Graduate To LinkedIn (Preview)

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GRADUATE TO LINKEDIN
“Melissa Giovagnoli’s book is a gold mine of information and advice for
college students about how to start building their professional network
for a successful career. Melissa shows you that the people who can re-
ally help you build a successful career are right at your fingertips. Linke-
dIn is the best way to take the first steps to establish your professional
network, which you will continue to use throughout your career. The
real-life examples that Melissa and John describe, plus LinkedIn screens
to illustrate their points, makes it easy to get started. Whether you’re
new to LinkedIn or using it already, I highly recommend
Graduate to LinkedIn.”
Jan Wallen
Author of Mastering LinkedIn in 7 Days or Less and Creator of LinkedIn Works!
www.LinkedInWorks.com
LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/janwallen
“The first section of the book reinforces an essential state of mind
on social and professional relationships – NETWORLDING. The second
section offers the best guidance towards Linkedin effectiveness in
a networlding perspective. This book is a must read for any grad student
and an amazing new approach to the world of professional networks!”
Pedro Caramez
pt.linkedin.com/in/caramez
LinkedIn Author,Trainer & Consultant
Linked Portugal – www.linkedportugal.com
“Graduate to LinkedIn is a must-read not just for college graduates, but
for anyone seeking to make solid, fruitful, and long-lasting connections
on line. The authors, in an easily accessible step-by-step format, provide
absolutely essential information on identifying, initiating and developing
key career building relationships on LinkedIn. If you want to skyrocket
your career with integrity, I highly recommend that you read this book.”
Brenda Bernstein
Owner and Senior Editor,The Essay Expert LLC
www.TheEssayExpert.com
Author of LinkedIn PowerTune-Up: 18 ExpertTips for a Highly Effective LinkedIn Profile

Graduate to
LinkedIn
JUMP-START YOUR CAREER NETWORK NOW
John Fowler
Melissa Giovagnoli Wilson
www.networlding.com
Copyright © 2010 by John Fowler and Melissa Giovagnoli Wilson
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or
in part in any form.
First Networlding Publishing edition 2010
Cover Design by Michelle Alicino
Interior Design by Katie Nordt

GRADUATE TO LINKEDIN
Contents
VII Foreword
X Acknowledgments
XI Purpose of this Book
3 CHAPTER 1 | What’s the Deal with LinkedIn?
5 Get an Edge on the Competition
6 Transition from Social to Professional Networking
8 Realize What You Can Accomplish with LinkedIn
13 CHAPTER 2 | The Networlding Approach to LinkedIn
15 The Difference Between Networlding and Networking
20 The Networlding Exchange Model: Seven Levels of Support
23 Start Visualizing Your Career Support Network
24 Create Inner and Outer Circles
31 CHAPTER 3 | Crafting Your Identity on LinkedIn
33 Fill out the Basics
39 Create Your Professional Brand
43 Complete Your Profile: Request Recommendations
46 Before You Start Connecting: Set Your Profile Settings
49 Get Familiar with Your LinkedIn Home Page
53 CHAPTER 4 | Establishing Your Career Support Network with LinkedIn
54 The Difference Between Contacts and Connections
56 Three Easy Steps to Jump-Starting Your Career Support Network
with LinkedIn
62 Understand the Invitation to Connect
64 Find More of Your Existing Contacts on LinkedIn
64 LinkedIn People Search
69 CHAPTER 5 | Expanding Your Career Support Network with LinkedIn
70 Your Most Valuable Connections: Influencers
72 Mentors: Your Guide to Career Success
77 Engage and Connect with Influencers: LinkedIn Groups
83 Learn from the Experts: LinkedIn Answers
86 The Power of the 2nd Degree: Leverage Your Connections to
Meet Influencers
91 Make the Connection: LinkedIn Introductions
96 Target Industry-Specific Influencers: LinkedIn Advanced People Search
103 CHAPTER 6 | Initiating Exchanging Relationships:
Paying It Forward
104 Discover What You Have to Offer: The Networlding Support
Exchange Model Revisited
109 Provide Support for Your Connections on LinkedIn:
Write Recommendations
115 CHAPTER 7 | Jump-Starting Your Job Search with LinkedIn
117 Focus on Companies and People, and the Jobs Will Follow
119 Four Ways to Use Linkedin to Find Career Opportunities
119 Get Jobs and Opportunities to Find You
128 Research Companies
135 Research People
147 Find Jobs
157 CHAPTER 8 | Using LinkedIn Beyond Graduation
161 Five Strategies for Using Linkedin in Your Job and in Business
165 APPENDIX

CHAPTER 1
What’s the Deal with
LinkedIn?

CHAPTER 1
What’s the Deal with LinkedIn?
What would have happened if Paul Revere hadn’t warned the nation that
the British were coming? His success played a pivitol role in how America
became the free country you know it to be, so how did he do it? It didn’t
happen because he randomly rode through towns yelling, “The British
are coming!” It happened because he intentionally knocked on doors of
people he knew had the ability to spread the word because they knew
lots of important people. His friends told their friends, who told their
friends, and before you knew it, the entire American army was ready to
defend its country. Revere successfully used his network to accomplish
his goal. Had he been alive today, he may have just sent a mass email, or
better yet, sent his message to all of his trusted connections on LinkedIn.
When you want to communicate something important, like your life
goals for instance, talking to everyone you already know can only get you
so far. You also need to make sure you talk to the right people. With that
said, what if you not only had access to everyone you know, but also you
have access to everyone they know? Better still, what if you had detailed
information about who they know so you can determine if they are the
right people to talk to? Now suddenly you have access to an endless
network of supporters – guides and experts who can answer your ques-
tions, give you feedback, connect you to more people, and help you ac-
complish things like planning your career before you even graduate from
college. This isn’t a ficticious idea — this is a tool that actually exists. This
tool is called LinkedIn.
3

LinkedIn is what helped Lylan Masterman secure the internship he
needed to get ahead in his career — an internship that didn’t even exist
until he convinced an executive from across the country to create a job
just for him. LinkedIn is what enabled Chris Stewart to get the word out
about his interest in the company that ended up hiring him because his
trusted contacts got his resume on the hiring manager’s desk. LinkedIn is
what Heather Pollock used to research the backgrounds of the interview-
ers who hired her for her first job out of graduate school. And finally, if it
wasn’t for LinkedIn, Joseph O’Brien wouldn’t have landed his dream pri-
vate equity internship in Australia, an opportunity made possible via an
introduction by a grad school colleague who had the inside connection.
LinkedIn’s membership is growing by the millions. In fact, one million
people join LinkedIn about every 22 days. It may not be the largest so-
cial network (it’s actually the fourth largest behind Facebook, Twitter,
and YouTube), but it is the largest business network. As of fall 2010, it
represents over 75 million professionals in over 200 countries and terri-
tories around the globe, and is growing by one person a second. As you
read this, dozens of people are signing onto LinkedIn. But despite these
jaw-dropping statistics, perhaps what’s most important is not how many
people are on LinkedIn, but what type of people.
LinkedIn’s membership is what Neilson Online is calling “The world’s
largest audience of affluent, influential professionals.” Not only is the
LinkedIn population highly educated (over 80% have bachelor or gradu-
ate degrees), but it’s also wealthy and successful. The average household
income of the LinkedIn user is about $108,000 per year, and over 20% of
LinkedIn users are senior level executives and managers. What’s more,
over 60% are either decision makers in their companies or have direct
influence over key decisions related to product or service purchases. At
this point, it’s apparent that LinkedIn has an older audience compared
to sites like Facebook and MySpace (although Facebook’s audience is
CHAPTER 1 | Graduate to LinkedIn
4
growing larger and older as we speak). As of summer 2009, the average
LinkedIn user was 43 years of age.
Furthermore, we found that of the more than 75 million individuals with
profiles on LinkedIn, only a mere 3 million or so are students. It comes as
no surprise that most LinkedIn users are experienced working profession-
als. We’re not suggesting that college students should be growing up
faster or entering the workforce at an earlier age. What we are suggest-
ing is that the membership gap between the experienced and aspiring
professional be explored. We want to challenge you to view LinkedIn as
an opportunity to reach the individuals who will play important roles in
your development as a working professional, leader, or entrepreneur.
Get an Edge on the Competition
About six months before graduating from Haverford College, Nick
Farina was starting to get anxious about the job search. He did the usual
thing — sent out a bunch of resumes and applied for jobs online — but
nothing really happened. The first interview he got was because of a per-
sonal connection. He started to realize that if he was going to be success-
ful in his job search, and in business, it was going to be because of his re-
lationships. Fortunately for Nick, he was able to realize this sooner rather
than later. As a result, he established dozens of connections with people
who were ready, willing, and able to provide the support he needed upon
graduation. He was eons ahead of his classmates.
As we write this book, the economy is slowly emerging from the worst
recession since The Great Depression of nearly a century ago. You’ve
probably already realized, it’s going to take time for companies to begin
hiring full-force again. What does this mean for you? According to the
2009 – 2010 Recruiting Report (courtesy of Michigan State University),
students seeking employment will continue to face fierce competition.
5

