Volumes have been
written about using LinkedIn to find a job. So what more can I tell you: a lot.

Of all the things
you can do with LinkedIn — and there are hundreds — 10 are critical if you
want to connect with an employer faster.

If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile already,
go to LinkedIn.com and create it now.  Follow the online instructions and just get a
basic profile done today — you can always add to it later.  

If you’re really stuck, search LinkedIn
for well-connected people in your profession, look closely at their profiles,
and find inspiration for what to include in yours.

When your basic
profile is done, here are 10 “must do” items, listed by priority:

1. Send a request to link to me.
    By clicking on the “Add David to your network” link  below. 
   See where the arrow is pointing? 
   That’s the
   link.

You’ll get access to my network of
more than 16M. My contacts which are “Two degrees away” will become your third-level contacts instantly! That’s a million plus people
instantly.  That’s a good start. 

When asked how you know me, choose the option that says we
have done business together. www.linkedin.com/in/davidperry

My LinkedIn statistics:

2. Get a personalized email
   signature (like this: www.linkedin.com/in/davidperry).
   It’s free and you’ll have it for life, so
   clients, friends, and headhunters will always be able to find you. Follow
   the LinkedIn instructions to do this.

3. Download and install LinkedIn’s productivity tools.
   LinkedIn has made it easy to search, build your network, and manage your
   contacts, all from the applications you use everyday like Outlook,
   Internet Explorer, and Firefox.

4. Download the
   Jobs Insider applet. It displays the people already in your LinkedIn network
   that are connected to hiring managers and companies for any job listed
   online at Monster,
   CareerBuilder, HotJobs, Craigslist, Dice, Vault, and others.
   Bingo! You have an inside edge over other candidates for these jobs.

5. Got a blog, Facebook or
   MySpace account? You should. Link to them through the “Websites” section of your LinkedIn profile.
   Go to the Application section which is located within the “More” tab of your LinkedIn  Home Page {see below} and download the Company Insider and Share on LinkedIn applications,
   then install them on your blog, Facebook, or MySpace profiles.  LinkedIn gives you complete
   instructions.  It’s simple.

6. Go to www.toplinked.com/ and follow
   the instructions to Link to the largest “connectors” in LinkedIn. These people, known as LinkedIn LIONS,
   are “open networkers” who will accept your
   invitation to connect without question. This will grow your contact base
   overnight. You can always disconnect with or “un-invite” these people later, but you
   won’t want to J

7. Become a Groupie. Go to the
   Companies Tab at the top of your LinkedIn profile page. Select company
   search. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Browse all Industries.” Select the industry(s) you
   want to work in and choose a company you want to work for. Find anyone in
   sales, marketing or corporate recruiting, and look at their profile. Now
   scroll down the page until you find the “Groups and Associations” section. Look at the groups this person belongs to. Pick
   at least one and join. Congratulations. You now have an affinity with an
   influential person at your target employer.

Bonus: Being in a group lets you contact
other group members directly; you can also post and read discussions that may
be read by people you want to meet. Finally, make sure you join the Guerrilla
Job Search group. (www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1189487/).

8. Show and Tell. Just as you included
   specific achievements in your Guerrilla Resume, you’ll want to do the same
   here.  This proves to the readers of
   your LinkedIn profile that you’re the real deal. Including testimonials, called “Recommendations” on LinkedIn, is a great way
   to do this. So, ask your colleagues, customers, et al for recommendations.
   Follow the LinkedIn instructions for this. Tip: People are busy, so feel free to suggest to others what
   you’d like them to say about you
   in a recommendation.

Bonus: When you write recommendations
for other LinkedIn members you accomplish two things:

·       
You ingratiate yourself to the person you wrote the
testimonial for and they will very likely return the favor; and

·       
You didn’t hear this from me
but..  As you might imagine, recruiters
regularly read testimonials.  When
LinkedIn first started it was an easy way to separate the men from the boys,
so-to-speak.  But a bunch of us quickly
recognized that by clicking on the name of the person who wrote the testimonial
we could often find another well qualified, if not better candidate.   So writing testimonials for other people can
be a good strategy for being found.  But I didn’t tell you that…

9. From the “More” link on your LinkedIn
   profile, choose at least one application to install. Are you in sales or
   marketing? You can upload a PowerPoint that you’ve used in the past (be sure
   to get permission from your employer, if need be). Are you a finance
   wizard who can make a spreadsheet sing and dance? Upload an example.
   Remember, its one thing to say you’re intelligent or creative: with LinkedIn
   applications, you can prove it!

10. Install the “Polls” function. When you have 150
    or more of your own first-level contacts create a poll related to your job
    search. Send it to them. It’s faster than a networking letter or the phone.

Finally, just as you
can connect your blog or website to LinkedIn, you should connect your Facebook,
Twitter, and other online profiles to your LinkedIn profile. This article from the Washington Post describes
how to do it quickly.  To read
it Google the full title or copy and paste this URL into your web browser: http://tinyurl.com/m37l9v