Six Reasons You Should Use LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn offers members the opportunity to participate in many different types of groups (job seeking, alumni, industry-specific, networking, etc.), and users can benefit in many ways:

1.  Finding Jobs. Human resource professionals often post job openings to groups. And, these groups do not have to be job-seeking groups. I've seen jobs posted to alumni groups, industry-specific groups, and networking groups.

2.  Marketing Yourself (Part 1). Recently, in a LinkedIn networking group (which is comprised of local members) an individual posted that he was changing careers and was looking for advice from group members on how his past experience could bridge him to his new career. I've also seen people market themselves by posting that they are actively seeking career opportunities in XXX. What a great way to let potential employers know your skills/value and that you are looking for work.

3.  Marketing Yourself (Part 2). Let's say you are currently employed, but are also looking for another job. You don't want to announce to a group that you are looking, so showcase your knowledge and experience by responding to any questions that may relate to your occupation/industry. What a great way to establish credibility and increase your visibility to potential employers.

4.  Increasing Your Knowledge. Learn new trends, get new ideas, and gain new insight by reading questions and answers from other participants. And, don't forget ... if there's a specific question you have, post it to the group.

5.  Hiring Managers and Recruiters Can Find You. Every time you post or respond to a posting, you are not only increasing your visibility with your group members (as mentioned in #3), but you are increasing your visibility with your LinkedIn connections (who will see your activity in their activity feed).

6.  Emailing Individuals Who Are Not Your Connections. Unlike Facebook, you cannot send a message to anyone on LinkedIn (unless you purchase an upgraded version). But, with the standard LinkedIn (which most people utilize), you can send a message to your connections AND you can also send a message to anyone who is in the same group as you. So, if there is a specific individual who you want to contact, and if you and this individual are a member of the same group, you can send him/her a message!

Are you participating in LinkedIn groups? If not, it's time to start managing your career!