups (associations or chambers of commerce), and perform search functions for jobs, companies, or people (search engines, job sites, classifieds, databases).

As a job seeker, what I recommend to my students is very basic.  First, create a profile.  Make sure it is accurate and up-to-date.  Second, begin adding contacts.  Start with me, continue with professors, and then look to add former/current bosses or co-workers.  Add clients, add classmates, add alumni of your high school.  This is the essence of networking.  Third, join groups that are pertinent to you; my shameless plug is always for them to join the Drexel University Sport Management group.  But there are more out there- sports groups, Drexel groups, school alumni group, and job searching groups.

The second and the third suggestion are great, in theory, but must also be executed properly.  Not only do you need to add contacts but you need to keep in touch with them, even when you don’t need something.  When you are adding someone out-of-the-blue as a contact, introduce yourself and explain why you want to connect.  When joining a group, participate in discussions, reply to posts, and be an active member.

Being a professional and a job seeker (active or passive) is different now than it ever has been before.  However, you are at an advantage if you have prepared accordingly and utilize every tool at your disposal.  If you aren’t on LinkedIn, join.  If you are on LinkedIn, use it!