LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking tool on the Internet, and the most popular online community for Drexel alumni to come together to network, host discussions, organize their contacts, conduct research, search for job openings and screen job candidates.
The Drexel University Alumni Association Networking Group on LinkedIn has more than 8,700 alumni and student members and grows daily. Members of this group receive the most up-to-date information on upcoming Alumni Career Service programs and events, and hold discussions with one another on various career topics.
“This group is an active hub where Drexel graduates from all over the world connect with one another to build and strengthen their professional networks,” said Ashley Baptiste ’92, of the Drexel University Alumni Association Board of Governors.
Drexel graduate Mike Idacavage ’75, lost his job due to downsizing in June and used LinkedIn to search for and ultimately land a new job. Idacavage is a member of the Drexel University Alumni Association Networking Group, as well as several other professional and special interest LinkedIn groups.
“LinkedIn was the single most useful tool for me in my search,” he said. “The most significant use for me was the ability to network across different industries and connect with a lot of people—including those I knew from Drexel.”
As a result of his efforts on LinkedIn, Idacavage received five job offers, and four out of the five companies had visited his LinkedIn page. “While LinkedIn will not simply hand you a great job on a silver platter, it is perhaps the best ‘Swiss Army knife’ of job search tools available,” he said. “It comes down to what you make of it.”
While LinkedIn is a great tool for getting contact information, job leads and networking referrals, users should remember that LinkedIn is about giving, not just taking. Recommend an article, congratulate someone on a job promotion, or answer a question.
“I found it very useful to post comments and be active in the various LinkedIn groups that I had joined,” said Idacavage. “I noticed that after I had done this for a short period of time, I saw an increase in people visiting my LinkedIn page and asking to connect with me.”
When used correctly, LinkedIn groups can be a valuable professional-development tool. They are extremely popular, and currently more than 1 million groups exist on LinkedIn.
According to Mark Gress ’05, employer relations coordinator and Andy Duffy, senior assistant director for career services in Drexel’s Steinbright Career Development Center, having a complete and updated LinkedIn profile is also very important. When creating your profile, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
“One general rule of thumb regarding your LinkedIn profile is that you shouldn’t let it go stale,” said Gress. “Be sure to keep it updated, active, and use it to connect with people. LinkedIn profiles are becoming the new business cards.”
Here are some additional guidelines from Idacavage and Duffy for making the most of your LinkedIn profile:
- Upload your résumé onto your profile.
- Request recommendations from people with whom you’ve worked in the past. These recommendations will be posted on your profile, and they can be sorted and organized.
- Use a professional photograph of yourself in your profile.
- Be mindful of spelling and grammar.
- Be truthful. Don’t think that just because it’s online, an employer won’t look at it as a credible source. “More than 80% of employers that use social media use LinkedIn to search for potential job candidates,” said Duffy.
- Make sure your profile contains key words so it comes up in searches by potential employers.
- If you have a blog, or a company website, link to it in your profile.
- Don’t add contacts blindly. “Connecting with just anyone on LinkedIn hinders your ability to effectively network,” said Duffy. “Review invitations to connect, and make sure they fit with your profile and with the way you want to be represented on LinkedIn.”
“I would also recommend using LinkedIn’s Answers feature,” said Duffy. “LinkedIn Answers is one of the best places on the Web to share and get business knowledge, and to stand out as an expert.”
The Answers feature is a listing of popular questions posted by members of LinkedIn which can be narrowed down by industry or searched by keyword. With this feature, you can post your own questions, or you can strengthen your credibility and value by answering questions that are posted by others.
“On the Drexel Alumni Association Networking Group on LinkedIn, alumni often answer one another’s questions, and begin discussions on a certain career topic,” said Baptiste. “They already share that alumni connection, so it makes networking with one another that much easier.”
“Try using the Advanced Search feature on LinkedIn to narrow down your search for a particular person or company using various criteria,” said Duffy. “You can search by job title, industry, location and seniority level, just to name a few. Every time I use LinkedIn, I end up utilizing the Advanced Search tool.”
“To sum it up, in my experience, LinkedIn is the best tool for professional networking. There is no other way to make connections as quickly and as easily, and it can be a great alternative for those like me who don’t excel at in-person networking.”
All Drexel alumni are encouraged to become active members of LinkedIn, and to join the growing community of graduates in The Drexel University Alumni Association Networking Group. The Alumni Association looks forward to “linking-up” with you, and helping you pursue your career goals and aspirations. Visit drexel.edu/alumni and click “Alumni Network.”
LinkedIn By The Numbers
- LinkedIn officially started in 2003.
- Currently, it has more than 150 million members in more than 200 countries and territories, and is available in 16 different languages.
- Approximately two new members join LinkedIn per second.
- There are more than 1 million groups on LinkedIn, 37,000 are for university or college alumni groups.
- More than 2 million companies have company pages on LinkedIn.
- Executives from all of the fortune 500 companies are represented on LinkedIn.
The Drexel University Alumni Association Networking Group
- The Group started in November, 2007.
- The Group has more than 8,700 members.
- 58% of the Group’s members are in the Greater Philadelphia Area.
- Top industries represented in the Group are information technology and services, financial services, pharmaceuticals, computer software, marketing and advertising, and accounting.
- 28% of the Group’s members are in senior-level positions, while 22% are entry level and 13% are managers.
All I Really Need to Know I Learned at Drexel
As a spin on the popular “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” the Alumni Association is asking alumni to submit Drexel life lessons—one for each day in 2012. Join in the fun and send us your Drexel life lesson and we’ll share it on our Facebook page, Twitter and our website, http://drexel.edu/alumni/yearofthedragon. Sharing a life lesson will automatically get you a promo code toward a commemorative Year of the Dragon prize!
Here are some great examples of Drexel life lessons that have already been shared:
Do your research, be prepared, and don’t be afraid to take a chance, especially when you are young!
— Robert Olsen, General Business ’75
The best way to learn is hands-on through co-op.
— Kelly Stewart Zsamar, Criminal Justice ’08
Most of the world’s problems can be solved in one evening at the New Deck Tavern.
— Kirk Williams, MBA ’93