LinkedIn is a social network specifically for professionals. On it, you can find other professionals, build your professional reputation, find a new job and/or new clients.

It doesn’t take long to sign up for a free general account. Once you’re inside, consider adding both present and past work colleagues, as well as your friends to your network. Really, the more contacts you have, the better. However, your LinkedIn network is not a popularity contest. Instead it is meant as a means of showing your professional network. The larger your professional network, especially within your industry, the more reputable you will appear.

As you add people to your network, the LinkedIn system will separate it into first, second, and third degrees. First degree consists of your primary contacts, those people you added. Second degrees consists of your primary contacts’ first degree contacts. Third degree is, as you might imagine, the first degree contacts of your primary contacts first degree contacts. Hopefully that wasn’t too confusing! If you can sort out your extended family you should be fine with LinkedIn–and by the way, you’re already doing better than me.

The functionality of these three tiers of contacts is interesting. Just like in the real world, you can leverage your primary contacts for introductions to potential employers who may reside on your third degree contact list.

In fact, LinkedIn offers you the opportunity to ask for introductions, gain recommendations from colleagues, friends, employers, and clients, and ultimately grow your network through your existing one.

I recommend not only joining yourself, but also encouraging your friends to join. Again, the larger your initial network, the larger it will ultimately be.

LinkedIn also gives you the opportunity to prove your professional expertise by answering questions posed by other users. The more you answer questions and show yourself to be someone with good input, the more likely it is people will ask for an introduction through a shared contact or ask to be a contact directly.

Quite aside from LinkedIn’s internal functionality and use, they also recently created a plugin for your browser that activates when you are on Careerbuilder.com.

The browser plugin works as you click on jobs in the Careerbuilder system. When you click on a job, the LinkedIn bar to the left of your screen will give you a list of contacts within the company at each tier of your network. You can then ask for information about the company from someone within it, or again, leverage the contact for a recommendation inside the company you’re interested in joining. This is a truly revolutionary Web 2.0 tool which allows you to take your career into your own hands with a visible network of contacts and the means to take advantage of their connections.

Elena

 

In your chaotic world full of responsibilities and demands, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and exhausted.  Juggling your presentation at work, a final exam at school, and still feeling connected to your family is a tiresome balancing act.  Yet, at the same time, this quandary provides the opportunity for great success.  Demonstrating quality time management and life balancing skills affords you the opportunity to become a role model for your family’s future successes.  Follow these steps throughout your personal, professional, and academic journeys and you will discover the keys to a happy, balanced, and successful life.

 

1. Share your dreams with your family; in return they share in your success.

 

2. Describe the ways in which returning to school affects each member of the family, and share your hope that reaching your goals will ultimately benefit all.

 

3. Place a high value on personal needs.

 

4. Create an efficient environment in your home where all work and study materials are kept and where you can shift-gears and work resourcefully.

 

5. Ask for uninterrupted quiet time, but remember to reciprocate with your time later.

 

6. Prioritize your responsibilities and define for each of you what requirements you have in order to complete them.

 

7. Learn to delegate age-appropriate tasks to your children and discuss household responsibilities with your spouse.

 

8. Create a schedule and stick to it.

 

9. Consider keeping a large family calendar where every member posts his/her schedule.

 

10. Remember to be flexible and realistic.

 

Amanda