They Don't Teach Corporate in College (18 page)

Use keywords galore.
Most people looking online for service providers search by keywords, whether in a search engine such as Google or within a social network, so make sure to incorporate all the keywords someone might use to find you into your profile (such as “database programmer, or “linguistics expert”).

Publicize links to and from your profile.
Include a link to your professional profile as part of your email signature line so people can click on it and learn more about you. Within your profile, include the URLs of articles you've written, organizations you belong to, and events where you're speaking.

Take advantage of all your network has to offer.
Each week, set aside 30 minutes to explore the network and its different services. For example, the first week, you might look for people from your alma mater.

Peruse before you post.
Each online platform—whether a social network, microblog, or other content sharing site—has written or unwritten rules of engagement. Spend some time seeing how others operate so that you can effectively blend into the community.

Watch your tone.
Social networks and other online platforms tend to be sensitive toward posts that come across as condescending or sarcastic, and those that could be perceived as personal attacks. And when participating in global communities, keep potential cultural differences top of mind.

Before we move on, let's look at the offerings of the most prolific business network,
LinkedIn.com
.

As the site says, LinkedIn is an online network of millions of experienced professionals from around the world, representing hundreds of industries. When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional accomplishments and helps you find and be found by former colleagues, clients, and partners. By establishing a network consisting of your connections and your connections' connections, you are automatically linked to thousands of qualified professionals. It's a painless means to get introduced to advantageous contacts through people you already know, create new relationships, identify service providers or subject-matter experts, land jobs, and close deals—in short, a networking dream!

In his book,
I'm on LinkedIn: Now What???
, author Jason Alba suggests the following best practices for making the most of your LinkedIn participation.

Make sure you are showing enough information on both your public and private profiles. LinkedIn allows you to view your profile as others see it when they are not logged in. If you want to advertise who you are and why you are valuable, make it easy for people to learn about you without having to sign up or log in. Also, make sure your public profile URL is appropriately descriptive (mine is
www.linkedin.com/in/alexandralevit
).

If you don't have your own Website, use your LinkedIn profile as an online resume. Put the URL in your email signature and in blog comments or online articles you write.

LinkedIn's Jobs section shows you the connections you have within particular hiring companies. Use this information to network with these individuals directly instead of sending a resume to HR.

Request recommendations from people you've worked with successfully in the past, and write them endorsements in return. Potential clients and employers are much more likely to contact you if you can prove that others have been satisfied with your work, product, or service. Don't go too crazy with recommendations, though, as their credibility has been sorely tested recently as people have amassed too many. They also don't take the place of having references that can be called.

Join relevant LinkedIn groups to expand your search visibility, and consider complementing a LinkedIn group with a GooglePlus group for enhanced communication. The ability to search for new contacts within a LinkedIn group is particularly useful if you have a small or non-diverse network.

Stay informed about the things you're interested in by following channels related to your job and industry. You can get articles from influencers and top news sources while building your community in a particular space.