LinkedIn Profile Connections

Once your LinkedIn Profile is set up, the next step in How to Use LinkedIn is to add connections (LinkedIn’s terminology for contacts).

Why add connections to your LinkedIn profile? LinkedIn is an easy and free way to build your network. For business people, word of mouth promotion from past colleagues and customers can lead to further opportunities. If you aren’t interested in promoting a business, you can stay in touch with past workmates and friends, and see what they are up to in their professional activities and more.

LinkedIn offers this advice at http://www.linkedin.com/static?key=pop%2Fpop_more_five_reasons

What can your LinkedIn Network do for you?

1. Get introduced to the people you need
When you need to reach a professional, LinkedIn will tell you who can introduce you to the person you need.
2. Find professionals your friends can vouch for
Don’t just search the web for people. Search the people your friends know and can recommend.
3. Keep up with friends and colleagues
LinkedIn makes it easy to hear news about their careers, projects and professional lives.
4. Don’t miss professional opportunities
With LinkedIn, you hear about opportunities in your network, even if your friends don’t tell you about them.
5. Build your relationships
When a connection asks you to make an introduction, you build that relationship.

There are many ways you can build your network, here are a few simple ones to ensure your LinkedIn profile matches your real world network.

Importing Contacts from Webmail

If you use a webmail service such as Windows Live Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo or AOL you can simply enter your login details on that service on the linkedin home page at http://www.linkedin.com/home. LinkedIn will present you with your email contact list from the webmail service and you can select which contacts to add to your LinkedIn network. You can add a personal note to the invitation, then click on the Send Invitations.

Importing Desktop Email Contacts

If you use a PC or Mac based email or address book application to store your email contacts, then they can be uploaded once they have been exported from your dekstop application to CSV or vCard format (read detailed upload instructions from LinkedIn here ) . These won’t be automatically added, you will be presented with a list of people already on LinkedIn, and those not yet on LinkedIn, and you can select which ones you wish to invite to connect.

Connecting with Past & Current Colleagues

While setting up your LinkedIn profile, you will have entered current & former workplaces, and possibly educational institutions. You can use LinkedIn to connect and re-connect with former workmates.

(A) Click on the Add Connections link at the very top of the LinkedIn screen, then click on (B) Colleagues

You will be presented with a list of the organisations you entered into your LinkedIn profile, click on the button for each one, and a list of colleagues from that position will be presented. Tick each of the colleagues you would like to add to your network, add a personal note if you wish, then click on the Send Invitations button.

Hopefully that provides enough information to get you started with setting up your LinkedIn Profile, the next article in our How to Use LinkedIn series will cover Getting Recommendations on LinkedIn. If you require further information or assistance, please leave a comment or contact us directly.

You can also connect with Karen Marree of Cairns Computer Help on LinkedIn by clicking here.

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