Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Join the Salesforce Professional Network on LinkedIn

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Do you know about the Salesforce Professional Network on LinkedIn? I just found out about it a month ago, and have been meaning to blog about it for some time. A recent LinkedIn invite from a fellow SFDC NHUG Member Ken Quast reminded me to do so.

About LinkedIn

Hopefully you know all about LinkedIn, but for those of you who don't, here's a little info. LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking group. Other examples of social networking groups include sites like MySpace, Facebook, Friendster and more. Unlike those other web services, LinkedIn is focused on connecting academic and business colleagues together, even as they change jobs or careers.

Here's how it works: A LinkedIn user invites (or receives invitations) from professional or academic colleagues, and the tool maintains a list of these contacts (called connections, in LinkedIn). A contact network is gradually built up which consists of direct connections (persons you know or have worked with directly), 2nd degree connections (people who are connected to your connections), and third degree connections. These 2nd and 3rd degree connections can be used to get introduced to someone you wish to know through a mutual contact.

I use the tool to keep my resume updated, to keep my direct connections aware of various projects I'm working on, and to keep tabs on what past colleagues and college allumni are doing now in their professional careers. People change jobs quickly, and it's easy to lose track of them. LinkedIn makes it easier to stay in touch.

Becoming a user in LinkedIn is easy ... and free. Visit http://www.linkedin.com/ for more details.


LinkedIn Groups

So what are LinkedIn Groups? It's a group of LinkedIn Users who are members of an industry or professional group or even alumni organization. It's another way of expanding your personal LinkedIn Network, expand your list of business contacts, and stay in touch with group members.


Salesforce.com Professional Network

Salesforce.com has a LinkedIn Group with nearly 1,000 members! You can join the Salesforce Professional Network by visiting this web page.

The Salesforce.com Professional Network connects former and present salesforce.com users, administrators and employees, allowing them to expand their professional development, exchange ideas, network and continue to be a part of the Salesforce.com community.

As a group member, you'll have the option to make your profile available to other group members. You'll also have a Salesforce Professional Network badge on your LinkedIn profile.

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