LinkedIn Groups

Don’t forget an important feature of Linkedin Groups!

With the increased competitiveness in the job market, job seekers need to take advantage of every opportunity to follow a job lead and make a good first impression. One of the easiest ways to engage recruiters and hiring managers is through the group function of LinkedIn.

3 Suggested Groups for Job Seekers, not to be missed:

Job Openings, Job Leads and Job Connections!
Get hired. Apply for jobs. Post your Profile. Job, career and employment leads and advice. Network and connect with gatekeepers and decision makers. HR human resources headhunters recruiters recruitment staffing hiring education consultant management coaching alumni headhunter corporate recruiter.   JOIN

Helping Friends Career Network (LI2HF)
Welcome to the LinkedIn2 HFCN group — a business and career network of networkers for entrepreneurs, hiring managers, recruiters, and talented professionals worldwide to make meaningful win win win connections!   JOIN

Personal Branding Network
The Personal Branding Network is a consortium for all of those who are looking to build powerful personal brands, from around the world. We come together to provide each other with expert guidance so that we are better prepared for the future, while being able to delivering our brand promise today.   JOIN

Groups are a great way to develop your online brand presence in addition to the traditional uses and features of LinkedIn.  Use this excellent feature to keep your name and professional profile fresh in the minds of recruiters and hiring managers.

You can join up to 50 Groups on Linkedin – Take advantage of this privilege

Leave comments frequently within your Groups. This is highly recommended:

Leave interesting comments, tidbits, and other information on a regular and frequent basis that are professional and related to the group you are member of.

Also, note that messages between group members do not require an “introduction”.   When you are a member of a groups … you can contact anyone in the group – no cumbersome “introduction” process is required.   Make sure to reference the group you are both a member of when contacting them directly.

Group Management

LinkedIn Groups is your destination to find and join communities of professionals based on common interest, experience, affiliation, and goals. Stay in touch with organizations, schools, and companies that you are and were a part of, network with professionals with similar interests and goals, and collaborate in a professional community online.

LinkedIn Groups allows group organizations to extend their brand’s reach and strengthen the brand with existing users by providing additional value through LinkedIn’s features.

Groups Directory

Linkedin’s Groups Directory allows you to easily find the right group. Click on the “Category” dropdown to sort by different group types (Alumni, Corporate, Non-Profit, Corporate, etc). Once you have found a group you are interested in joining, click on the “Join Group” link to request to join the group. Clicking the  Share button lets you invite your connections to join the group as well.

Clicking the “Join Group” button starts the process of application to that particular group. If you should be denied access to a group you can see who the administrator or managers of a group are and approach them directly about gaining access although this needs to be approached with care.

Underneath the group summary you can also see who is involved in this particular group and is also a member of your network, either as primary contacts (”1st” symbol beside their name) or secondary contacts (”2nd” symbol beside their names – this means that they are  not directly in your network but are linked to someone in your network putting them 2 “links” away).

Once you have chosen what groups to be involved in, have a review of the discussions currently listed and get involved.

Your membership may be subject to review by a group manager. For instance, college and corporate groups may require a valid e-mail associated with the account. If you have any questions about joining a group, you can send a message to the group owner listed on the group information page.

A search able database of groups already in existence within Linkedin. This is the place to start upon entering Linkedin for the first time to establish the selection of groups that interest you and apply for permission to join.

Begin by searching for groups with titles associated with your industry (for example) and take your time.  There is no need to rush into joining groups straight away (although you can leave a group any time you wish). Browse and search different words to see what groups are available.  Alternatively you can use Linkedin Answers and ask what groups other established users would recommend for you in your field, saving you a lot of searching.

Groups are managed by the creators who choose to authorize access to their particular group so upon requesting permission to be accepted you will have to wait until moderation has been completed and you will receive an email informing you if permission has been accepted or denied.

When you select a group you are presented with a brief description of the groups theme and on the right side some basic information regarding the date of creation, group type and current number of members associated with the group.

My Groups

Once you have joined a group, it will appear on your left side navigation bar under “Groups”. Click on the Groups link to view all of your groups. This page gives you a quick overview of all of your groups, and allows you to access the homepages for each of your groups.

Your Group homepage gives you an overview of the activity in your group and allows you to take part in a private discussion. You can also click on the “Group Profile” link to view information about the group such as the owner, managers, website, and other information.

