Last week we discussed using MySpace to market yourself and what this vast social networking site can do for you. This week, let’s delve into LinkedIn and what opportunities are available to you.

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 40 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. Here’s how you can get started on LinkedIn.

1) Establish your professional profile: LinkedIn gives you the keys to controlling your online identity. LinkedIn profiles rise to the top of search results, letting you control the first impression people get when searching for you online.

When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional expertise and accomplishments. You can then form connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you. Your network consists of your connections, your connections’ connections, and the people they know, linking you to a vast number of qualified professionals and experts. Through your network you can:

• Manage the information that’s publicly available about you as a professional
• Find and be introduced to potential clients, service providers, and subject experts who are recommended
• Create and collaborate on projects, gather data, share files and solve problems
• Be found for business opportunities and find potential partners
• Gain new insights from discussions with likeminded professionals in private group settings
• Discover inside connections that can help you land jobs and close deals
• Post and distribute job listings to find the best talent for your company

2) Explore opportunities: Whether you’re looking for a career opportunity, winning new clients, or building your professional reputation, LinkedIn connects you to jobs, sales leads and ideal business partners. With their powerful search engine, company research tools and job boards that show who you know at listed companies, LinkedIn is the place to turn to for new opportunities.

3) Find experts and ideas: Sometimes your immediate circle can’t resolve a unique business challenge. Tools like ‘Answers and Groups’ let you locate and interact with experts through trusted introductions. LinkedIn’s ‘Search’ feature lets you explore the broader network by name, title, company, location, and other keywords that will help you find the knowledge you need. LinkedIn provides a professional blog, as well. Read up on marketing and networking tips and tricks, or add your own!

4) Stay in touch with colleagues and friends: In today’s professional world, people change jobs and locations constantly. By connecting on LinkedIn, your address book will never go out of date. Your contacts’ updated profiles, keep you current with their latest jobs, projects and contact info. These great tools provided by LinkedIn will allow you to stay in closer contact and to easily communicate and collaborate.

5)  Training Modules: An amazing aspect of LinkedIn is the training offered on their site. LinkedIn offers 24/7 e-learning. The drop-down menu has a ton of modules you can choose from to heighten your understanding of using the site. To help you get started using your account or to learn more about the features and functionality that LinkedIn offers, the site provides FREE online presentations in the form of “webinars.”  In addition, an informative video explaining the concepts and options for using LinkedIn can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myGxNhGO4x0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Flearn%2Elinkedin%2Ecom%2Fwhat%2Dis%2Dlinkedin%2F&feature=player_embedded