Web Workers of the World Unite!

Lately, I've had a number of people ask how to build their business, how to get the word out about an event they're doing, how to find a new job, how to...get ahead. My standard answer has been, "Are you on LinkedIn yet?

Yes. Okay. For starters -How many connections do you have? When was the last time you updated your profile.

Or, no. What are you waiting for!? This is what you should be working on in the evening while you watch your favorite summer reality program, instead of trolling eBay, CraigsList, or Match.com. It is the single biggest thing you can do for yourself, your personal brand, your career or business and it's can be free, although I recommend upgrading your account.
It is an incredible way to build an incredible network that ordinarily could take a lifetime. However, there's a caveat and you might as well know it up front. It's one of the most interesting aspects I've discovered lately and a very telling precursor to what will prbably become SOP (if you don't know what that is, email me!). I was trying to find the title for someone in management at a major clothing manaufacturer. No luck on that guy, but there were pages and pages of other people in the company. There were also pages and pages of listings for just titles, no names of people, just titles, and contact information.

Why? Because LinkedIn is a major resource for recruiters and search firms and companies are protecting their talent.

So, once you've got some momentum on LinkedIn, then do the same on other sites, e.g. XING.

Here's a great article to get you started in the right direction that I came across on Fast Company. Web Worker Daily � Blog Archive 20 Ways to Use LinkedIn Productively �