What is LinkedIn?

Of all the social networks, LinkedIn is often thought of as the highest form. There aren't any 12 year olds, it's not covered in ads for trendy new clothes, and the interface is low-key instead of eye-popping. While I have no reports to support this, I would go out on a limb and say the average age of a LinkedIn user is higher than either Facebook or Twitter. While being a more refined social network, many of it's users don't fully understand what LinkedIn is for and therefore don't use it to it's full potential.

The biggest social networking aspect of LinkedIn is the ability to connect with people you know ala Facebook, but instead of keeping in the know about how their pet turtle is doing, you're able to track their career and job information. LinkedIn focuses less on a person's personal life and more on their work life. Filling in a LinkedIn profile is not too unlike filling out an online resume. You enter your current and past work experiences, awards, certifications, etc. From there LinkedIn helps you find former coworkers you might be interested in business networking with.

LinkedIn also has a job search function very much akin to other job search websites like Monster.com or online classified ads. Once you search for a job, it'll give you a description of the job, tell you how to apply, give you options to save this job so you can read it later, and even let you share this job opening with your friends on other popular social networking sites like Facebook and Twiter. LinkedIn will also look at the people you're connected with, and offer you job opportunities it thinks you might be interested in. Used to work at Circuit City? There's a new Best Buy opening up around you, and they're hiring. Things like that, but not only for smaller retail jobs. They also list high-level copies and high-level jobs. In conclusion, if you're in the market for a new job, or you're thinking of ways you might be able to expand your professional network LinkedIn is a good solution for you.

Practical Tip of the Day:
Whenever you sign up for a new website, even the most well respected ones, be careful how much personal information you give out. Only put on the Internet what you're comfortable letting everyone in the world know. Your parents, children, pastor, coworkers, boss, strangers, I mean EVERYONE!