LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 120 million members and growing rapidly. LinkedIn connects you to your trusted contacts and helps you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals. It is a great way to connect with other professionals in your field. ,many people use this website to network, others to build partnerships, and lastly to find a job. There are many great tools about Linkedin that I will introduce in future post, but today I wanted to focus on Linkedin groups, and its great benefits.

Have you ever joined a Linkedin group, and then thats the end of it. You are the type to never contribute, or don’t even peek in once in a while to see what active discussions are taking place If you are not actively using your Linkedin groups, you are missing out on plenty opportunities to network with people, and some of the best jobs are posted in these groups. I can attest to the value of Linkedin groups because I actually got my current job from one. If you are lost or confused on how to use Linkedin groups here are some tips you can implement now to leverage the current groups you have.

Start your own group

As a young HR professional I was looking for a group that catered to young Nigerians in the field. I was not able to find one so I started my own called Young HR Professionals: Nigeria. It is a great way to show your leadership skills, as well as find and make connections with people who have a similar interest. Your group does not have to be big. Even a small group can have meaningful discussions.

Join groups targeted to your profession

A lot of people make the mistakes of joining hundreds of groups, and then they end up getting lost in the shuffle. Realistically find 2 to 5 groups that cater to your background, and be a visible member in those groups. The more visible you are in the groups, the more you can learn from others. Many times I use groups to ask about challenges I am facing at work, and members are more than happy to assist you.
Join active discussions

You will always find a few active discussions that everyone is commenting on. Those are the discussions that you should join to show your expertise to other members. Make sure to add insightful commentary, and help out another fellow member that has a questions as well. if you continue to be visible,and add worthy comments to discussions, soon members will see you as a thought leader within the group.

Start a discussion

Not only should you participate in active discussions, but you should also start your own. It can be a question you have about work, or a thought provoking statement that gets everyone talking. Do not go into the group and after 5 minutes of being there you ask that you need a job. Actually spend some time in the group to gauge everyone’s temperature. Observe what continues to be a hot topic, what are people’s main concerns. This is a great tool if done strategically and can create a great amount of engagement.

Network Network Network

Linkedin groups is a great way to network with other people in your industry. Maybe you notice someone always posting thoughtful comments about a topic that is of interest to you.  It is a great conversation starter if you are looking to connect or send a message. Of course do not stalk someone, or do not use Linkedin groups to be abrasive either. take the time to notice who is who in each group. With time you will know the right time to connect with someone new. I have made a lot of great connections from groups, simply because someone liked what I posted or vice versa.
There are a lot of hidden incentives from actively participating in Linkedin groups. Whether it is a new job, partnership, or speaking engagement, Linkedin groups is definitely an investment that is well worth your time.

http://naijacareerist.com/linkedin-101-how-to-leverage-your-groups/

Thanks so much for this piece. Good for me at this time.

Very insightful. Thanks for sharing.

I LIKE THIS.

Thank you everyone I really appreciate it. If you are on twitter I will be talking more about using Linkedin on my #hirenaijachat on thursday at 2 pm. I also will be doing a few more post on Linkedin on how to get a job like I did using my network.

very nice article!!


.NET

@Op,
       Please how do i join a LinkedIn group?
pls rply
thanks

Mcfemad:

@Op,
       Please how do i join a LinkedIn group?
pls rply
thanks

http://www.linkedin.com/

Enlightening!, Thanks alot. Now following you on twitter too

Enlightening!, Thanks alot. Now following you on twitter too

Good job by the poster!
Get peeps at home informed on beneficial stuffs, not some tribal, religious, ethnic, divisive gibberish topics some NLers post that the so-called moderator(Seun) put on the front page.
Get a good value for the investment on your internet service.

Nice post. Thanks @OP

nice.

Nice post there, This is stuffs i wish to be seeing on the homepage.

I joined a group for bloggers @ LinkedIn and am really enjoying it. I keep learning there while also doing all I can to help others.

My LinkedIn id= 35491692

To join a linkedin group simply do a search on the type of group you are looking for and then on the top you should see a button that says join. You must have signed up to Linkedin before joining a Linkedin group. What other questions do you have about Linkedin? I will address them in future post.

Also you can follow me at @ChikaUwazie on twitter for more career advice

1. Be careful what you post on LinkedIn as potential employers can also read it. There are times that I applied for a position and I could see that someone from that company looked at my profile. The site is not anonymous like Nairaland. Remember that “It is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”

2. Try to include keywords used in your field when describing your experience. I have gotten a few interviews from recruiters reaching out to me and I didn’t even apply to their company. My guess is that they probably searched for some keywords and my name popped up.

Nice thread

nice one, thanks for sharing

Nice article, tanx 4 d knowledge shared.

Good piece I must say

Bringing it closer home, you can click HERE to enjoy our own version.

Groups : YES
Discussions: YES
Networking: YES
Job Placement: Maybe

Met an old clasmate since pri.sch nw in TX. Via thz linkdn.

My quest. Cn I meet yung aspiring journalist aiming 4 heights buh stuckd on sumthing else?

Neva realy knew the essence of d site nt until nw! Thanks and gr8 piece of info!

In addition,

You can add individuals outside your field. Most people are quite curious and wish to know more about other people in other sectors. You can also send a "Thanks for the add" message to a potential contact once the individual has added you. Most are nice and civil enough to respond. From there you can ignite a rapport, even a very cordial relationship which could go places.

@OP Pls how do i join a group on Linkedin, i want to join the HRM group. Am still an undergraduate, and want 2 learn 4rm d masterz of d game. Hav already joined Linkedin.

so so insightful

Tnks for sharing dis
Quite insightful

That network was helpful to me in a recruitment exercise I'm currently undergoing.
I was doing some Google-searching on the company, an E&P company, when I bumped into the company's Linkedln page; and incidentally saw the name of the person I was asked to see on interview day on the list of the company's staff on Linkedln professional network. I clicked her name, read her profile and saw that she had only recently worked for a company that is one of the sister companies to my current organization. I immediately called my friend in her former company to inquire about her. At least I was able to get info beforehand on one of the people that would interview me. I got idea about her and her personality and I had clues to what to emphasize during the interview. Uncertainty was at least eliminated and made my brain to hit the interview ground running, instead of spending first few minutes trying to understand your interviewer.

Hi, this is a very good piece of advice. Am having problem participating in the group discussions. Each time i want to start a discussion, it will tell me to click on "poll" and have tried that several times and all to no avail. I can only make comments on other peoples' posts. Pls, help me out.