LinkedInJaspers FAQ (Version 1)
What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is an online network of more than 10 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 130 industries.
So what?
When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional accomplishments. Your profile helps you find and be found by former colleagues, clients, and partners.
You can add more 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 thousands of qualified professionals.
Through your network you can:
Find potential clients, service providers, subject experts, and partners who come recommended
Be found for business opportunities
Search for great jobs
Discover inside connections that can help you land jobs and close deals
Post and distribute job listings
Find high-quality passive candidates
Get introduced to other professionals through the people you know
How much?
Free
Where does the Jasper part come in?
Assuming you’re not new to the concept of “social networking”, you have a natural common bond with everyone who ever went to Manhattan College. Since you can explain how the Seventh Inning Stretch started, you have a common platform from which to establish those essential connections.
Up to now, finding Jaspers that you don’t know personally has been a hit or miss proposition. If LinkedIn is the white pages of business people, it would be nice to find all the Jaspers whom you can help and in turn can help you.
We have created a LinkedIn Group for Jaspers.
What is a LinkedIn Connection?
A connection is someone who agrees to share their network with you. Think of Spock’s Vulcan Mind Meld applied to LinkedIn.
So for example, I have 900+ LinkedIn contacts. (Don’t be impressed. It’s not a numbers game.) If you propose connecting to me and I accept, them you have access to my contacts and I to yours. You can see who they are. If you search, they show as reachable.
A direct connection is in the 1st degree of your network and you are in the 1st degree of my network. This enables you to view and browse each others’ profiles and networks, communicate directly via email and forward each other Introductions from users who aren’t directly connected to the intended recipient.
So I should connect to everyone?
Yes and No.
You get a limited number of invitations. So use them to connect to people that are (a) useful to you and (b) who will accept your invite.
You’re networking activity is scored to prevent spamming and other abuses. If too many of your offers are rejected, you’ll get locked out of the “club” by LinkedIn.
ONLY INVITE PEOPLE WHO WILL ACCEPT!
Don’t use the standard LinkedIn invite boilerplate. People reject that almost out of hand. Write a unique cover letter to each invitation to prevent rejection. Better yet, contact people outside of LinkedIn and reach agreement that your invite will be accepted.
If you want to practice, and pick up access to my contacts, invite me. My email is reinkefj@reinke.cc – you need that to get thru to me. And, for Brother Jasper’s sake, mention the Manhattan connection in the invite, so I don’t reject you. (I get a lot of invites, because I have 900 connections!) Don’t ask me to invite you because I only have 60 invites left. (No one explained the “secret” rules. See my blog for my gripes about that.)
What is a LinkedIn Group?
LinkedIn now offers LinkedIn for Groups, a new way for groups to bring value to their members.
Many professionals advance their business goals by counting on professional groups, alumni groups and workgroups to make vital new business contacts which will enhance their trusted connections. To support this important type of networking, LinkedIn for Groups enables existing groups to get their members “Linked In” — bringing their members extra features for networking and strengthening interconnections between each other.
Increase the value of your group to your members’ business lives by providing them valuable online professional networking tools
Why LinkedIn Jaspers?
It’s difficult to find Jaspers in LinkedIn. You have to look thru a lot of Marymounters, Manhattan Kansas, and even Manhattan Music College to find them all.
With the LinkedInJaspers group, the heavy lifting has been done. You can find all the Jaspers on Linkedin who have self-identified and are looking for “love” (i.e., mutually beneficial connections).
Besides if Duke, Stamford, and NotreDame are using LinkedIn Groups, why shouldn’t we? We’re better then they are.
What are LinkedInJasper’s“magic glasses”?
When you join LinkedInJaspers, your record gets a special logo. That logo is ONLY seen by other LinkedInJaspers members.
So for example,, when you do a search and scan down the results, Jaspers will have the logo on their record. So if you search for Comcast, you’ll get a bunch of records. As you scan down, my record will stand out by having the logo. If any of the other 5 Jaspers at Comcast have joined the group, you’ll see they have it as well. You can ever restrict the search to people in the group.
Sort of like, if you have “magic glasses”.
Suppose, you’re interested in company XYZ to network into for information (i.e., a job?). What’s the best way? Yup, do a search on that company using LinkedInJaspers in the search and see if there are any Jaspers you can get in touch with. In the several decades I’ve been networking with our fellow Alumni, I have never had even one refuse to “help”. (I got the idea from a Dukie with whom I shared an office. Now they have an alumni organization!)
What is a Yahoo Group?
Yahoo! Groups is like a private club on the web. It offers free mailing lists, photo & file sharing, group calendars and more. Members cab discuss hot topics, share interests, join online communities. There is a Manhattan College Alumni Yahoo Group with about 85 members.
Why is there a LinkedIn Jaspers Yahoo Group?
LinkedIn requires it. But, in addition it gives LinkedInJasper members a virtual club house to communicate with the membership at large and use the facilities of a Yahoo Group. These are not available on LinkedIn or cost money.
What is the process?
Join LinkedIn
On LinkedIn, join the LinkedInJaspers Group
Link to join: LinkedInJaspers group:
http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/2819/5C65850257C2
On LinkedInJaspers group, take the link for the website
Or use http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/LinkedInJaspers/
Join the Yahoo LinkedIn Jaspers Group
Answer the questions.
Or you can email LinkedInJaspers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com with your name, class, and LinkedIn url. Mine is http://www.linkedin.com/in/reinkefj; Yours is found on your profile page.
Why am I doing this (again)?
LinkedInJaspers on LinkedIn allows you to see your fellow alums
LinkedInJaspers on Yahoo allows you to have conversations, and other facilities.
What if I have problems?
Drop me an email at jasperjohn@reinke.cc and we’ll figure it out together.
How much does this all cost?
Nothing but your time.
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