Hiring levels per company are at the lowest levels in several decades,
and we can’t anticipate that there will be a job for every graduate in the
next few years.
The good news is, as at any time in history, the patient and persistent will
be the ones who find success. To open doors, you’ll need to hone your
skills, focus on your strengths, and create solid professional connections.
The best way to battle through these rough times will be to get an edge
on the competition. We believe the best way to get started is on Linke-
dIn, building your career support network while you’re still in school, just
as Nick Farina did.
Transition from Social to Professional Networking
We’ve been talking about online networking for years, but what does it
really mean? Networking online means using resources on the Internet
to help you connect with people; it’s just like networking offline. You can
engage in online networking to look for a job, get more out of your work
activities, or simply keep up with friends. Online networking is more than
just using Linkedin to make contacts; once you’ve established a LinkedIn
profile, you should consider writing a blog, creating videos on YouTube,
participating in niche online communities, tweeting on Twitter, or using
a number of other resources to find, connect, and interact with people.
A social networking site is a large, web-based business that allows you
to socialize and communicate with other like-minded individuals. Some
networking sites, like Facebook, were started by university students for
social purposes, and have since added business related features; others,
like LinkedIn, began with a business-networking focus, and have since
added on from there. LinkedIn and Facebook do have a lot in common.
Besides the fact that they’re both platforms for connecting people, they
also require similar skill sets. In order to make the most of either network,
6
users must learn to create and manage content, find and add the right
connections, and interact with people online.
Many of you already have the technical skills and know-how to establish
and maintain a social network account. As a member of Facebook or
MySpace, you’ve already realized the power and value of social network-
ing. You’ve been able to find your friends, friends of friends, family mem-
bers, previous co-workers, and acquaintances from high school. However,
while you surely enjoy being able to connect with these individuals, you’re
probably aware of the sparse amount of professional information available
on their personal profiles. The small amount that is displayed is all too
often out of date or inaccurate. Even the savviest networker needs more
than Facebook has to offer to build a meaningful professional network.
When you want to get a group of your friends together for a party or
event, Facebook is a great place to start. LinkedIn, on the other hand, is
a tool intended for professional networking. If you want to meet people
of influence in your industry or find local professional events, LinkedIn
should be your first stop.
Now, you may be asking yourself, “Why should I begin professional net-
working in college? What’s the benefit of building relationships when I’m
not even sure what I want to do yet?” Whether you’re an undergradu-
ate college sophomore or in the midst of graduate school, networking
will allow you to meet the people who can help you see the path to that
first internship or job. It will enable you to establish a support network of
people who can point you in the right direction. What we’re encouraging
you to do is take the social networking skills you already have and apply
them in a professional manner. And if there’s any place that will acclimate
you to the world of business and professionalism, it’s LinkedIn.
7

Realize What You Can Accomplish with LinkedIn
At the start of this chapter, we mentioned that Lylan, Chris, Heather,
and Joseph were all able to use LinkedIn to secure jobs and internships.
What’s important to note, however, is that LinkedIn can benefit you in
any stage of the career planning process or during any year of study. We
realize that not everyone reading this book is in the same stage of their
academic or professional career. If you’re a freshman in college, you may
be getting acclimated to your new environment and just getting to know
your professors and fellow students. If you’re a junior, you may be more
focused on your involvement in organizations on campus or thinking
about internships. With that said, you might have a different set of goals
from one month to the next. Perhaps you’re in the process of choosing
your major. Or maybe you’re looking for a mentor to give you guidance
on your career direction.
What can you expect to accomplish with LinkedIn? By following the Net-
worlding approach to LinkedIn, you can expect to experience success in
a myriad of ways.
For Courtney Dean, recent graduate of the University of North Carolina,
LinkedIn helped her connect with past and current colleagues, as well as
keep a fresh resume online to better market herself to potential employers:
“I began using LinkedIn as my ‘online presence’ when I was first applying
for internships and jobs in college and post-graduation, and now I use
LinkedIn as a way to track and maintain my network. I am very active on
social networking sites, but I use LinkedIn as the ‘professional version’ of
social networking.”
Amber Sharma, recent graduate of The Catholic School of America in
Washington D.C., uses LinkedIn to get advice from experts she feels she
wouldn’t have access to on campus:
8
“With LinkedIn, students can find plenty of information on an industry
that they are looking to get into as well as the skills and requirements
sought in successful candidates; real examples of peoples’ career paths;
and, if bold enough to ask, answers directly from mainstream profession-
als — all in one place. Beyond that, it’s just a great resource with which
one can supplement his or her education.”
And finally, there’s Steven Silverman, recent graduate of the University
of Michigan at Dearborn. While we’re writing this book, Steven is pro-
gressing through the interview process with a company he discovered on
LinkedIn. Now he’s using it to look up his interviewers and learn about
their backgrounds so he can make meaningful personal connections:
“I cannot give all the credit for securing an interview to LinkedIn. It really
helps to find people at your target companies and send them messages,
but it’s the job seeker’s responsibility to stay in touch by email and phone
until that interview comes along and even after the interview process,
whatever the result.”
As you can see, everyone has such a unique experience using LinkedIn
to make connections and uncover opportunities. These are just a few key
examples of what LinkedIn enables you to do:
• Create a professional online presence to get noticed by key professionals
• Establish, build, and maintain your professional network
• Learn about the companies, occupations, and industries you’re interested in
• Conduct your job search and prepare for meetings and interviews
Now that you know what LinkedIn is and how it can help you achieve
your career goals, it’s imperative that you understand a critical point
about social networking. As Steven Silverman suggested, never should
LinkedIn or any other social networking platform be given 100% credit
for success. LinkedIn is a powerful tool, and like any other powerful tool,
it works best when we take the time and responsibility to learn how to
9

use it well. Far from replacing human interaction and reciprocity, LinkedIn
can become a means of expanding and strengthening these important
interpersonal connections.
Now we will share with you our approach to networking and how it can
be applied to LinkedIn so that you can start thinking about how you will
build your career support network.
CHAPTER 2
The Networlding
Approach to LinkedIn

CHAPTER 2
The Networlding Approach
to LinkedIn
What is Networlding, you ask? Networlding is a transformative concept.
It provides us with a fresh perspective of how to move forward in our lives
and careers, a vision that is critical to keeping up with our rapidly changing
environment. When Melissa and Jocelyn Carter-Miller wrote Networlding
in 2000, they knew that our society was beginning to measure accomplish-
ments with a new yardstick, one of social connections and social impact
rather than one of simply pay and promotions. They also saw almost
a decade before others that one day a powerful online world would rise
up from the broken pieces of the dot-com bubble (1995 – 2000).

Networlding shows you how to make connections with people you re-
spect and trust, connections that will help you develop existing skills, find
new skills and open up the way to fun, exciting projects. It helps you get
your career off to the the right start, providing direction and focus as you
begin to explore your dreams and passions. And the best part — Net-
worlding, as you will see, works hand-in-hand with your social networks.

You’re probably already using Facebook and other social networking
platforms to keep in touch with your friends and seek opportunities, but
the lines between personal and professional have blurred. Family, friends,
and colleagues all mingle on Facebook pages, Twitter, and other places
online; deciding how to act can be tricky. For some this has resulted in
problems (some things are personal and should stay that way), but by
being pro-active and establishing a few guidelines, you can avoid some
of the most common headaches of networking. We’ll show you how.

13

Some networking philosophies are simply superficial; they advocate
a go-go, never-stop mentality. You may meet someone at career fair one
day, and the next not remember why his or her card is in your wallet.
Networlding is different. It’s about making more purposeful connections
that are meaningful and offer potential for a lifetime of success, for you
and for those with whom you network.

Take Rachel Ropp. The first interview she landed was directly through
LinkedIn. She had been applying for jobs online and attending network-
ing events with little results, but then she tried reaching out through
LinkedIn to alumni members at companies she was interested in.

Through LinkedIn she sent out several messages asking for advice and
perspective. Like Paul Revere, Rachel needed to get the word out to the
right people so she could accomplish her goal. According to Rachel:
“Everyone was helpful and willing to speak with me, and the first inter-
view I got was with an alumni who spoke with me and then had me inter-
view for a position that didn’t even exist yet.”

Although that particular job opportunity fell through, Rachel continues to
use LinkedIn for job searching and relationship building:
“Any person I speak with or email, I research online. LinkedIn is extreme-
ly helpful for that; I can find common schools, interests, and cities we’ve
both lived in – the kinds of things that make great conversation topics
during an interview. I can also tweak my resume before I send it to an HR
person; if they have a background in say, library or information, I add-in
my library volunteer experience, which I might not have done otherwise,
and that tends to help my resume stand out more.”
Rachel’s approach closely resembles the process of Networlding. In Net-
worlding we emphasize connecting with people through “points of com-
14
monality.” To this end, Rachel started out by approaching alumni from
her college. This is an excellent way to connect with people; the com-
monality builds connection, and connection builds trust. But this is just
the tip of the iceberg. Thoughout this book we will show you what you
can do with this initial connection.
What’s important to understand now is, in order to make the most of our
connections; we need to understand how to use these connections for
mutual gain. If the gain is only one-sided, the relationship quickly be-
comes unsustainable. Never underestimate an individual’s perception; it’s
not hard to tell when someone is using you. If your connection feels this
way, your phone calls, emails, and other efforts will be unwelcome.
Networlding is an approach you can use to achieve your ambitious ob-
jectives, and, as you will see throughout this book, LinkedIn is the perfect
tool to supplement that approach. A Networlding perspective facilitates
the development of meaningful connections and opportunities that ben-
efit you, your classmates, and your community. LinkedIn will help you find
these connections faster and give you a platform to initiate relationships
that will make a difference in your life and in your career.

Before we jump into how LinkedIn can help you build your career sup-
port network, let’s take a closer look at what Networlding is, as compared
to the traditional view of networking.
The Difference Between Networlding and Networking
Certainly there is a passing resemblance between Networlding and net-
working — both revolve around the concept of forming relationships. But
the resemblance ends there. Networlding requires clear intent, compat-
ible values, reciprocal exchange and support, and mutually developed,
mutually beneficial outcomes.
15

Intent is an important part of Networlding. We use intent to mean
forming relationships and opportunities intentionally — being highly
conscious about the underlying values, goals, and beliefs that drive you
toward a specific relationship or opportunity. Your intent may be to get
involved as a leader in a student organization or obtain an internship,
but it is also to know what beliefs and values are important to you as you
pursue these goals.

