NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Millions of Americans are already on LinkedIn, the job hunting social network.
Many though are confused about what to do on the site.
That’s why CNET’s Sree Sreenivasan stopped by CBS 2 to give us his tips on how to get the most out of the site.
Sreenivasan explained that LinkedIn, a social network for professionals, recently crossed 150 million users. Sreenivasan explains that a common mistake is to think of it as simply a job hunting site, and suggested thinking of it as a career management tool.
Some things Sree says you ought to know.
* LinkedIn has 150 million users, but only 4 percent global penetration among professionals, so there’s a lot of growth ahead for it.
* It’s not just a job hunting tool, it’s a career-management tool. It’s a great way to find a job, but more importantly, it can help you during your entire career.
* When your company starts having layoffs, it’s too late to figure it out.
* Use it when you don’t need it, so it’s there when you need it. Like your real-life network, you need to nurture and grow your LinkedIn network when you are not emergency mode.
* Make sure you have a recent, recognizable profile photo.
* LinkedIn is de-emphasizing recommendations, which means they are still important, but you can get to 100 percent “completeness” much more easily.
* Add your skills – there’s a new section where you can list specific skills that apply in your profession: “budget management” or “video shooting and editing” or whatever applies to you.
See Sree’s constantly updated Social Media Guide by clicking here.
Sree Sreenivasan is CBS2’s technology expert, appearing every Wednesday morning at 6:50 am to discuss ways to save you time, money and aggravation. He is also a social media blogger for CNET News. He is a professor and Dean of Student Affairs at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. You can find him on Twitter and Facebook and on his personal site. E-mail your questions with “CBS New York” as the subject line.