Online Networking to a New Job

Who cares about LinkedIn and online networking?

I do, and you should.

But like lots of other people, I didn’t always feel this way.

It was Dec. 9,, 2004, at 2:18 p.m., when I finally relented and signed up for LinkedIn. I had been approached to join before, but I was always able to fancy dance or ignore my way out of it. I was certain that this trendy little interface would soon go the way of Pets.com and I would be the wiser for not having wasted time with it.

That all came to a screeching halt on that winter day when my boss “suggested” that I accept a LinkedIn invitation from a big-fee job seeker client; I was cornered and out of excuses. I just knew that my privacy was toast and I would forever be inundated with annoying requests for introductions.

 In hindsight, I might have been a wee bit off projecting LinkedIn’s demise. Since its launch on May 5, 2003, LinkedIn has expanded from a network of 350 close friends to a global behemoth that includes over 90 million professionals in over 200 countries. The interface includes executives from all Fortune 500 companies; its hiring solutions have been used by 69 of the Fortune 100. More than one million companies have LinkedIn company pages.

 Want to stay local? Over 43,000 members are based within 10 miles of 02048, nearly twice the population of Mansfield. 574 members show Covidien in Mansfield as their current employer; 45 list Samsonite. As of today, LinkedIn has over 1,000 open jobs listed within 25 miles of Mansfield, including Tri Town area businesses big (Invensys) and not-so-big (Quadrant Software).

Six=plus years after joining LinkedIn, I am still learning to appreciate its power and have yet to experience the anticipated theft of my identity or a deluge of inappropriate requests for contacts. My current network stands at 1,438 connections, affording me cost-free access to an extended network of nearly 9 million professionals worldwide. Even better, it allows me to be “found” by 9 million prospective customers, too.

 Three or four years ago, I would have coaxed and cajoled my clients to establish a presence in LinkedIn, now I come as close to insisting as I can. Many companies are finding it cheaper and more efficient to use employees as an extended recruiting team.

Resourceful workers can earn hundreds, even thousands, of bonus dollars by finding a person who ultimately gets hired. Whether you are miserably employed or unemployed, being easy to find just makes sense.

While LinkedIn is excellent for finding jobs, it is important to understand that it is really a relationship tool and should not be used only in times of intense need. As with face-to-face networking, the spirit of giving before taking holds true. Those who network only when they want something end up training their connections to stay away.

One of the myths about online networking sites is that they are labor intensive. While they certainly can be, I have built a pretty good network by investing only three or four hours a month, but it has been a steady three to four hours. As with exercise programs, consistent execution beats out bursts of furious energy every time.

If you are not yet on board, or are shakily so, there are some excellent no-cost and low-cost online networking training programs available in the area.

Foxborough-based social media trainer and uber-coach Jen Vondenbrink does beginner and intermediate level workshops regularly at the Tri Town Chamber of Commerce in Mansfield Crossing. Workshops are free for area job seekers and chamber members. Non-member businesses can attend for a $10 fee.

Trish White, of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Council holds regular training sessions on social media and other web tools at Harbor One University in Mansfield.

Both organizations show class times on their respective websites.

 Now there are no excuses! Joining online networks is no longer an option for professionals who plan to continue working; it is a necessity. The vast majority of companies expect us to be there. Lack of a professionally-tailored online presence is increasingly likely to brand us as out of touch and old fashioned. The market is too competitive to be seen as old fashioned, and the solution is too important to postpone.