Get In, With LinkedIn

As we all know, there are tons of social networking sites out there. It's the newest thing, and if you're "cool", you're probably a member of at least one. I mostly use them for fun and to connect with my friends, but there's one in particular that I use for business purposes, and it's called LinkedIn.

Now I know what you're thinking: LinkedIn isn't new! And of course, I knew that already. I first joined LinkedIn way back when, at my sister's suggestion. She told me it was a good way to connect with business contacts, so I joined. Originally, I didn't think much of it because I was still young, I didn't have many business contacts, nor did I fully understand the importance of networking. But just a few tender years later, I've come to realize that WHO you know is just as important as what you know. And LinkedIn a great source for connecting with who you know!

I am a big fan because even if you've just met someone, somewhere, at this thing once, LinkedIn comes in handy. Once you're connected with a contact, it shows how you know them (through a company or colleague), and who else they know that might be of interest to you.  In addition, if you want to reach out to someone your connection knows, you can "request an introduction" to that person through them. For those who aren't fans of typical networking procedures, it takes the awkwardness out of formally introducing yourself, and allows the contact to see who you are, your experience, and how you're connected to them all in one shot.

Another great aspect of LinkedIn is that you can use it to job hunt. If there's a specific position that you're interested in, you can check to see if you have connections with anyone who works at that company. You can also join groups, which often have great discussion boards about varying topics of interest; send emails, create status updates, and even get recommendations from past employers and colleagues.

Since I've been on my event planning career path, LinkedIn has become more and more useful to me. I'm constantly surprised by how many people I know, who have connections in the industry. So, for all you procrastinators out there who:

• May have signed up for LinkedIn once upon a time, but never went back to it
• Haven't taken the time to search for contacts
• Heard about it, but never signed up

My advice to you is this: If you have time for Facebook or Twitter, you have time for LinkedIn. All it takes is a few minutes to sign up, create your profile, and start adding contacts! It's really easy to use, and can even be fun.

The event planning industry is a tough one to break into, but it's not impossible. I've learned that there is no shame in your game if you have to reach out and ask someone for help. It really IS a small world after all, and we are each connected in some way. Taking the initiative and doing something as simple as this could be the boost that your career needs, or at least a step in the right direction. So, do us a both a favor, and "Get In, with LinkedIn!"