The intent in Networlding is thus multi-dimensional. In contrast,
networking is one-dimensional, focused on achieving one’s goals by
making the right contacts. The multi-dimensionality of Networlding
means that your goals are tied to your beliefs. Instead of merely having
a single, superficial goal like landing a job or closing a sale, you’re more
concerned with creating relationships with people who have the same
passions as you do.
Networlding is a purposeful process of collaboration that not only
achieves mutual goals, but also leads to professional and personal fulfill-
ment. In contrast, networking is an often haphazard process of making
contacts to achieve short-term, one-sided goals. Networlding is oppor-
tunity-expansive. Networking is opportunity-specific. In a networld rela-
tionship, a series of opportunities flow from the partnership; in a network
relationship, people come together to take advantage of a specific op-
portunity at best.
It’s important to understand that while networking can be a selfish activ-
ity, Networlding isn’t a completely selfless endeavor either. You enter
into Networlding relationships recognizing that they involve a continu-
ous exchange of information, ideas, opportunities, and support. Friends,
classmates, colleagues, and associates who are attracted to this idea
of exchange will help you achieve your goals as you help them achieve
theirs. Figure 2.1 summarizes the basic differences between Networlding
and traditional networking.
16
Figure 2.1 Networlding Versus Networking
Case in Point: Networlding Versus Networking for Jobs in School
We’ve outlined the disparities between Networlding and networking, but
what does this mean for a student who is trying to make connections for
that first internship or job? The distiction between these two concepts
becomes even clearer when you consider the experiences of Roberto,
a consummate networker, and those of Lylan, a Networlding maven.

Roberto Martinez, an MBA student concentrating on marketing, needed
a summer internship to satisfy some requirements for his program. Unfor-
17
Networlding Networking

tunately, he had waited until May before he started looking so he really
needed to pick up the pace in order to get something lined up for the
summer. The good thing was that Roberto was outgoing, personable,
and easy to get along with. As the president of a student organization,
he knew a lot of people on campus. He was known for his ability to influ-
ence others and get things done, especially under pressure.
He decided that he needed to send a mass email out to all of his con-
tacts telling them he was looking for a marketing or sales internship. He
also attended several campus job fairs, passing his resume off to every
recruiter he came across. Finally, Roberto visited his career placement of-
fice to get contact information for alumni. He searched the list for people
working in the companies and roles he was interested in, compiled their
email addresses, and sent a mass email to this group introducing himself
and asking if they knew of any openings.
Two weeks and three replies later, Roberto managed to secure an inter-
view for a retail management internship. One of his friends and fellow
students, Lylan, heard about the internship while networking with some
executives, but he passed on it because it wasn’t a good fit for his area
of study. Roberto wasn’t particularly interested in this internship either —
he really wanted to work in the marketing department of a large firm or
advertising agency. However, since he was short on time, he settled for
the retail management position and was scheduled to start working in
less than two weeks.
Now let’s contrast Roberto’s experiences with those of a Networlder.
Lylan Masterman, an MBA student at the same university as Roberto, was
interested in becoming a venture capitalist. Lylan realized that venture
capital was a lucrative, but very difficult field to get into. Wisely, he began
researching the industry and building relationships during his first year as
in the program. Like Roberto, Lylan was very extroverted and personable.
18
He had no problem making contacts. In fact, he was known for his keen
ability to find a way to help others before he asked for anything in return.
During his first year of graduate school, Lylan served in leadership posi-
tions for a venture capital club and an entrepreneurship club, and also
got involved in several other organizations. He started networking in
various groups specific to his career and industry, and like Roberto, he
searched the alumni from his school for professionals working in venture
capital; however, unlike Roberto, he did so to build relationships with
them, not just to accomplish short-term goals. Finally, he joined LinkedIn
so that he could connect with these individuals and research their back-
grounds and connections.
Months before summer hit, Lylan was in the process of researching
people and companies on LinkedIn. In preparation for a phone call with
a professional in New York, he looked at the man’s profile and discovered
several “points of commonality” including the man’s school and former
employer, and used this information to build rapport. By the end of the
call, the man suggested that Lylan look into a firm in San Francisco for
an internship. He offered to introduce Lylan to his contact there so they
could explore the possibilities.
So what happened next? Lylan had his call with the firm in San Francisco
and discovered that they didn’t have an available internship. Despite this,
the firm was so impressed with Lylan’s passion, drive, skills, and experi-
ences that they created a position just for him! What’s more, Lylan made
all these connections, from a man in New York to one in San Francisco,
all from his place of residence in Chicago.
What’s the point?
In the end, Roberto and Lylan were both able to get internships they
needed to satisfy their MBA program requirements. But while Roberto
19

was forced to settle for something irrelevant, Lylan landed an internship
that would take him one step farther down his dream career path. By be-
ing aware, looking out for others, and utilizing LinkedIn, Lylan was able to
do what Roberto could not.
The Networlding Exchange Model: Seven Levels
of Support
We refer to networking connections as weak or flimsy because they lack
support. In networking, people are bound together because one person
needs another to do a favor, whether it be create a sale or pass along
a resume. One particular situation binds them together, and as soon as
that situation disappears, there’s nothing left holding the relationship
together. Networlders, on the other hand, are connected by the various
levels of support shown in the support exchange model. (See Figure 2.2)
This model illustrates the hierarchy of the development of relationships.
As you read on, think about how you may have received each type of
support from your family, friends, classmates, and professors.
• Emotional support. Our feelings about others serve as the foundation
for our relationships. The focus of exchanging emotional support with
another is to create rapport, a relationship of mutual trust and affinity.
• Informational support. Information is a combination of messages.
Once initial rapport is built, we then feel comfortable to share information
of value.
• Knowledge support. Here, we add the element of experience. By shar-
ing our personal experiences and those of others we have heard about,
we add additional value to our exchanges with others.
• Promotional support. As we continue to build rapport, we naturally
share with others the strengths of those whom we value. We raise our
Networlding partners’ awareness of others, and in doing so we better
position them for opportunities that arise.
20
• Wisdom support. Wisdom adds the elements of clarity, understanding,
and spiritual awareness. Wisdom exchanges are filled with caring and
compassion — a real desire to help others develop and achieve their
life’s purpose. Here, there is also active mentoring and coaching based
upon the years of experience others have accumulated.
• Transformational opportunities. Ongoing Networlding exchanges
evolve into transformational opportunities. These opportunities are the
result of continuous emotional, informational, knowledge, promotional,
and wisdom support exchanges. Opportunities can be leads, referrals,
new jobs, or something else entirely – professional or personal. Networld-
ing exchanges at this level generate more and better opportunities. This
process allows networlders to pick and choose from a wide variety of op-
portunities. It also allows networlders to direct their opportunities accord-
ing to their passions and life stage. For a twenty-year-old, an opportunity
to study abroad in Europe would be wonderful, yet not as welcome an
opportunity for someone, say, in his thirties with young children.
• Community support. This level of support results from a series of ex-
changes. There is community growth that occurs as each Networlding
partner shares the benefits of various forms of support with others in
his or her community. As Networlding exchanges impact a networlder’s
life, they create a ripple effect into the lives of others.
Result? Fulfillment.
A deep, personal sense of satisfaction comes from finding your purpose,
and then using that purpose to fulfill your destiny and create your legacy.
Throughout the Networlding process, networlders receive fulfillment
from exchanges that they are making a difference in the lives of others.
Fulfillment is both internal (i.e. self-satisfaction) and external (i.e. larger
salaries or new business opportunities).
21

Remember, fulfillment is not something that comes without effort.
It is the result of concious dedication and commitment to the process
of Networlding.
Figure 2.2 Networlding Versus Networking
At this point you may be wondering, if this model is based on an
exchange of support, then what is there for me to offer my Networlding
partners? How will I experience fulfillment at any level? Whether you’re in
your first year of college or you’re just getting established in your career,
you have much to offer the people in your network. You may not even re-
alize it, but you’ve offered some of the different types of support already
to your classmates and colleagues.
Perhaps you offered relationship advice to a classmate who at the same
time was helping you with your homework (emotional support in ex-
22
change for knowledge support). Or maybe you used your Facebook skills
to spread the word about your professor’s research project (promotional
support in exchange for wisdom support). As we begin to explain how
LinkedIn can be used to make connections to build your career support
network, start thinking about how you might provide support for your
partners, either now or at some point in the near future. Later in the
book, we will revisit the levels of support and explore more ways in which
you can “pay it forward”.
Start Visualizing Your Career Support Network
Your networld is a series of organic connections between you, people
with resources, and new opportunities. Your networld transforms and
evolves with your intent and that of your networld partners. Collectively,
you give rise to mutually beneficial opportunities as you move toward
your career goals. It’s all about being cognizant of your interactions and
striving for win-win relationships. Let’s take a moment to wrap our minds
around what a networld looks like.
Imagine yourself at the center of a living, functioning organism. You are
connected to many specialized cells that work together to accomplish
the organism’s various goals, like eating, breathing, and metabolizing.
These cells work collectively according to what appears to be an invisible
directive. They are efficient and productive, and each cell benefits from
the actions undertaken by the others. As the organism grows, it changes
form, learns new things, and gains new experiences. It adds, expels, and
replaces cells. Finally, the organism combines with another organism to
realize its greatest accomplishment: the creation of a new life. Sounds
like freshmen year Biology class, doesn’t it?
Similarly, in your networld you are surrounded by cells — those in your
primary, secondary, and tertiary circles. Like the specialized cells of an
23

