The other night attendees of the German American Business Association of northern California acquired many first-rate insights into the early days of Social Media and the effective use of LinkedIn. Konstantin Guericke, one of five co-founders, and the first Vice President of Marketing of LinkedIn, discussed the question of are you “Ready to make your move?”
One of the fun facts Konstantin shared with the audience was that there are 522,000 groups on LinkedIn today; GABA as one of the early leaders in Social Media, set up the 10th group on LinkedIn many (5) years ago!
Konstantin suggested a novel way of using LinkedIn to advance your career. He advises looking at the career path of those who have been successful doing what you want to do and follow in their example.
Three very important points that Konstantin made, and that I suggest when giving talks and advising clients are:
- Start before you need a job
- LinkedIn is much more than a resume
- Use LinkedIn to prepare for interviews
LinkedIn has found that employers prefer to hire candidates recommended by others. Konstantin surprisingly expressed the opinion that “Reciprocal recommendations are not relevant”.
It is a very competitive world out there, and LinkedIn provides a vast array of tools to promote yourself, your brand, and your future. Start learning how to effectively use LinkedIn now, before you need it!
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How to use LinkedIn to find the job you want Konstantin Guericke
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