In my experience the hardest part of keeping up with those in your network is job movement. Much of the time all of the contact information I have for a particular individual is 100% related to their job. Company name, work phone number and a work e-mail address. If they leave that job I suddenly have no way to reach them.

 

Job changes happen ALL the time! I don't know exactly what the statistic is these days, but I'm sure it's safe to say that the average tenure at one company is only 3-5 years. So how on earth do you figure out where these people in your network went if they change jobs and you don't have any relevant contact information?

 

The answer is LinkedIn. One of the most valuable things about LinkedIn for me is also one of the simplest. It's the notification that someone has added a new position or made another change to their profile. The other side of the coin is important also. If you change jobs you want your network to know that you've made the move. All you have to do is update your profile on LinkedIn and notify all of your connections.

 

If you're not already on LinkedIn, then please setup an account today. It's free and a very valuable service. You can find some great information about how best to use LinkedIn on Scott Allen's Blog: LinkedIntelligence. I have another friend who is in the process of writing a book about how best to used LinkedIn that I'll let you know about as soon as it comes out.

 

To get the most out of LinkedIn you'll want to connect with those in your network (this is what LinkedIn is all about).

 

Finally, make sure that your profile is up to date and that your correct e-mail address is listed so you can be contacted by those in your network.

 

LinkedIn is a great tool. Like any tool, it only works if you use it. If you're not on LinkedIn spend 20 minutes and setup an account, start your profile and make a few connections. If you're already on LinkedIn spend 20 minutes learning how to better use it, or make a few more connections.

 

Happy Networking!

 

Scott Ingram

 

P.S. If we're not already connected on LinkedIn you can find my profile here: Scott Ingram's LinkedIn Profile. Please only make a connection request if we actually know each other. I do not connect randomly to people I haven't met (we're not actually part of each others network). Of course those situations can be corrected if you reach out and work to build a relationship with me.