organism, each of these groups of people serve unique functions. Some
have tremendous influence and are regular, active partners with you; oth-
ers lend occasional but valuable support. This is a dynamic rather than
static universe you’ve created.
If you can visualize yourself as part of this networld — if this system
strikes you as something that you want to create — then you’re start-
ing off on the right foot. Just shifting your thinking about the types of
relationships you can develop will help you see the Networlding possi-
bilities. If you have doubts about whether such a networld is possible —
especially if you’re skeptical about your own ability to establish the right
relationships — then consider this: you are closer to your future networld
partners and your career support network than you think, and LinkedIn
can help you get there.
Create Inner and Outer Circles
As we’ve already suggested, you’ll need different circles of people sur-
rounding you in your networld. Relationships aren’t all the same; net-
worlders quickly learn that if they organize their relationships according
to type (frequency of contact, level of exchange, type of opportunities
developed, and so on), they enjoy more productive relationships. Net-
workers, on the other hand, tend to have disorganized, undifferentiated
relationships, and this prevents them from focusing their energy on the
right people at the right time.
Organizing your networld means dividing relationships into primary,
secondary, and tertiary circles as illustrated in Figure 2.3. The primary
circle is made up of people with whom you have frequent contact and
support exchanges (i.e. At least once per month), and they’re the ones
most closely aligned with your goals and values. This primary group usu-
ally consists of ten or so influential individuals with whom you develop
opportunities. In this circle relationships are proactive. People know
each other well and share beliefs and objectives, enabling them to antici-
24
pate the needs of others in the circle. There is a balance between asking
and giving.
Figure 2.3 Organizing Your Networld
The interactions between people in the primary circle oftentimes lead to
additional relationships. Through the inner circle of your networld, you
meet people who form the secondary and tertiary circles. Usually, some-
one in your primary circle refers you to an individual who then becomes
part of your outer circles. Because contact is less frequent, your second-
ary circle can be up to several times larger than your primary circle; main-
taining these relationships is important, but they shouldn’t draw as much
attention or energy as your primary circle.
25

Secondary circles are valuable because they help you broaden your
perspectives, expand your influence, and accumulate new insights. In
most instances, secondary circles are more diverse than primary ones
and can provide a greater range of ideas, information, and referrals. Ter-
tiary circles are formed from the “overflow” of secondary circles. Tertiary
circles consist of individuals you see least often but who can deliver — if
infrequently — useful facts, ideas, and other types of support.
It is unrealistic to expect that you’ll have equally strong bonds with every
person in each circle. This is OK. Weak bonds may be fine, especially
if your relationship with someone in a tertiary circle is built on an infor-
mation exchange. As much as possible, however, you should strive to
transition weak bonds into stronger ones. By doing so, you increase the
chances of having successful, trusting Networlding relationships. Bonds
built on trust produce the most valuable and sensitive insights, informa-
tion, and opportunities. And as you will learn throughout your career, you
are likely to invite someone to participate with you in a great business
opportunity only if you trust and respect the person.
Because it’s impossible to form strong bonds with everyone, you should
concentrate on forming your strongest bonds with people in your pri-
mary circle; they’re the ones with whom you have the most in common
and the most contact. Besides your primary circle, also focus on creating
exceptionally deep and meaningful relationships with the people we
refer to as influencers. We’ll dig deeper into this topic when we discuss
how to expand your circles later in Expand Your Career Support Network
with LinkedIn.
Now that you understand what Networlding is, what now?
The actual practice of Networlding may seem intimidating. After all, it’s
one thing to attend high pressure networking events; it’s something else
entirely to establish circles and build mutually rewarding relationships.
We want to reassure you, however, that Networlding is something any-
26
one can do. Although it requires
a bit of thought and effort, there
are ways to speed up the process
when it comes to locating the right
people and initiating the right
relationships; this is where LinkedIn
comes into play.
In the next chapter we will discuss
the first step in jump-starting your
career support network, and
that is creating your professional
online identity in the form of
a LinkedIn profile.
Networlding Tip:
Throughout the book we
will provide you with Net-
worlding Tips that offer
our best advice through
many years of trial and
error on making the best
connections possible to
ensure success. We also
have many more of these
tips on our Networlding
Blog for up-to-the-minute
new additions to LinkedIn.
27

CHAPTER 3
CraftingYour Identity
on LinkedIn

CHAPTER 3
CraftingYour Identity
on LinkedIn
The sooner you establish your professional online presence, the better
off you’ll be when it’s time to build your network and look for career op-
portunities. Creating a professional online presence is a gradual process,
so if you’re in your first year of college or graduate school, you’re certain-
ly positioning yourself for success. Just ask Eric Kuhn, recent graduate
of Hamilton College. He started building his profile and network during
his junior year. When it was time to start looking for a job, he had already
established good connections. In turn, these connections helped him
land job interviews.
One of the most outstanding features of LinkedIn is the online resume
platform it provides. Instead of just a single-standing Microsoft Word
document, you now have a web-based resume that can be easily updat-
ed and shared with a global audience. Your LinkedIn profile allows you to
display your professional experience, interests, capabilities, and notable
achievements to a wide variety of professionals.
Your LinkedIn profile is specifically designed to attract the attention of
important people who may be searching for you online — recruiters,
potential employers, grad school admissions officers, and other individu-
als who could potentially become a part of your career support network.
Think of your profile as a marketing document that showcases your skills
and communicates the value you bring to the table.
Furthermore, your profile is your first impression, and therefore your best
chance to differentiate yourself. Recruiters from some of the world’s top
31

companies are using LinkedIn as a primary sourcing tool, so having
a sharp profile will increase your chances of being considered for future
internships and job opportunities.
Getting Started
Since most of you are familiar with social networking sites, we’re not going
to give you a step-by-step tutorial on how to sign up with the service. We’re
confident that you are savvy enough to Google your way to the LinkedIn
home page, click Join Now, and complete the first step of the process by
listing yourself as a student and filling out the required information.
The second step presents you with the option to see who you already
know on LinkedIn and then upload your contacts. We highly recommend
that you skip this step for now. Adding contacts is not what we need to
focus on at the moment, so we’ll move on. Once you confirm your email
address and revisit your account, you’re ready to click Home and see
your current status.
What you see next is your home page. Immediately you’ll notice a friend-
ly “Welcome!” as well as the option to find people (see following screen
shot). You may also see at the bottom of the page some classmates or
colleagues suggested by LinkedIn. As cool as this seems, try not to get
too distracted by this stuff; we’ll cover what you need to know about
adding connections in the next chapter.
32
You may also notice that LinkedIn gives you the option to import your
resume or CV. It may save you a little bit of time, but we don’t particularly
recommend it. See this as an opportunity for a clean slate. Chances are,
whatever is on your resume may change drastically as you discover how
you want to be perceived as a professional.
Now you’re ready to start developing your identity on LinkedIn.
Access your profile by clicking Profile at the top of the screen and then
Edit Profile.
Fill out the Basics
As you will see, LinkedIn fills in your name, headline, location, and educa-
tion within what they call the “snapshot”. They would like you to think of
this portion as your interactive business card. But there are also a number
of additional components, each making up a certain percentage of your
profile completeness. Your page should look very much like the following
screen shot; your profile will be 15% complete.
33

We’ll go into more detail later about the significance of profile complete-
ness. For now, let’s focus on the basics — these are sections of your
profile that can be completed without extensive effort. Keep in mind that
you will need to insert the start date for your current position as well as
the start and stop dates for past positions and education.
The basics:
• Current Position
• Past Position
• Education
• Photo
• Additional Information
Current Position
Now just because you signed up as a student doesn’t mean that you
don’t have options when it comes to filling out your current position. Are
you currently working for your university campus? Are you working part-
time at a restaurant or coffee shop? Are you in the midst of an internship
34
or co-op? Are you volunteering for a local community organization? Are
you a member or officer of a professional organization, student group,
fraternity or sorority? Any of these roles can be used to describe your
current position, whether you’re getting paid or volunteering. Make it
known that you’re doing something important. If nothing else, list your
current position as “Full-time Student”.
Past Positions
Even if you’re at the start of your college career, you should still be able
to list some type of job or role you assumed prior to your current posi-
tion. Ask yourself the same questions as we did for your current posi-
tion. Again, this is your chance to showcase that you do have some type
of experience, whether it be describing your summer jobs, internships,
volunteer positions, or personal passions.
Check out John Exley’s profile. This is a perfect example of a college
student who leverages his involvement in campus organizations, and
especially one in which he holds a leadership position.
35

What about the position descriptions? When filling out your current and
past positions, don’t fret about the details of each position quite yet.
We’ll focus on this stuff later.
Education
Although you already listed your current school or university, that doesn’t
mean you’re done with this portion of the profile. Be sure to include
information about all institutions you’ve attended, even your high school.
This will help you later as you make decisions about who you’d like to
connect to while building your network. Include your major and minor
if you have one, as well as highlights from your activities and societies.
It’s also appropriate to include study abroad experience or summer pro-
grams. Don’t shy away from showcasing your strong GPA and any honors
or awards you may have received.
Photo
Remember that LinkedIn is not Facebook or MySpace. If you choose to
post a photograph — and we recommend that you do — select a profes-
sional high-quality headshot of you alone. Party photos, cartoon avatars,
and cute pics of your kitty don’t fit into the professional environment of
LinkedIn. Your professional photo allows the people you’ve met and pre-
viously worked with to quickly identify you. Many people find it far easier
to remember a face than a name — photos help bring that comfort to
LinkedIn. Chris Stewart’s profile below is a perfect example to follow.
36
Who should you make your profile photo visible to? LinkedIn gives you
the option to make your picture visible to your connections, your net-
work, or everyone. Your connections are the people you know directly;
your network is comprised of people a degree or two away from you.
And everyone is, well, everyone. What you choose is your call. Just keep
in mind that one of the main benefits of having a widely visible profile is
being easily found by important people like potential employers.
Additional Information
Don’t let the title of this section fool you; it serves as much more than
just “additional information”. Click Edit next to Additional Information
and you’ll see where you can first add websites — an important way to
lend your profile more cachet.
For this portion, revisit what you listed for your current and past posi-
tions. Do any of these companies, organizations, or groups have a web-
site? If so, click the Add Websites option on your profile; copy and paste
the web address and customize the name. For example, if you volunteer
for Habitat for Humanity, select Other in the drop-down menu and label
it so like we did below. Do you have a blog? If so, this is another great
opportunity to include the URL to your blog. Now when people visit your
profile, they will be able to click on these links and learn about your com-
pany, view your portfolio, or read your blog.
37
Next, list your personal and professional interests – anything that defines
you, related to your career or not. Are you a champion cross-country
skier? Maybe you’re well-known for your abilities as a musician. This is
the place to communicate your talents as much as you feel comfortable.