Discussions

LinkedIn Groups are now the best place to communicate with your group or organization online. Click on the “Discussions” tab on your Group to get started and view recent discussions.

This is a great way to keep in touch with organizations you are a part of, such as corporate and college alumni groups, non-profit organizations, trade groups, conferences, and industry-specific groups. You can discuss issues that are of interest to the entire group in this vibrant and professional atmosphere.

On the Discussions tab, you can also use the navigation links on the right side to sort discussions by most recent, popular topics, and those that you’ve participated in.

Members

Your group’s Members page allows you to view all the members in your group. To get started, click on the “Members” tab in your group and enter in your search terms in the “Search Group” box. You can search by name, company, and other keywords such as specific areas of expertise. This is a great way to find experts and utilize talent from within your network.

Settings

The “Settings” tab allows you change your contact and privacy settings for each Group. You can elect to display the group logo on your profile, change your privacy settings for network updates, and also decide how you want group members to be able to communicate with you.

Another important feature is the “Digest Email” option which allows you to receive updates by e-mail from your group. You can receive a summary of the recent discussions and other important messages from the group.

If you would like to change the order that your groups are displayed in, click on the “User Groups” link on the left-side navigation and scroll down to the “Change display order link”. This page allows you to change what groups are displayed on your navigation and groups homepage.

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Top 20 LinkedIn Groups recommended for Job Seekers:

1. JobAngels – Non-profit job search network of professionals helping other professionals find job advice and opportunities.
2. Executive Suite – Community of over 100,000 US-based executive-level and recruiter members.
3. Star:Candidate for Hire – Group working in tandem with Linked:HR, the largest Recruiters’ Group on LinkedIn, to help top candidates find jobs quickly and efficiently.
4. Career Rocketeer – Career Launch Network – Fastest-growing professional network for career search, career development and personal branding, bringing job seekers and employers, recruiters and career experts together for mutual success.
5. The Talent Buzz – Group for job seekers, recruiters and HR professionals interested in expanding their professional networks.
6. Helping Friends Career Network (LI2HF) – Business and career network where entrepreneurs, hiring managers, recruiters, and talented professionals worldwide can make meaningful win-win connections.
7. JobsDirectUSA – Official job search group on LinkedIn for JobsDirectUSA.com.
8. Career Change Central – Group linking job changers and professionals in career transition with recruiters, hiring managers and career coaches.
9. CareerLink Network – Community providing job seekers spiritual, physical, social, mental, economic and personal growth to meet their ever-evolving needs
10. Jobs Alert – Job search group for middle and senior-level managers worldwide.
11. A Job Needed – A Job Posted – Group is for all LinkedIn members searching for employment, posting employment or recruiters helping members find employment.
12. Looking for a Job? – Group designed to allow job seekers to share ideas, network, post jobs, advise on job market trends and ultimately help them find work.
13. MyCredentials – Career Presentation – Group helping members to network, expand their resumes and enhance their interview skills.
14. JibberJobber – Career Management – Network for executives, professionals, students and all those involved in the career services industry, including counselors, coaches and resume writers.
15. ResumeMaker Career Network – Forum connecting qualified job seekers with hiring managers and corporate recruiters as well as allowing candidates to discuss and share career opportunities.
16. Personal Branding Network – Consortium for all professionals looking to build powerful personal brands.
17. Indeed.com – Official job search group on LinkedIn for Indeed.com.
18. Project: Get Hired! – Motivational support group exclusively for job hunters to share creative strategies and stay motivated.
19. Job Search Help – Discussion group for job seekers sharing advice and leads and networking to help one another.
20. IMPACT Hiring Solutions Job Search Network – Discussion and networking forum for executives seeking job opportunities.

Additional Feature of Linkedin Groups: Create your own Group. Take control of your networking and create your own group allowing you to control the content and the members.

The creation of your group is a pretty simple and straight forward process.  The only part that needs some sort of skill would be the addition of a logo or brand name.

Creating the type of group, add the summary and description and link it to your site finally sorting out your contact details and geographic location and language.

Summary: Time to start adding professionals to your group by inviting or notifying possible interested parties to its existence. You could also add a link or page to your group on your website or blog  if the group is “public” and you want to expand and increase awareness and membership.