Why You Should Build Your Network

As you build your network you increase your ability to “find and be found.” The search results you see are based on your first, second and third degree connections. If you have five first degree connections, and you do a search, the results will be much more limited than if you have one hundred first degree connections.

Flip that idea around and think about others looking for you. They don’t know your name, but they might search for something in your profile, and as long as you are one of their first, second, or third degree connections you’ll show up in their search results. Again, if you have five first degree connections, there aren’t as many people in your network as if you had one hundred first degree connections.

Finally, having a large network (at least 50 connections) is required to have an “All Star” (complete) Profile. Complete Profiles are many times more visible in LinkedIn searches (by recruiters and others) than Profiles which are not complete. A large network also usually shows that you are getting more involved in LinkedIn, and adds some credibility to your LinkedIn strategy.

[MORE: Refusing or Accepting LinkedIn Connections?]

How to Build Your Network

Let others know you are in LinkedIn. One of the easiest ways to do this is to include your LinkedIn Public Profile in your e-mail signature.

Not only are you letting them know how to find your profile, you are subtly sending a message that you are open to invitations (since they will now know you are on LinkedIn, and probably the e-mail address you accept invitations at).

Be careful when using the mass invitation/connection tools on LinkedIn. While LinkedIn makes it easy to invite all of the people from your address books, it’s a great way to get penalized. If any of your contacts click “I don’t know (your name),” it goes against your record. If you have five people who click the “I don’t know (your name)” button, you won’t be able to invite people without putting their e-mail address in. It’s not a big penalty, but a penalty nonetheless.

As you think about growing your network, consider your “space.” I use the word “space” to refer to your geography, profession or industry. If you are in the aerospace industry, you should find others who are in that industry, as well as suppliers and customers in that industry. If you are an accountant, you should connect with other accountants, as well as professionals who typically interface with accountants.

Of course, don’t limit your network to your space, as adding diversity is good, but focusing on your space could be very beneficial.

LinkedIn Groups are an excellent way to connect with others in your various “spaces” — geography, industry, profession, etc. You can join up to 100 Groups, so you have many opportunities to find and make good connections.

After joining a new Group, check out the activity. Are the posts “on-topic” or junk? LinkedIn doesn’t run the vast majority of Groups. They are run by someone in the Group. Some Groups are well-managed and others are not. If the Group isn’t useful, run your mouse over the “Member” button at the top of the page, and it will turn into a “Leave” button. If the Group doesn’t seem useful, click “Leave” and find a better Group.

[MORE: How to Engage More Employers and Recruiters with LinkedIn Groups and How to Be a Successful LinkedIn Groupie.]

In conclusion…

There are some people who grow their network with no regard to relationships. Others only connect with people they “know and trust.” In my book I talk about these two philosophies as being on opposite ends of a spectrum, and suggest you should figure out where you fit. I doubt you’ll be on either extreme, but maybe you’ll be closer to one end than another.

Growing your network gives you real benefit. Now, who do you know that you aren’t connected with on LinkedIn yet?

[MORE: LinkedIn Basics for a Successful Job Search (and Career).]

About the author…

Jason Alba is the CEO and creator of JibberJobber.com, and author of I’m on LinkedIn – Now What??? After a corporate downsizing impacted Jason in 2006, he experienced firsthand the difficulties of conducting a job search. That’s why he started JibberJobber.

The post The Value of Growing Your LinkedIn Network appeared first on Job-Hunt.

I’m also assuming you are not an “early adopter,” which is a name given to people who love to get all the newest stuff, and try all the newest things. I’m not an early adopter either – I like to get technology that is already proven.

So just what networks should I join? I’ll share my criteria, and then make specific comments on a few networks in general.

Criteria

Before I choose to join a network, I consider the following things:

1. Does the network have traction?
   Are there a lot of signups (or, users)? I don’t want to be one of the first 100 people on the network. When you have other networks where there are millions of people, I’ll have a chance of finding people I want to meet, or being found by those same people. In a very small network my choices and chances are limited, and there’s a good chance I already know most of the people there. I want to fish in a big pond with lots of fish, not a small pond with just a handful of fish!
2. What is the purpose of the network?
   Let me give three broad categories for social networks: business, special interest, and silly-fun. Relatively few networks are dedicated to business purposes, while many are dedicated to special interest groups (go to Ning.com and search on any interest), and the silly-fun groups seem to get the most press, and seem to be filled with teenagers. I suggest you participate in networks that have business purposes, of course, and some for special interest, but rarely in the silly-fun. We’ll talk about some of those later in this article.
3. Is there a lot of activity?
   Go to a Ning network, look for a network that interests you (try one based on your profession (HR, accounting, etc.) or industry (transportation, healthcare, IT, etc.), and see how active the network is. One of the most impressive networks I’ve seen is for recruiters, called RecruitingBlogs.com. There is a passionate group of over 10,000 recruiters, and many of them are actively posting content, interacting with one another, and generally enriching the network. If you join a network where there is no activity, it’s likely no one ever logs in, and any of your efforts will be seen by no one.

Current Options

Let’s talk about some specific networks you can join. As we talk about these, keep in mind some basic thoughts on why you would join them.

First, since you are here at Job-Hunt.org, I’m guessing you are in a serious job search. Some of these networks might be better than others, as an active job seeker.

Second, much of the value you get from these tools, including networking and personal branding, are seen in the long-term. You may meet 10 people today, and add them to your network, but not see any value for months or years. It’s no different in the social space – which means you should start early to develop value for the long-term.

LinkedIn:

We’ve talked a bit about LinkedIn, and I’ve shared articles on growing your network and getting your profile started. The bottom line is LinkedIn is the network to join if you are a professional.

There’s not a lot of social stuff to do, which is good because you won’t get lost in all the features, but you must have a good profile and have some kind of LinkedIn strategy.

Facebook:

Facebook is a funny one. Many people think Facebook is for college kids, but the fastest growing demographic at one time was the 25+ crowd. Most of my contacts on Facebook are older, out-of-school professionals. It’s a very social environment, with poor search functionality, but considering many hiring managers, recruiters and decision-makers are there, I’d say it’s wise to have a professional profile and some kind of Facebook strategy.

Oh, did I mention it’s currently about four times the size of LinkedIn?

Twitter:

They call Twitter “micro-blogging.” It’s hard to explain Twitter because on the surface it seems like a very simple tool, and there’s not much to it. But the magic is in the simplicity. I’ve had great success with Twitter as I grow my network, develop real relationships, and help people understand who I am and what I can offer (and what they can do for me).

To get an idea of how it works, go check out my profile, see what I tweet (tweet is to Twitter as post is to blog), and see how I interact with others. If you are in marketing or social media, I’d say Twitter is an essential career tool. Again, the value is elusive, but it’s there.

These are three examples of networks to consider, and why you should consider them. What do you think? What concerns do you have about which social networks to join? Email me at Jason@JibberJobber.com and let me know!

About the author…

Jason Alba is the CEO and creator of JibberJobber.com, and author of I’m on LinkedIn – Now What??? After a corporate downsizing impacted Jason in 2006, he experienced firsthand the difficulties of conducting a job search. That’s why he started JibberJobber.

The post LinkedIn vs. Facebook vs. Twitter vs. (fill-in-the-blank) appeared first on Job-Hunt.