1. Quickstart
1. Create an account at http://www.linkedin.com
You will need to activate your new account by clicking the link in the
confirmation email sent to you.
2. Fill in your profile
• Photo – be sure it looks professional.
• Headline – a phrase that sums up your professional identity.
• Summary – this is a short bio. It says who you are and what you’ve
accomplished. Include professional expertise, interests and current
position.
3. Make connections
• Search and find colleagues, friends, former classmates and business
associates and invite them to join your network.
• Use advanced Search to find individuals by business, school or
location.
• You will see that active business professionals will have 100+
contacts.
© 2011 lauranicholas.com

2. Optimize it
1. Finish your profile
Carve out 45 min to complete it. Have a current resume at hand. Look at
profiles of professionals you respect to get ideas how to improve yours.
• Experience – add positions and short summary of accomplishments
and responsibilities
• Education – institutions, degrees earned, honors and activities.
• Websites – add links to your organization, your Twitter, and blog.
• Public profile – once you are done, set it to Full View.
2. Join Groups
• Search and find Groups that match interests. These could be
professional associations, universities attended, former employers,
and topical interest groups.
• Monitor and participate in Group Discussions to stay informed and
create visibility for your work and point of view.
3. Participate on a regular basis
• Use status updates to microblog – share links, work and ideas.
• Continue to build connections – search and invite people.
• Write a recommendation for a colleague and ask for a few
recommendations for yourself from those you have worked with.
• Contribute to Group discussions by replying to threads that interest
you or starting one of your own.
© 2011 lauranicholas.com