Then, think about any groups or associations you are involved with. Per-
haps you’re a member of a student organization on campus or you re-
cently joined a club for entrepreneurs. List these in the provided space.
Finally, polish off this section by touching on any awards or honors that
may distinguish your work or education. Click on See More under each
box to view more examples LinkedIn has provided for you. Adding this
information not only rounds out your profile, but it also helps you turn up
in search results when people search by keyword.
Now that you’ve filled out the basics, your profile completeness should
be at least 60% as shown here.
38
Create Your Professional Brand
The next step in crafting your profile will take more time and effort. This
is where you communicate your brand, summarize your goals and quali-
fications, and provide details about current and past positions. It’s also
a key component in optimizing your profile to appear in search engines
like Google — one of the main ways potential employers could find you.
We’re calling this portion your professional brand.
Your Professional Brand:
• Headline
• Summary
• Specialties
Headline
Your profile headline gives people a short, memorable way to under-
stand who you are in a professional context. Think of the headline as the
slogan for your professional brand. It can include information about your
area of study, current work, or career ambitions. Examples of good head-
lines are “Aspiring Management Professional” or “Biotechnology Gradu-
ate Student” or “Recent Honors Grad Seeking Marketing Position”. Take
it to the next level by using unique language such as “Creative Market-
ing Strategist” or “Communications Catalyst”. Check out the profiles of
students and recent alums you admire for ideas and inspiration. Keep in
mind that your headline can convey not only who you are, but who you
aspire to be.
39

Under your headline, you may notice that your location is listed along-
side your industry. Don’t forget to enter an industry that best represents
the type of work you’re currently doing or which you aspire to do after
school. For example, if you’re majoring in Human Resources and have
an interest in recruiting, you may choose “Staffing and Recruiting” as
your industry. Don’t worry if it doesn’t fit perfectly. You can always update
it later.
Summary
Also referred to as your executive summary, your profile summary is
your chance to summarize your professional brand. It should resemble
the first few paragraphs of your best-written cover letter — concise and
confident. Remember to include relevant internships, volunteer work,
and extracurriculars. We even encourage you to express your passions
as they relate to your field of interest. Don’t be afraid to exhibit a little
personality and write in the first person. Present your summary statement
in short blocks of text for easy reading. Bullet points are great too, espe-
cially when listing your key accomplishments.
Specialties
This section is the place to include keywords and phrases that a recruiter
or hiring manager might type into a search engine to find a person like
you. Think about the types of knowledge, skills, and abilities you have.
What are your key strengths and talents? Speak to a specific technical
skill (e.g. Adobe Flash, Microsoft Access) or a general job function (e.g.
Recruiting, Event Planning). The best place to find relevant keywords is
in the job listings that appeal to you and the LinkedIn profiles of people
who currently hold the kinds of positions you’re interested in.
Here’s an example of Katie Andrien’s summary and specialties:
40
Work History
Once you’ve completed the basics and the professional brand of your
LinkedIn profile, you’re now at least 80% complete. You should then
take time to focus on the details of your professional experience. Your
position descriptions should briefly explain what the company does and
what your main responsibilities and accomplishments were. Use clear,
succinct phrases here, and break them into digestible chunks so even on
a quick scan your accomplishments shine through. While typically similar
to what’s on your resume, you should be sensitive to financial numbers,
launch plans, and any other information your past or current employers
might consider confidential. Here are some other do’s and don’ts to fill-
ing out the details of your work history:
Do:
• Take time to fill out your profile; you don’t have to do everything at once.
You can edit, add, delete, and change the settings on who sees what at
any time.
41

• Include keywords to allow HR professionals to find you, even if you aren’t
actually looking for a job when you create your account.
• Take the time to correct grammar and spelling.
• Spend 10 – 15 hours fine-tuning your profile (over a period of days or
weeks or even months — not in one setting).
• Communicate what you’ve done, what you do, and who you aspire to be.
• Treat your profile like it’s your resume.
Don’t:
• Include information you don’t want potential employers to see.
• Misrepresent your work, skills, or experience.
However you build your professional brand, just remember that it should
speak to who you are, what you’ve done, and how you are able to add
value to an organization or industry. It should also represent who you
aspire to be as a working professional. Why would someone want to
choose you?
When Nick Farina started building his profile during college, he looked
at some of his connections’ profiles and put himself in the position of
a hiring manager. He asked himself, “What intrigues me about these pro-
files? What shows creativity? Which profiles have personality?” The ones
he liked most were interactive and often asked: “What can I do for you?”
Some were very professional, yet some were humorous and engaging.
He decided to pattern his profile after those that got his attention, and
so should you.
Differentiate Yourself
When you create a resume, your goal is to grab the attention of the person
who’s viewing it. One way to do that is to arrange the most relevant and
impressive information at the top of the document. In LinkedIn you can
simply go to Edit Profile and drag your sections to the desired location.
42
As a student with little work experience, you may choose to feature
education first to highlight your area of study and involvement in campus
organizations. Or you may decide to move work experience to the top to
showcase your recent accomplishments with your internship employer.
Alternatively, you could be a little more creative and use a LinkedIn ap-
plication like Slideshare to present some important facts about yourself.
More details on showing off your work will be presented later.
Complete Your Profile: Request Recommendations
So now that you’ve completed the basics and your professional brand,
you may notice that your profile is still not complete by LinkedIn’s
standards. Why do we care about profile completeness? Remember,
your LinkedIn profile is your online business card, your resume, and your
letters of recommendation all in one. Having a 100% complete profile in-
creases your chances of being noticed by those who will potentially serve
as members of your career support network. You can’t build connections
if people don’t know you exist or see what you have to offer. Accord-
ing to LinkedIn, users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to
receive opportunities.
If you’ve completed every component of your profile except recom-
mendations, then you’re probably at 85%. If you receive recommenda-
tions from three separate members of your network, you will then arrive
at 100% profile completeness (each recommendation worth 5% each).
Nothing builds credibility like third-party endorsements. The most im-
pressive LinkedIn profiles have at least one recommendation associated
with each position a person has had.
43

In our experience, it seems that recommendations are the most discour-
aging part of the profile. If you have little work experience, it may seem
difficult to find people to endorse you. On the other hand, if you were
creative with your current and past positions, you’ll have provided your-
self with more opportunities to receive recommendations. What about
the organization in which you volunteer? How about the student group
you’re leading? Just because you might not have “official” job experience
doesn’t mean you can’t get recommended for work performed or services
delivered within an informal work group or volunteer organization.
Here are some examples of the types of people you might consider asking:
• Former supervisors, managers, or bosses
• Professional mentors or academic advisors
• Business leaders and executives
• People you’ve worked on projects with or provided services for
• Former work colleagues or collaborators
• Fellow volunteers for a non-profit or campus organization
• Classmates familiar with your work
• Fraternity and sorority members
Before You Ask
It’s completely appropriate to ask others to write you a recommendation,
if they actually know you well enough to write one. It’s not wise to ask
people who don’t know you well or can’t speak to your work. We recom-
mend you go by this rule of thumb: if you’ve worked with the person in
some capacity and you think they have something good to say about
your work, it’s probably appropriate to request a recommendation.
How to Request a Recommendation
Requesting recommendations on LinkedIn is a very simple, three-step
process. When you select Recommendations from the drop down menu
under Profile (on the main tool bar at the top of your page), you’ll be
44
directed to the recommendations section. Click on the Request Recom-
mendations tab and you will see the following form:
First, LinkedIn requires you to choose the position you want to be
recommended for. Second, you are asked to list which connection(s)
you’d like to ask for a recommendation. Third, the site prompts you to
make your request.
This last message is the most important part of the process. No matter
who it is you’re asking, make sure to take the time to create a custom
message. Even though LinkedIn provides you with a template, that
doesn’t mean you should use it. This is your opportunity to explain the
basis and reasoning for your request; it’s a chance for you to make the
process of writing the recommendation as easy as possible. It also shows
that you appreciate their time.
45

Here’s an example:
If you have trouble finding enough people to write recommendations
for you, don’t get discouraged. Many of you may be in the beginning
stages of establishing and fostering relationships with the people who
may be able to endorse you in the near future. As you progress through
college or graduate school and gain more experience working with
others in a professional context, there will be more opportunities for you
to earn recommendations. As you work to establish and expand your
career support network on LinkedIn, you’ll connect with more and more
people who may be able to speak on your behalf. Please see the Appen-
dix for more examples of recommendation requests.
Before You Start Connecting: Set Your Profile Settings
After you’ve crafted your profile, you’re ready to move on, right? Not
quite. Before you go any further, we highly recommend taking the time
to personalize your account settings. The Account and Settings section
allows you to customize how your information is displayed, how you want
to be contacted, and your overall privacy preferences. We’re not going
to tell you what privacy settings to choose — we’ll let you be the judge
of that. But we would like to point out and make recommendations for
46
another important item in this section. What we’re referring to is your
Public Profile URL or what is commonly referred to as your “vanity” URL.
Set Yourself Up to be Found
When you click Settings at the top right corner of your page, you’ll then
be presented with information about your account status and links to
various customizable settings. Let’s first focus on the Public Profile. Click
on Public Profile under Profile Settings. Here you can claim your vanity
URL (such as http://www.linkedin.com/in/yourname) and control the pub-
licly visible elements of your profile.
Creating a public profile URL allows you to be found on search engines
like Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. Simply type in your custom URL and click
Set Address. How do you decide what your vanity URL should be? In
order to increase the chances of being found on the web, we suggest a
custom URL consistent with how your identity is portrayed on other social
networking sites. For example, if you list yourself as “Chris L. Allen” on
Facebook or Twitter, then use “chrislallen” as your vanity URL. Later in
the book we’ll reveal some great tips that will help you use your vanity
URL to expand your career support network.
Next, decide which parts of your profile are visible to the public. For
example, if someone has come to your profile through a Google search,
you can determine what your profile would look like to them (maybe you
would only display your summary and current position, but hide past ex-
47

