Best Way to Get LinkedIn Recommendations

Similar to a reference letter, a LinkedIn recommendation is a powerful marketing tool. Each recommendation provides you with a silent sales person telling the world about your skills, business savvy or other qualities you possess, which enhance your marketability. Hiring managers, decision makers and potential clients relish recommendations regarding a person they may be interested in hiring.

Many people scramble around LinkedIn asking associates for recommendations. The results are usually disappointing. So don't be surprised, if you do not receive as many recommendations as you expect by merely sending a invitation for one. People always do things for their reasons, never for your reasons.

Recognize a recommendation as a valuable commodity, people are cautious in providing. To get someone to willingly give you a recommendation, give him/her a reason. The best way to get a LinkedIn recommendation is to give a recommendation first. Then let LinkedIn do the selling for you. When a person receives a recommendation notification from LinkedIn, a prompt is also presented for that person to reciprocate with a recommendation.

This no different than in person networking. Power networkers are givers who receive the most dividends in being able to make withdrawals from the good will bank.

9 Innings of Networking event

ETP Network and Lakewood BlueClaws PRESENTS...

BASEBALL and NETWORKING in one great night!

9 Innings of Networking

Thursday May 28, 2009

Networking from 5:30PM to end of game
Food available from 5:45pm to 7:30pm

West Virginia Power vs. Lakewood BlueClaws
FirstEnergy Ballpark

Networkers will pay an all-inclusive
Send $19.95 check to:
Rod Colon
P.O. Box 1213
Jackson, NJ 08527
Click here for convenient $22.00 online payment
Payments must be received by May 26, 2009
Payment includes:
~ Reserved Picnic Area Ticket ~
~ All-You-Can-Eat Buffet ~
~Raffle Prizes and Giveaways ~
EXCHANGE YOUR BUSINESS CARDS

To purchase tickets or for further information, please contact:
Rod Colon at 732-367-5580 or Rod (at) etpnetwork.com

FirstEnergy Ballpark
2 Stadium Way, Lakewood, NJ 08701
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Leveraging Advocates in Your Job Search

by Thomas E. Kenny.

You have followed the advice of career experts and have "dug the well before you're thirsty." Preparing for your next job search by continually building and strengthening the relationships of your professional network. However, now that you are in a job search, you may be wondering how to leverage that network!

Asking your network for job leads is not a best practice of professional networking. Instead you need to find and determine jobs that you are a match for and then find advocates to assist you.

There are two categories of advocates that will help you land your next position. Group A advocates are the stake holders in the candidacy and hiring process. Thus Group A will consist of recruiters, HR professionals and hiring mangers. While Group B advocates are your cheerleaders and advisers. This is important because your questions, interactions and relationship will differ between those two groups of advocates.

Once you have identified a position that you are interested in and are sure that you are a great match for, you need to identify your Group A advocates before you submit your value proposition (targeted cover letter and resume).

The number one best source for finding Group A advocates is LinkedIn. When performing a search for these advocates the following are useful keywords: Sourcing, Talent, HR, Human Resources, Recruiter.

However, if you don't find advocates on LinkedIn there are many other sources to search such as the company's web site, Manta, and other social networking sites. Also don't forget your offline network which may consist of family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances who may have connections at the target company.

It's also important to find Group B advocates at the target company since these people can help you understand the best way to position your skills, talents and experience. Each corporation has a different culture and processes, thus business intelligence on the most effective way to navigate the system of gate keepers is valuable information. I've known qualified candidates that were great matches for positions, but they missed out on opportunities, because they didn't present their skills in the proper manner for the target company. You need to speak their language and after all isn't that what a targeted resume is about!?

Once you've identified both Group A and B advocates for a position you'll be armed with the information and support system to most effectively get through the hiring process.

In conclusion, no matter what the out come of the process, remember that your advocates have exerted time and effort in assisting you, so be sure to thank them appropriately!

Week of 4-13-2009 ETP Network Events

Networking Career Management training in NJ, Manhattan, webinar, free career coaching, MS Fund Raiser-

April 13: Northern Bergen County Networking Group (NBCNG) Meeting - Free - Register Now

April 14: FREE Webinar for Platinum members: Spend ZERO (0) Time Looking for a Job Using ETP Toolbar w/Smart Radar - Register Now

April 15: Free Career Management Conference Call - Register Now

April 16: Manhattan Networking Group - CEO of ME, Inc. Networking and Training Workshop - Advance Registration Required - Platinum Member $10 - Associates & Guests $20 - At the door $35 - Register Now

April 19: Walk with the Mitzvah Squad and ETP Network Members for Multiple Sclerosis Fund Raiser

ETP Network's LinkedIn In-House Experts

Click here to download ETP Network toolbar

With over 36 million members and much media exposure, you would think by now most people would know how www.LinkedIn.com works.

Recently, I sent a LinkedIn invitation to someone I met. They wrote me back in being excited about joining my network on LinkedIn. Then the person said "what is LinkedIn and what do I do next"? The reality is the power of LinkedIn facilitating social network connections for a job search or closing business deals is a foreign thought to many people. For people who know about LinkedIn, getting started is still a daunting challenge. Using all of LinkedIn's powerful features does take some dedication in time, mixed with a little patience.

Lucky for ETP Network members, we have 2 in-house LinkedIn gurus to minimize the learning curve. Platinum member Tom Kenny has published LinkedIn "How To's" on his website and the Jersey Shore Networking blog. Jason Alba, the author of "I'm on LinkedIn Now What???" and CEO of Jibber Jobber, is also an ETP Network Platinum member.

The ETP Network toolbar, powered by Counduit, makes it easy to quickly access these LinkedIn knowledge resources provided by Tom and Jason.

From the "Tools" pull down menu in the toolbar select . . .

Job Search Resources

ETP Member LinkedIn Experts

Thomas E. Kenny

LinkedIn FAQs & Using LinkedIn to Market Your Personal Brand

More Linked Articles

Jason Alba

"I'm on LinkedIn. Now What?" Blog