Ten Best Practices for Professional Networking on LinkedIn

MEMO

To: The Comma Team Members

From: MinZhang Si, Fellow Member

Date: February 22, 2022

Subject: Ten Best Practices for Professional Networking on LinkedIn

Professional networking on LinkedIn can provide job opportunities and build careers. Here are ten best practices for using the networking social:

1. Complete and regularly update user profile to maintain a professional identity (Gerard 895) by creating daily and weekly to-do-lists (Sukenick and Williams 113) and by setting aside at least a few minutes a day to use the site (Sukenick and Williams 53)
2. Identify purpose for using LinkedIn and know what you want to achieve with it (Sukenick and Williams 19)
3. Create a profile that reflects your personality as people respond to personalities instead of degrees and achievements (Sukenick and Williams 36)
4. Improve your professional image by ensuring your online self correctly reflects the profession of your choice (Gerard 875)
5. Proactively connect with the people you already know, such as friends and associates from school and work (Sukenick and Williams 41)
6. Join groups relevant to your field and with common interests (Sukenick and Williams 55)
7. Clarify for yourself how you respond to incoming connection requests by developing a rationale for who to connect with (Sukenick and Williams 44)
8. Show genuine interest in your contacts and follow up with them instead of simply reaching out or asking for sales and information right away (Sukenick and Williams 83)
9. Use LinkedIn only for business and work and avoid mixing it with Facebook and other social networking sites where interactions are more personal (Citrome 623)
10. Log onto your profile consistently as higher frequency of use is positively related to increased career benefits like career sponsorship, business assistance and social support (Davis et al. 6)

Overall, by developing the habit to check LinkedIn daily during your work hours, you will grow your networks with time. Any comments for these practices are welcomed.

Works Cited

Citrome, L. “My Two Favourite Professional Social Networking Sites: LinkedIn and ResearchGate – how they can Help You, Or Hurt You.” International Journal of Clinical Practice (Esher), vol. 69, no. 6, 2015, pp. 623-624. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/ijcp.12681

Davis, J., et al. “Networking Via LinkedIn: An Examination of Usage and Career Benefits.” Journal of Vocational Behavior, vol. 118, 2020, pp. 103396. https://browzine.com/libraries/498/journals/904/issues/310333324

Gerard, J. G. “Linking in with LinkedIn: Three Exercises that Enhance Professional Social Networking and Career Building.” Journal of Management Education, vol. 36, no. 6, 2012, pp. 866-897. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1052562911413464

Sukenick, R., and Williams, K. 21 Days to Success with LinkedIn: Business Social Networking the Gnik Rowten Way. CyberAge Books, Information Today, Inc, Medford, New Jersey, 2015. https://go.exlibris.link/9jp3bpfB