Lecture 26: Leveraging LinkedIn for Science• Module 11 :: Dr. Jessica Laccetti

Outline• Introduction to LinkedIn• Practicalities of LinkedIn• Finding Jobs with LinkedIn• Homework

What is LinkedIn?• LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 120 million members and growing rapidly. • LinkedIn connects you to your trusted contacts and helps you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals.

• Note: Info from LinkedIn

What is LinkedIn?

Account Set Up

• Go to LinkedIn and start by entering your most recent employment information and move back from there.  • Previous schools, jobs and now, even publications can all be shared• Remember, your profile should establish you as a credible potential employee/research student etc...

Your Turn• Let’s take 5 minutes to start our LinkedIn Profile• Register on LinkedIn• Add your name, current education level and current job (if you are employed)

Image from social media school: http://www.socialmediaschoolny.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/LinkedIn-Classes-300x225.jpg

Account Set Up

• Once you’ve set up a profile, customize the URL   • Login• Go to Profile• Scroll down to “Public Profile” and • Edit link• Standard formatting is to edit the link so it’s your firstnamelastname (as a single word with no spaces).  • If that’s not available, try flipping it around to lastnamefirstname.

• You try: 3 minutes

Contacts

• Who do you know on LinkedIn?• You can do a search:• Don’t want to think about each person you may know individually?  Try importing your contacts from standard webmail apps like Yahoo, Gmail, Outlook and others

Event Apps

• This app allows you to see upcoming events and conferences that may be relevant to you• It also highlights whether any of your contacts will be attending• http://www.linkedin.com/opensocialInstallation/preview?applicationId=2000

Conference Leverage

• Don’t leave meeting key people to chance. • You can prepare for upcoming conferences by scanning who will be attending (on Home page, add “events” widget on right side).  • I’ll be attending The Fourth International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling in Nov./Dec. and there are many postings already.  • It’s easy to see individuals who are attending and to reach out to meet anyone from an institution or company that interests you.

Linked In Can Help You:

• Search for key scientists attending an upcoming conference• Search quickly for top conferences in a particular research field • Connect with other people at a particular institution or company where you’d like to work    • Connect with people globally with similar interests (or those who are your counterparts at a different institution)

LinkedIn Bio

• Like most online platforms today, the “muscle” of LinkedIn’s searches is through key words. • Focus on adding keywords that are relevant to your research and/or job hunt• List all education, internships, or work experiences.  • Include specific interest area key words (“salmonella,” as well as “infectious diseases”).

LinkedIn Groups• Online groups are informal and you often don’t have to be a dues-paying member to be included in their LinkedIn group. Join alumni associations from every school that you ever attended. • Focus on topics that interest you (agriculture, University of Alberta, sustainable textiles) and send requests to join. • As you become a group member, scan membership lists. Send invitations to people whose interests are aligned with yours. If you’re interested in working at a large oil and gas company, see if any of the members of that group work there. Be honest about why you’d like to connect.• Take a few minutes now and scan LinkedIn for groups of interest (alumni groups, regional networking groups for your company or federal agency or research institution, and/or science groups that match your interests or your particular job title.) 5 min.

Jobs

• Looking for a job?  Try the Jobs tab – it will pull up available positions based on keywords in your profile and let you know if any of your contacts may be connected to the position in any way

Career Explorer

• New to LinkedIn (beta)• Explore different career options based on actual career paths of professionals on LinkedIn.• Find jobs relevant to the paths you create and leverage your connections at those employers.• Connect to people who can help you learn more about the profession you’re exploring.• Follow companies hiring for positions that interest you so you can receive updates such as job openings.• See important trends and statistics on the career paths you build.• Join discussions, check out top profiles, and see what professionals on your path are reading.

Explore

• Allow yourself time to explore the platform in a relaxed and curious mindset.  • Familiarize yourself with the categories. • LinkedIn can be time-consuming at first, but once you’ve set up your profile and joined a few groups, you’ll be reaping rewards

Caveats

Via Ken C. Schmitt on How to Sell to Scientists: http://howtoselltoscientists.com/2011/03/15/building-sales-through-social-media-part-iii-linkedin-power/

Homework• Start your LinkedIn Profile (real name OR Twitter Alias)• Jennifer Klein, Avoiding Sexist Language • Sizing Up Social Media: An Investigation of Scientific Community Dynamics on LinkedIn• The Study of Social Media Communication: Analysis of Science Communication through Social Networking Sites with Special Reference to Scientists