LinkedIn is an online business networking site which connects executives and business professionals. A free service which allows members to create a professional profile that can be shared with other members, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool in your job search arsenal. By building online network of contacts, you increase your connections with professionals who can then recommend you and help you network your way into a target company.
Founded in 2003, LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) now has more than 48 million members in over 200 countries. Executives and business professionals from all Fortune 500 companies can be found among the membership.
Features include automatic notification to your network when you make a major change to your Profile (e.g., announcing an event in your professional life), posted job listings, and a search feature that allows you to not only research companies, but find information on target companies from other members (e.g. why they left a company and what they did / did not like about it).
Maintaining a LinkedIn Profile enables you to establish a professional online presence and create a personal brand, strengthening your overall credibility and providing a vehicle for others to easily access information about you. For example, more than 70% of recruiters Google candidates to find out more about them.
Other online business networking sites include http://Xing.com, http://Ecademy.com, and http://Ziggs.com.
Colleen Reyerson is an Executive Resume Writer in Atlanta, GA. She is one of only 12 Certified Expert Resume Writers (CERW) in the U.S., and the sole CERW in the state of Georgia. Colleen is Managing Director of Executive Resumes Atlanta (www.ExecutiveResumesAtlanta.com), an Atlanta, GA executive resume writing service specializing in career marketing documents for senior-level job seekers. Executive Resumes Atlanta is a member of the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating.