In today’s world, networking takes numerous forms. Not only do professionals connect through face-to-face interactions, but also through the Internet. LinkedIn is no exception as it allows individuals to connect from the comfort and convenience of their office, local coffee shop or couch at home.
The first step into the LinkedIn experience is creating an account. The process is simple and will take only a matter of minutes. The individual must provide their first and last name and e-mail as well as create a password. Along with the basics, information regarding the individual’s current working status will be required. This field will allow the individual to specify his or her company, job title and the industry they belong to. There is also a field for prospective members who are currently looking for work and want their information visible to potential employers.
Upon successfully joining LinkedIn, it is important for all Illinois State University alumni to join the Alumni Association group that was created to benefit all alumni. By the steps provided below, members will be a part of the Illinois State Alumni Association in no time. Go to ISULinkedIn to find the Alumni Association group directly, or to view the wide variety of Illinois State groups, follow the directions below.
- Click on the “Groups” link in the upper left corner of the screen
- Click on “Groups Directory,” one of three tabs at the top of the next page
- Type “Illinois State University” in the Search Groups box on the right and click search
- Find the group and select it
- Once the group has been selected, the individual will be able to join the group pending approval by the administrator
The Illinois State University Alumni Association group currently contains over 2,100 members and has added over 100 new members in the past week. All members are given the opportunity to experience the benefits that the Illinois State Alumni Association group presents. The most widely used feature is the group discussion. The discussion section of the group allows members to create discussions on different topics as well as commenting on other member’s topics. The following steps show how to quickly begin a discussion:
- Click on the “Overview” tab at the top of the Illinois State University Alumni group page
- Scroll down to the section “Start a Discussion”
- Within this section, the member will put a brief title describing their discussion topic
- The individual has the option to start the discussion by adding more details, or they can wait for other members to click on the topic and start discussing
Members are not required to create discussions on their own. Different discussions created by several members are available for all Illinois State University Alumni Association group members to comment on and discuss. By clicking on the “Discussions” tab within the group, members will have access to every created discussion. There are discussions for everyone, with topics ranging from finding a job to life in Watterson Towers.
By joining LinkedIn, members are granted access to a large social networking site filled with thousands of professionals from numerous fields. Although Illinois State University alumni have chosen different career paths, the ability to reconnect with individuals who have shared the same past experiences is priceless.
