How to Use a LinkedIn Profile at Interviews

These days, resume writers are starting to diversify. The old one-sheet paper list is beginning to seem inadequate, and with the advent of new technology, job hunters are discovering exciting new ways to promote themselves. Among these, the networking site LinkedIn has been billed a top tool in professional networking and career building. You can use LinkedIn to connect with other professionals, to establish an online presence, and yes, even at your interview.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Add your profile link on your paper resume. Your interviewer may choose to make use of it during the interview, later, or not at all, but giving the option lets the company know your profile is there.
2. Refer to the experiences listed on the profile during interview. Inform the interviewer of what is already on the profile that they can see when you have left the interview. This might help the interviewer keep tabs on your job history.
3. Provide your recommendation information as "references." The old way was to hand your interviewer a scrawled list of three or more names, phone numbers and addresses (sometimes pulled from memory and thus error-prone). Tell your interviewer they can use some of your contacts or recommendations on your profile as references, and if they can't get hold of your primary references, having your LinkedIn profile will make it MUCH easier for them to improvise and find a sufficient number of people to vouch for you.
4. Describe your contacts to the interviewer. Telling them about your contacts and how you got them will be an informative way of describing your experience history. Your interviewer may be impressed by the way you networked, the number of contacts you made at any given time, or the diversity of your contact list.
5. See if your interviewer also uses LinkedIn. This could be a good opportunity to dish about the pros and cons of the site (it's best to avoid disagreeing directly with your interviewer's passionate opinions) and you may just end up with a new contact to put on your list!