{"id":2852,"date":"2011-07-14T08:14:07","date_gmt":"2011-07-14T12:14:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/higheredcareercoach.com\/?p=2852"},"modified":"2025-09-10T16:00:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T20:00:21","slug":"know-your-network-grow-your-network-why-you-need-to-get-linkedin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/higheredcareercoach.com\/staging\/2913\/know-your-network-grow-your-network-why-you-need-to-get-linkedin\/","title":{"rendered":"Know Your Network, Grow Your Network: Why You Need to \u201cGet\u201d LinkedIn"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"linkedin_128\"<\/a>You’ve probably heard of <\/strong>LinkedIn<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> With over 100 million users, it is the world’s largest online professional network, and has captured the attention of professionals and businesspersons who see the potential value of online networking to move forward in their careers and their businesses. But when it comes to \u201cgetting LinkedIn,\u201d many don’t understand the how to use it effectively.<\/p>\n

So let’s get down to business, and up to speed, with what you need to know about LinkedIn to move forward in your business and career.<\/p>\n

The first thing you need to know is that LinkedIn is not simply an online replacement for your r\u00e9sum\u00e9. If you only use it that way, you are doing it wrong!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Many of us<\/strong> grew up and started our careers when computers were making their way into businesses and homes, <\/strong>and though we are very competent users of e-mail and office productivity applications like Word, Excel, and Access, it’s hard for us to understand the point of \u201cgetting social.\u201d We use our computers to do work!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Using a social network to get work is a separate, but related, skill set. <\/strong>It comes easily to those raised as \u201cdigital natives,\u201d<\/a> who have always been connected to their peers online. For their generation, it’s a basic skill<\/strong>, not a luxury to be learned if you have time. And it does require a lot of work, a lot of consistency, and a lot of \u201clong-haul\u201d thinking.<\/p>\n

Let’s dig into some terms now, so we’re all talking the same language.<\/p>\n

Social <\/strong>Networking <\/strong><\/em>is different from Social <\/strong>Media<\/strong><\/em>.<\/strong> Social Media is a publishing<\/em> medium. You can construct a message and deliver it where it can be found online. It’s a great way to get your one-sided, carefully constructed messages out, in a way that increases brand awareness. Social Networking, on the other hand, is an engagement<\/em> medium. Like joining the Chamber of Commerce or any other network, it can reap great benefits for your business, but only if you know your network, the people in it, and where your common interests converge. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Social Networking is a very special kind of professional networking, in that it allows \u201cshy networking\u201d<\/strong><\/a>-content and competence-based conversations around subjects of common interest. It can be a great equalizer for those who aren’t as comfortable with in-person networking, because it gives them a global platform for showing their \u201cchops,\u201d and get connected to others based on their knowledge, skills and interests.<\/p>\n

To get the most out of LinkedIn, you need to put some time and energy into using it effectively.<\/strong> Here are Five Quick Tips for Getting Started:<\/p>\n