perience, education, websites, etc). Assuming you want to be found, first
check Full View on the Public Profile and then check the various aspects
you’d like people to see.
But wait! Not quite finished with your profile? Crafting your LinkedIn pro-
file takes time, especially the components of your professional brand. If
you’re not sure you’re ready for your profile to be viewable online, go to
your Public Profile settings and make sure you select None (off) instead
of Full View.
Set Yourself Up to Receive Opportunities
Now go back to the main Settings page and click on the Contact Settings
link under Email Notifications. This is where you control how you want
to be contacted by others. Why is this worth mentioning? With LinkedIn,
there’s a professional protocol that dictates why someone can contact you.
Consider that on your Facebook account you may choose “Friendship”
under the “Looking For” option in order to avoid receiving messages from
people looking for a new significant other. In the same way, LinkedIn has
created an etiquette system for business communications.
For the type of messages you’d like to accept, you can choose to receive
Introductions only or both Introductions and Inmail. For now, don’t worry
too much about this. We will cover these features later. But in terms of the
kinds of opportunities you want to receive, we recommend you at least
check Career Opportunities and Requests to Connect. This lets anyone
who comes across your profile know that you’re open to receiving inquiries
about jobs and connections — both things you should be interested in as
you start building your career support network and looking for jobs.
As you will see from the Settings section on LinkedIn, there are many
other aspects of your account you can control. We highly recommend
you take the time to consider some of these other settings at some
point. On the other hand, if you have already chosen to present yourself
48
on LinkedIn in a professional manner, then you might not have much
negative information to worry about showing people anyways.
Get Familiar with Your LinkedIn Home Page
We couldn’t write a book for you about LinkedIn without talking about
the home page. It’s what LinkedIn calls “the dashboard to your profes-
sional world”. For now, we’ll just be covering the essentials so you can
move to the next step of the Networlding approach to LinkedIn.
You can access your home page by clicking Home, the first link on the
left of your top navigation tool bar.
Your LinkedIn home page provides you with an overview of what’s go-
ing on in your network with Network Updates as well as the latest news,
jobs, and answers. As you read this book and become more familiar with
LinkedIn, you will learn to use your home page to:
• View your latest messages and get network updates from colleagues
and connections
• Read the latest news about your company, competitors, and industry and
discuss it with colleagues
• Browse the latest jobs, questions, and answers that match your interests

Your Inbox
The first portion of your home page we’d like to cover is a simple, but
key component — your inbox. The Inbox is the control panel for all of
your LinkedIn interactions, including messages, introductions, and re-
quests to connect or write recommendations.
Like any email system you’ve used, clicking on the subject takes you to
your inbox to review and address the message. Alternatively, you can
simply hover over the take action button to the right of your message to
49

immediately reply or archive it. At the bottom of the inbox, Linkedin also
lists the number of pending action items categorized by message type
such as Invitations and InMails. Finally, take a short cut to your inbox by
hovering over Inbox on the top navigation bar. This allows you to quickly
get to your received, sent, and archived messages or compose a new
message. You get the drill.
Additional Modules
As you become more familiar with LinkedIn, you will discover a wide array
of features and applications that can be used to enhance your profile,
build your career support network, and search for jobs. You may join an
industry-related group or download the SlideShare application. When you
do this, new modules may appear on your home page. After a while, you
may notice your home page has become cluttered or overwhelming. Not
to worry, by clicking the blue title bar of the modules on the right hand
side, you can customize the types and amount of information displayed.
If you want more information of a particular type, just add another module
of that type via the Add a Module link at the bottom of the column. You
can also drag and drop the modules to reposition them. When you see
something interesting in one of these modules, you can click the link to
take you directly to that content.
Throughout the rest of the book, keep your eyes peeled for “Home Page
Tips”. We’ll refer to different aspects of your home page, including mod-
ules, that will help you stay in touch with your career support network.
Ready to Jump-start Your Network?
The purpose of this chapter was to help you get started on LinkedIn. At
this point, you should have at least created a profile you feel comfort-
able displaying publicly. If this is the case, feel free to go to Settings and
change your Public Profile from None to Full View. Now you’re ready to
start building your career support network!
50
CHAPTER 4
Establishing your Career
Support Network
with LinkedIn

CHAPTER 4
Establishing your Career Support
Network with LinkedIn
Though you may not realize it, you currently possess a powerful and
wide-ranging set of contacts. It may include your father who knows
a manager of a company interested in using you as a consultant. It may
include a cousin whose best friend’s father owns a company at which
you’d be interested in working. It could even mean that a professor can
provide you with a solid lead for a job. In other words, the connections
exist, but you just haven’t had the ability or technology to see and orga-
nize them. In this chapter, we will show you how to use LinkedIn to create
this network. You will do this by following an easy process that allows you
to quickly find and connect with people you already know.
The best way to establish your network is to identify the people you
already know and then determine whether or not you want them to be
a part of your career support network. Start by thinking of all the people
you already interact with in the following categories:
• Family (immediate, extended, and distant relatives)
• Friends and friends of friends (acquaintances)
• Neighbors, roommates, and people in your dorm or residence hall
• Colleagues, co-workers, and team members
• Former bosses, supervisors, or managers
• Customers, clients, and vendors
• Professional service providers (accountant, lawyer, real estate agent)
• People you’ve met in community, volunteer, or professional organizations
• Career center staff, internship coordinators, and recruiters
53

Create a list of these people in a document or spreadsheet. That way,
when you start looking to add connections on LinkedIn, you have all
these contacts on hand. Now you just need to decide if they will make
good connections.
The Difference Between Contacts and Connections
Networkers have contacts; net-
worlders have connections. The
difference lies in the depth of
the relationships and how they’re
achieved. Networkers traditional-
ly rely on the ”law of averages”:
they attempt to get in touch
with as many people as possible,
hoping that a high quantity of
interactions will produce a few
good opportunities in the end.
In contrast, networlders spend
more time up front building a
relatively small number of rela-
tionships that will produce better
and longer-lasting opportunities.
Discernment is the key to un-
derstanding what we mean by connections. If you’re discerning, you
look at prospective relationships perceptively. To form a meaningful
Networlding Tip:
Identify Quality Connections
As you consider connecting
with your existing contacts
on LinkedIn, it’s helpful to
search for certain identify-
ing traits — the qualities you
would want in a Networlding
partner. Power and influ-
ence don’t always indicate a
good connection. Similarly,
individuals who are outside
of the traditional networking
circle may make excellent
Networlding partners.
54
connection, you must assess a potential relationship based on what will
be exchanged. Will you and your partner provide each other with sup-
port? Will the relationship be strictly professional, or can you count on
the other person to openly share feelings about a problem or opportu-
nity? We’ve seen networkers who are pure ladder-climbers and have no
meaningful relationships. Even if they succeed in the short-term, it’s often
empty success. These people aren’t discerning in their relationships; they
just form them without a second thought.
We list the following traits to help you recognize a good connection
when you meet one, as well as to help you become familiar with the traits
you need to develop in yourself.
• Supportive
• Continuous Communicators
• Reliable and Responsible
• Influential
• Knowledgeable
• Active Listener
• Empathetic
• Appreciative
• Connection-conscious
Now take this one step further. Think about all the people you’ve worked
with in some capacity and experienced success with (not only in the
business sense, but in school, in volunteer activities, and so on) who also
had values that were compatible with yours. For instance, your project
partner in school went above and beyond what you expected, making
an effort to ensure that the work was evenly distributed and high caliber.
You both received good grades in the class, and you felt you had a bond
of mutual respect and accountability. This individual would fit the ideal
profile of someone you’d like to have in your network.
55

In the same manner, when you start building your career support net-
work, you need to decide which people among your contacts could be
meaningful connections. Part of the discernment process is opening
your mind to different relationship possibilities. Networkers tend to think
narrowly: “Since I’m in the Electrical Engineering program at my school,
I need to form relationships with experienced electrical engineers and
engineering executives.” Networlders embrace a world of relationship
possibilities — from next-door neighbors in their dorms, to members in
their organizations, to co-workers at their jobs. Once you open up your
mind to these possibilities, you increase your odds of finding the people
with whom you will establish powerful connections.
Three Easy Steps to Jump-starting Your Career
Support Network with LinkedIn
Now let’s jump to LinkedIn to locate these people and consider connect-
ing with them. Once you click the green Add Connections link at the top
of the page, you’re ready to jump-start your career support network in
just three easy steps.
Step 1: See Who You Already Know on LinkedIn
The first step in building your network is to “import” your address book
and add those trusted connections who are already on LinkedIn. After se-
lecting your webmail service (Windows Live Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo!, AOL,
or Other), LinkedIn will list all those contacts who you are NOT connected
to on LinkedIn. You may notice that some of these people have next
to their name — this indicates that the person is matched with a profile
on LinkedIn (see the following screen shot). Anyone without the symbol is
either not on LinkedIn, or they are listed under a different email address.
As a bonus, LinkedIn will also update contact information for you.
56
At this point, you can look at each person listed and decide whether
or not you’d like to connect with them. Keep in mind that just because
they show up doesn’t mean you know them well. Any person you’ve ever
emailed using your webmail service may show up on this list, so you
might want to use some discernment before you start sending invita-
tions. Whatever you do, don’t select all the names and have LinkedIn
send invitations to the matches it finds. This robs you of the opportunity
to make sure the people are ones you want to connect with and of the
opportunity to personalize your invitation.
What about Outlook? In the event you use Microsoft Outlook, you can
install the LinkedIn toolbar to Outlook and, with a click of a button, it
will search your address book and your emailed messages for people on
LinkedIn whom you could send an invitation. The latest version of the
Outlook Toolbar can be downloaded by clicking on Tools at the bottom
of the LinkedIn home page. If you use Act!, Palm Desktop, or the Mac
57

