How & Why You Should Join a LinkedIn Group
May 15, 2012 Leave a comment
LinkedIn Groups can be extremely advantageous to any professional looking to enhance their career, find a new job or meet like-minded executives in their industry.
Groups on LinkedIn provide users with a specialised platform to make valuable contacts, discuss industry trends, professional interests, and potentially showcase their executive resumes.
With the rapid growth of LinkedIn members across the globe (LinkedIn now has over 150 million members worldwide, with 3 million in Australia alone), the Groups are a fantastic place to be.
“Becoming active in LinkedIn Groups,” says Lindsey Pollak, via the official LinkedIn blog, “is like attending a professional conference every time you log on.” If you’re thinking of becoming involved in one of LinkedIn’s Groups, these beginner’s tips will assist you in getting started.
#1. Decide Which Groups
LinkedIn currently has over 1.2 million groups registered on its site – so how do you choose which ones are best for you? Start by joining groups that relate to your current industry and connections. These might be groups formed by your company, business circles, university alumni, or professional associations. You can also see which groups your contacts belong to, and simply join the same group.
#2. Join Industry Groups
Joining an industry group can be very beneficial for your career. In these groups, you might choose to ask for advice, make new contacts or request informal interviews from members who belong to companies you’d like to work for. This is an excellent way to possibly progress your career and bring your professional resume to the attention of the people who matter most.
#3. Define Your Interests
If you have other specialist areas that you are interested in, try searching for these using the Group Search function. This will search group titles, categories and conversations, and find groups that relate specifically to your interests. Be specific in your searches; if you’re interested in “primary market research,” for instance, use these as your keywords instead of “market research.”
#4. Get To Know the Group
Before you begin commenting and participating in any group, get to know it first. Assess its members, conversations, hot topics, and the ‘Manager’s Choice’ discussions. Once you’ve familiarised yourself, you should start interacting with the group. Introduce yourself, showcase your expertise but remain professional at all times. Be open, yet strong in your discussions as this will help your comments and opinions have an impact.
#5. Reach Out
Reach out to any individuals who you feel might benefit or influence your career. Make contacts with these members and add them as connections to your private network. If a contact seems interested in knowing more about you, send them your well-written professional resume and/or organise a meeting (if feasible), or even a telephone conference.
As always, keep participating! The more discussions and groups you join, the better your opportunities will be and the faster your career may advance. If you require help with your professional resume, Resumes Australia can help, too.
Regards,


LinkedIn Has 3 Million Aussie Members, Executive Women Australia has 5000+ and wants more…
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