Hi:
I am hearing more and more about the improvement of the economy, and I hope that each of you is taking advantage of your ability to network using your experience with LinkedIn.  You are probably ahead of your competitors; so jump on the advantage.  I hope my Week #31 Tips help in that regard.
Profile Tips
How much personal information are you including on your profile? Remember:  this is a business site, but some things that fall into the area of hobbies or interests may make sense to include.
This past summer I had some openings in a couple charity events with which I was involved.  Rather than inviting my very close friends, I decided to develop some professional relationships.  I found a golfer and a bicyclist by using LinkedIn.  I did this by doing an advanced search with the keywords “golf” or “bicycling” and checked the box for searching just in my network.  Without the benefit of LinkedIn, I would have had no idea these people were golf/bicycle enthusiasts.
Connection Tips
Ever wonder how LinkedIn gets the names in the “People You May Know” section on the right-hand side of the home page?  I don’t know about you, but sometimes I can’t believe how they found some of those names and put together a connection between myself and them.  LinkedIn uses some of the information they have about imported contacts, jobs, college, and a special logic/algorithm, along with a real “analytics person” who looks through LinkedIn data looking for correlations between connections and why they are connected.  It is also a “work in progress” and has been changing over the years.
That may be a lot of “non-information,” but the bottom line is it is worth your time to click that box on as often as you get time, and you may find more trusted #1 connections that may lead you to those most important connections at the #2 and #3 level.
Wildcard Tip or Question
I found a US News & World Report article that you job seekers may find useful:
Miscellaneous News and Notes–
Here is my upcoming schedule for teaching/speaking so you can share with friends, relatives and business associates.  Follow the link or copy into your browser for additional details and registration information.
Thurs April 15, 2010      Caffeine & Connections (Free coffee and LinkedIn help)
Gravity Connect, 702 S. 2nd Street, Milwaukee; 6:00am-8:00am
Wed April 21, 2010        Wayne’s LinkedIn Power Formula Training for Beginners
M&M Office Interiors; 5:00 pm-7:00pm
Mon May 10, 2010        Wayne’s Intermediate LinkedIn Power Formula Training
M&M Office Interiors; 5:00 pm-7:00pm
Have a productive week.
Wayne
Wayne C. Breitbarth
President
M&M Office Interiors, Inc.
W233 N2833 Roundy Circle West Suite 100
Pewaukee, WI  53072
office 262-781-2600
cell 414-313-7785