OS X Address Book, or most other contact managers or email applica-
tions, click the option for import your desktop email contacts. Browse for
the file containing your contacts and upload it.
Step 2: Send Invites Manually to Non-members
Another way to build your network is to invite people who are not yet
members of LinkedIn. If you are unable to find someone on LinkedIn and
would like to try adding them to your network, simply enter their email
address (like we did below) to invite and connect.
Don’t get discouraged if you send someone an invitation to join LinkedIn
and they never do so. As we know, not everyone uses the same social
networking tools, and that’s OK. They may respond to you by saying
“What is this LinkedIn invitation you sent me?” or “I’m not sure if I want
to join this network yet.” This is a great opportunity for you to share the
reasons you joined LinkedIn and the ways it will help you (and them)
build a career support network.
Step 3: Reconnect with Former Classmates and Former Colleagues
Within the Add Connections section, you may notice the names of col-
leagues and classmates. This is the perfect opportunity for you to grow
58
your network, and fast. For any of the current or past positions you in-
cluded on your profile, LinkedIn populates all new and existing members
of these networks. Just select the company or organization and search
for people you know. The same goes for any of the academic institutions
you have or are currently attending. After selecting a school, you can
search for classmates by years attended or graduation year.
Hopefully this three-step process has allowed you to find some existing
contacts and send them invitations. But, most likely, there’s a significant
number of contacts you were unable to find. Not to worry — LinkedIn has
a powerful search engine that will not only help you find the remainder of
your existing contacts, but will also enable you to conduct targeted search-
es for new connections. We’ll cover this feature in an upcoming section.
59

Once you’ve found
and connected
with the people
you already know,
it’s time to start
thinking about who
has the ability help
you accomplish
your goals within
the next few years.
Not that your exist-
ing contacts aren’t
valuable, but it’s
important to start
thinking about with
whom you’d like to
foster more mean-
ingful relationships.
Also, start think-
ing about which
of these people
might serve as
members of your
primary circle. Who
has the potential to
exchange support
and interact on
a regular basis?
Networlding Tip:
Networlding Smarter, Not Harder –
Focus on Your Primary Circle

In Chapter 2 we had you visualize your net-
world in terms of primary, secondary, and
tertiary circles. Again, your primary circle
consists of people with whom you have the
strongest bonds and most frequent interac-
tions. Focusing more of your time and en-
ergy on these relationships yields additional
connections and fruitful opportunities. Here
are some steps you can follow to ensure
your primary circle is well maintained:
• Initiate contact (by phone, email, or Linke-
dIn) with at least three people you consider
prime candidates for your primary circle and
who you’ve determined to be influencers.
• If the response is positive, schedule
a meeting for coffee or lunch.
• If the meeting goes well, schedule addition-
al meetings to exchange ideas, information,
feelings, and opportunities.
• Tap into your partner’s hidden connections
(using LinkedIn).
• Continuously assess the three relationships
to determine if they meet the criteria estab-
lished for both networlders and influencers.
• Repeat these steps whenever possible
to add to your primary circle and to
replace any individual who no longer be-
longs in that circle, but try not to exceed
ten members.
60
Before connecting with people on Linkedin, think about whether that
person is a taker or an exchanger. Use the following points as your guide:
Networlding Tip:
The Law of Reciprocation: Exchangers and Takers

Networlding is not about giving alone or taking alone. It’s
about exchanging. An exchanger is a person who understands
the dynamic cycle of giving and receiving. Although not all net-
worlders are selfless, they have an eagerness to continuously
exchange leads, information, and ideas. This understanding is
critical to success.
61
EXCHANGERS TAKERS
Exchangers ask questions that
demonstrate a concern for your
issues and needs.
Takers ask questions that
are focused on meeting their
own needs.
Exchangers attempt to make sure
that there is an equal exchange of
information, leads, and so on.
Takers always ask for business
or jobs.
Exchangers call you as much as
you call them; they make an effort
to stay in touch.
Takers only call when they
need something.
Exchangers provide assistance
without ever talking about how
much they’re doing for you or how
much effort they’re putting into it.
Takers frequently complain that
your project is taking too much time
and say they hope you’ll be able to
reciprocate when they need you.

Understand the Invitation to Connect
Unlike most social networking sites, LinkedIn promotes professional and
trustful relationships. Connecting with someone on LinkedIn is not neces-
sarily the same as adding someone as a friend on Facebook or MySpace;
it implies that you know them well.
Before you start connecting, it’s critical to first understand how you invite
people into your network. At any point you come across someone you want
to connect with, you will navigate to their profile and click Add (person’s
name) to your network. LinkedIn first asks you how you know the person.
If they are (or were) a colleague, classmate, business partner or friend, you
can send your request without entering their email address. However, in
the event that you have no previous association with the person (the other
option), LinkedIn requires you to have their email address.
But why can’t you just classify them as a friend? Well, you can. We just
recommend that you think twice about using this option, especially if it’s
not someone who knows you well. Oh, and what about the I don’t know
(person’s name) option? This is sort of a trick question. Going this route
will not allow you to send an invitation. Why? LinkedIn tries to protect ev-
eryone from spamming and strangers. Don’t worry, we should be thankful
to LinkedIn for this.
Now we’d like to draw your attention to the bottom of the invitation.
This is where LinkedIn gives you the option to include a personal note
(see the following screen shot). Although it’s labeled optional, we highly
advise that you avoid sending the “I’d like to add you to my professional
network on LinkedIn” message unless it’s part of a longer note. Think of it
from their perspective. How would you feel if you received this note from
a classmate you haven’t seen since high school? We think you should
make an effort to craft a personal message for the same reasons we sug-
gested you customize your recommendation requests. What if you were
62
at a party and someone approached you and said “I’d like to add you to
my professional network of contacts?” You would probably think, “Really?
Did that just happen? Who is this person? Why should I care?”
But what if they said instead, “A bunch of my friends at school told me
about the amazing presentation you made about digital technologies.
I’d like to grab lunch with you sometime to learn a little more about
your work.” Wouldn’t that be more desirable? In the Appendix we have
included some examples of personalized invitations just to get you think-
ing on how to approach this part of the process.
Handling Incoming Requests
When someone asks you to join their network and you’re not sure you want
to accept, don’t have an anxiety attack. Just take a moment and reflect on
your networking values and preferences for connecting. First and foremost
63

ask yourself, “How well do I know this person, if at all? How do I feel about
this person having access to my network? Is there potential to have a mutu-
ally beneficial relationship with them?”
If your gut tells you it’s not a good idea to connect, then don’t be afraid to
deny the request. The best thing to do in this situation is to ignore or archive
the invitation. And don’t worry, doing this will not send them a message of any
kind that you’ve decided not to add them. It won’t say anything like “Are you
kidding me? I couldn’t stand you in grad school and I can’t stand you now!”
Find More ofYour Existing Contacts on LinkedIn
At this point you should have been able to find and connect with some of
your existing contacts on LinkedIn. By using our “Three Easy Steps,” you
might have located family members, friends, classmates, and coworkers.
For those people you were not able to locate, we recommend compiling a
written list or electronic document that includes all of your existing contacts
that could result in additional connections on LinkedIn. Again, these are
people you already know that have potential to be part of your career sup-
port network (e.g. professors, career center staff). How do you find them?
The answer is simple: LinkedIn People Search.
LinkedIn People Search
The right person, knowledge, and expertise you need is already on
LinkedIn; now it’s just a matter of learning how to use the site’s search
function so you can locate the potential networking partners you have
on your list. In this section, we will introduce you to LinkedIn’s search tool
and show you how you can use it to locate more connections.
Take a look at your list of potential connections and pick the name of
someone you’d like to connect with on LinkedIn. The easiest and quickest
way to conduct your search for this person is to type their full name in the
64
search engine at the top right corner of the page (make sure the People
option is selected). As you can see in the following screen shot, we were
able to easily find Barack Obama using this method. But in the event that
you don’t have the person’s full name or you’re not sure on the spelling,
LinkedIn allows you to filter your search according to location, industry,
company, school, groups, and even by degrees of connection. This sec-
tion appears on the left side within the Find People tab. You can also click
Show More to search based on the same criteria just mentioned (plus an
option for job title), but LinkedIn allows you to enter it more quickly.
The fabulous thing about this feature is that you don’t need to know the per-
son’s full name or have exact search terms. Just type in the relevant keywords
and hit Search. For example, let’s say you had a brief, but good conversation
with a recruiter at a job fair on campus. You can’t recall her full name or even
her company because it was months ago, but you do remember being excit-
ed because she mentioned working out of Boston, which is where you would
like to work after graduation. Not only that, she was also an alumna of your
college. In this case, you can find her by typing her first name in the People
Search engine and then filtering according to location and school.
If that doesn’t work, you can also search according to job title. In this
case you would check the box for Keep filter selections so that you still
65

search according to location and school, but then you would click Show
more... and add the title. Even though you might not know her exact
title, you can use a little trial-and-error by entering a number of different
titles. For a recruiter you might try searching “recruiter”, “recruiting man-
ager”, “recruitment manager”, or even something along the lines of “tal-
ent acquisition manager”. More often than not, this is all the information
you need to find someone on LinkedIn.
There is also an option for an
Advanced People Search, which
is arguably the most effective way to
find professionals, especially those
you’d like in your career support net-
work. In the next chapter we’ll explain
how you can use this feature to find
specific people who can help you
achieve your career goals. Some of
these individuals may become mem-
bers of your primary circle and others
may become secondary and teriary
connections – whatever the case, they
could be valuable members of your
career support network.
Homepage Tip:
Find More Colleagues
and Classmates who
Just Joined LinkedIn

Wondering which of
your colleagues and
classmates are on Linke-
dIn? The Just Joined
LinkedIn section high-
lights new LinkedIn
users who have worked
or attended the compa-
nies and schools listed
on your profile. Just
click on these links, find
the people you know,
and invite them to con-
nect. This is a great way
to add more people to
your career support net-
work. If you don’t see
a company or school in
the Just Joined Linke-
dIn section, make sure
to add it to your profile.
66

69
Chapters 5 – 8 are available
in the full version of Graduate to
LinkedIn to be released Fall 2010.
TO RESERVE YOUR COPY, PLEASE CONTACT US AT
NETWORLDING@GMAIL.COM.

GRADUATE TO LINKEDIN
Appendix
Other Networlding Tools for Your Career Success

Networlding: Building Relationships and Opportunities for Success
Melissa Giovagnoli and Jocelyn-Carter Miller
http://budurl.com/NetworldingBook1
The book that started it all. Here are the original reviews by Amazon and
Publishers Weekly:
Amazon.com Review
If “networking” was the battle cry of the business world at the tail end of
the 20th century, Melissa Giovagnoli and Jocelyn Carter-Miller hope to
make “Networlding” its call to arms in the new millennium. Giovagnoli,
a consultant and speaker, and Carter-Miller, a Motorola executive, agree
that one-to-one connectivity is still the key to professional advancement.
However, they believe their updated concept will prove more effective
in coming years because, if properly implemented, it will forge deeper
bonds and lead to greater opportunities than its more superficial prede-
cessor ever could. In Networlding, the authors explain their practice as
a “purposeful process of collaboration” among individuals who “share
similar intent, values, goals, and interests.” They then lay out a seven-
step system for developing such mutually beneficial personal relation-
ships, ranging from the establishment of “a values-rich foundation”
through the formation and cultivation of a circle of “connections” with
whom you “co-create opportunities” that move everyone ahead. There
are plenty of specifics, exercises, and real-life examples here for those
165

APPENDIX | Graduate to LinkedIn
168
there are compelling new solutions to some of the most vexing cross-
cultural, career, and organizational business issues we face today. These
solutions recognize that every decision is made in a split-second, and
that although we often deliberate for months, the moment of commit-
ment is the moment that counts. Making that commitment in a way that
is firmly rooted in recognized individual core values is the key. No one
can remove those barriers alone. This book shows us how to participate
in an ‘exchange’ of ideas, values, and solutions to break through to our
true potential-by leveraging the limitless possibilities inherent in every
conversation we have.
Networlding Guidebook: Building Strategic Relationships Through Networking
Melissa Giovagnoli
http://budurl.com/NetworldingGuidebook
Networlding Guidebook: The Networlding Guidebook is designed as a
companion to author Melissa Giovagnoli’s bestselling book Networld-
ing. While the first book provided an introduction to the overall concepts
and practices of Networlding, this guidebook is intended to help you
put Networlding into motion in real-time. Filled with checklists, ques-
tions and exercises to help you assess where you are in terms of your
networks and the goals you hope to achieve through the implementation
of Networlding, as well as a month-by-month action plan to roll out the
process, The Networlding Guidebook is a fun, practical and easy-to-un-
derstand resource that helps you transform relationships from a pipeline
of opportunities to a lifeline in our new world of work.
http://budurl.com/NetworldingGuidebook
169
serious about attempting this technique. It should prove applicable for
almost anyone in any type of business situation and virtually any stage of
his or her career. — Howard Rothman
From Publishers Weekly
Declaring that in today’s workplace, simple networking is no longer
enough, Giovagnoli and Carter-Miller present a prescriptive plan com-
bining career advancement with social reform. In contrast to the tradi-
tional aim of networking for one’s own financial gain or prestige, they
espouse “Networlding,” in which advancement may be a motive but
there’s a difference in intent. Networlding involves focusing on a larger
issue, such as increasing diversity in the workplace or offering assistance
for a social program. Among the specific rules of Networlding offered by
Giovagnoli, a human resource specialist, and Carter-Miller, an executive
at Motorola: “Grow and nurture your relationships,” “Expand your con-
nections” and “Make both your redundant and divergent connections
count.” The last rule is easy to overlook: the authors cite someone look-
ing for a job who got a lead after talking to a parent at a Little League
game. Even more important than following these rules is having a clear
sense of one’s values. The authors present a straightforward approach
for identifying and prioritizing values, creating a personal charter and
setting goals for the coming year. While readers who haven’t consciously
networked during their career may find this approach difficult to follow,
those who have will benefit from this concise and innovative primer.
The Nanosecond Networlders: Changing Lives in An Instant Forever
Melissa Giovagnoli and David Stover
http://budurl.com/NanoNetworldersBook
Do you wish to surround yourself with people of like-minded values but
struggle to find them? Are you experiencing a variety of ‘takers’ in your
life, and spending all your energies defending yourself or your depart-
ment or your company? The Nanosecond Networlders show us that

About the Authors
Melissa Giovagnoli
Melissa is one of the world’s leading experts in the development of
networks as a means of growing and accelerating brand loyalty, grow-
ing new markets, creating new products and building thought leader-
ship. She is also the founder of Networlding, a firm specializing in social
network innovation. Her clients have included organizations such as
Motorola, Hewitt, Office Depot, BF Goodrich, ATT, American Express,
Medtronic, CNA, UBS and hundreds of emerging companies.
Innovating in the social media and social networking space, the firm
helps organizations: grow thought leadership, build digital trust, grow
markets, manage their online presence and integrate social media with
their other marketing initiatives. One the most innovative strategies the
firm offers is book and e-book publishing.
Melissa is also the author and/or co-author of 11 top-selling books. Her
seventh book, co-authored with former CMO of Office Depot, Jocelyn
Carter Miller, held the #10 spot on Amazon (in Chicago) for a year.
Her other books include:
Networlding: Building Relationships and Opportunities for Success —
#10 on Amazon, in Chicago, for 12 months
170
The Chicago Entrepreneurs Sourcebook — rated one of the top 10
small business books in Chicago
75 Cage Rattling Questions that Change the Way You Work — McGraw Hill
The Power of Two: Rethinking and Reforming Strategic Alliances — Jossey Bass
Four of Melissa’s books have been on top business book lists. Addition-
ally, The Power of Two and Networlding, were named by Booz Allen as
two of the top ten alliance management books.
Melissa has also been a guest on both radio and television including The
Today Show, CNN, WGN, CNBC and FOX. One of her books was fea-
tured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She has been professionally speaking
for fifteen years and has won a Consummate Speaker of the Year Award.
With a B.A. in Sociology and a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law,
Melissa went on to found Service Showcase, Inc., a management consult-
ing and training firm. In 2000, she started Networlding to include the work
she pioneered in social networks. In 1998 she was named one of “The Six
Outstanding Women of the Decade” chosen by The University of Chicago
Women’s Graduate Business Alumni Board. The Networlding licensing
product she created has been licensed by Yale University through their
graduate school of business as well as Motorola University and is currently
being sold to organizations and non-profits around the world.
She has used LinkedIn since it started, helping thousands of executives
over the past seven years learn to harness the power of a site she be-
lieves is the best thing that has happened for professional networking.
171

John Fowler
John Fowler is an emerging leader in organization and talent develop-
ment consulting. With a unique blend of business and psychology ex-
pertise, he helps companies and individuals realize and maximize human
potential, talent, and connection.
After obtaining his B.S. in Marketing from the University of Missouri –
Columbia in 2002, John later went on to pursue his master’s from The
Chicago School of Professional Psychology. In 2008, he established him-
self as an independent consultant focused on producing, refining, and
facilitating organization talent processes, programs, and tools. With in-
depth knowledge with and a passion for social networks, his most recent
work includes delivering LinkedIn networking and job-hunting training
to students and young professionals; he also advises business leaders
on formulating and implementing social media marketing strategies and
helps functional experts use LinkedIn to enhance productivity. John’s
clients have included individuals within Chicago-based universities such
as DePaul and Argosy. Additionally, he has consulted with small IT and
management consulting firms as well as large corporations such as Leo
Burnett and CareerBuilder.
John started using LinkedIn to source talent as a recruiter in 2006. Since
then he has used it religiously for his own business and professional
development. Like Melissa, most of his recent work has been devoted to
172
educating, engaging, and empowering students and business leaders
about its amazing power and potential.
Stay in Touch!
We want to encourage you to stay in touch with us. That’s why we formed
a group on LinkedIn called “Graduate to LI: Grow Your Career Sup-
port Network Now.” It’s a place where we will continue to share best
practices on LinkedIn and beyond into the best social media tools we
can offer that integrate well with LinkedIn.
You can also follow us on Twitter (@GradtoLinkedIn) and become a fan
on Facebook.
We also welcome you to email either of us:
GraduateToLinkedInTheBook@gmail.com. Share us your best LinkedIn
success stories and if we use one of them for upcoming updates to this
book, we’ll be sure to give you credit and therefore help you grow your
influence! You can also use our emails to link with us on LinkedIn.
Finally, we speak on the subject of LinkedIn and social media/social net-
working and welcome communication from any of you who want to see
us speak at your college. Feel free to contact us for that purpose.
173

174
Speaking
John and Melissa are available for speaking at your college or
organization. To contact John, email him directly at john.ray.fowler@
gmail.com. To contact Melissa directly, email her at at melissa@net-
worlding.com.
Special Last Note
Melissa and John are committed to helping younger people get what
they call “Smart Starts” in their careers. To this end half of all the
proceeds from this book will go to initiatives that help 12 – 29 year
olds improve their chances of success in the world.

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