I joined LinkedIn back in June 2005, back when on-line social networking was still in its infancy. Back then, Facebook only had five million users.

It’s amazing how much has changed. Five years ago, LinkedIn was more of a curiosity than anything. When I used to ask people if they were on LinkedIn, they would ask, “What is that?” Frankly, I didn’t use it much back then and knew little about its functionality myself. A few thousand connections later, I’ve learned a thing or two about the site. These days, LinkedIn is a ubiquitous as Kleenex.

LinkedIn is probably the best thing ever to happen to recruiters. Still, I find myself wishing that a few things were different…

1. I wish that people would stop sending me generic invites, and instead tell me a quick, concise thing or two about their skills and career goals.

2. I wish people would update their profile to include a picture. It more personal and appealing to put a face with a name.

3. I wish people would use their summary and headline to express their expertise or career goals in a meaningful way.

4. I wish I could tell whether or not someone had opened my Inmail, or if it was just sitting in their in-box like a forgotten time capsule.

5. I wish that I could tell the city instead of just the greater metro area where someone lived.

6. I wish that there would be more meaningful discussion in the medical device industry groups.

7. It would be terrific if everyone’s profile were complete and up-to-date, including education and their most recent position.

8. I wish active job seekers uploaded their resumes to their profiles in the Box.net application.

9. I wish it was easier to search my contacts and organize them into a list.

10. I wish that people who list “career opportunities” as one of the things they are interested in would not decline my inmail as “not appropriate”! I just learned from LinkedIn that this will still count against me- doesn’t seem fair that I get dinged for following the rules!

The great thing about LinkedIn is that it is constantly evolving. I’ve even seen one suggestion I made adopted in the Recruiter solution. In general, I have found LinkedIn is pretty tuned into its customers.

That’s why I am hopeful there will soon be a change in the “greater metro area” concept. I am hounding them every chance I get, especially since it seems half the east coast falls in the “Greater New York City” area. Hopefully this change will be coming soon, as well as many other clever ideas that I never could have imagined of myself!

“The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” ~ Anthony Robbins

LinkedIn is a great recruiting resource, not only for recruiters but sales managers as well. In the evolving world of social media, everyone is an ambassador for the company they work for. By promoting the company and job opportunities, sales managers can attract and connect with candidates whose experience and career goals may match future hiring needs.

Here are a few ideas about how to do so:

1. Complete your profile- Use the summary section to highlight the company and explain why  sales positions with the are company exciting and rewarding. Make sure you use relevant keywords about to describe your company and industry so that your profile will come up in search results. Completing the experience section will let candidates know about your tenure and success with the company. Don’t forget a picture! Candidates accustomed to Facebook and similar sites like to see whom they are connecting with.

2. Websites- Include a link to your company’s website and a second link to the career page where candidates can look for open jobs.

3. Box.net application- Use this application to upload a job description and other company information to your LinkedIn profile. This gives interested candidates a way to learn more about your opportunities and job requirements.

5. Contact settings- Be sure you are open to Inmails and Job Inquiries. Check your settings to be sure. Include contact advice to let prospective candidates know how to reach out to you. List your email address if you’d like, or suggest candidates send you an invite to stay in touch regarding future opportunities.

6. Update your status with new jobs- Whatever you post in your status is shared with your network and visible on your profile. This is a great way to announce new positions. It is also a great way to share news like new product launches or even short quotes from happy employees about why they like working for the company.

Used this way, LinkedIn can be a great way to develop a pool of talent for future needs. Savvy candidates who are actively interviewing are likely to check LinkedIn to learn more about you. If your profile shows that you have a great track record and conveys enthusiasm for your company, strong candidates will be even more interested in working with and for you.

I love social media. LinkedIn, Twitter, blogging… count me in.

The challenge is becoming managing all the traffic it generates. I get regular requests for job search, career advice and requests about non-existent job openings.  Requests to review and provide feedback on resumes. Although I encourage people to stay connected with me thru LinkedIn, they want to send me their resume to keep on file for future opportunities – which means I have to handle it someway. Sorry, but sometimes that way is  >delete<

I just simply do not have enough time in my day to read/file/process every resume that is sent to me. Boohoo, I am sure you feel really sorry for me right now.

This tension between job seekers wanting feedback and recruiters needing to focus their time on finding the most qualified candidate comes up almost every week on #jobhuntchat. This week Rich DeMatteo @CornOnTheJob, creator of #jobhuntchat, unapologetically tweeted that there was no way the thousand or so candidates currently vying for his open positions were going to get a personal response from him. I tweeted that as much as recruiters would like to provide in-depth feedback to every candidate, we can only keep our own jobs by focusing on the most qualified candidates. There was a chorus of agreement from other recruiters on the chat.

So where is the happy middle ground?

Here are a few requests…

1. If you are seeking career advice about how to break into medical device sales, please read my blog. I have been writing it for nearly 4 years and there is a ton of information here. Please read it and feel free to comment. If there is something you’d like me to write about, let me know in comment form here on my blog. I really would love to know what would benefit you.

2. Only send your resume in response to a specific opening that you are qualified for. If for sales openings, you must be local. Everything else simply clogs the process and is a fairy tale.

3. Pay it forward. If you see I have an opening, please rack your brain for someone who might be a great fit. I will appreciate it very much and yes you will earn a special place in my heart. I pay it forward by writing this blog, participating on #jobhuntchat and sharing useful sales, industry and job search info on Twitter. I do this all on my own time.

Find me on Twitter @MyJobScope

4. I welcome LinkedIn invites as the best way to stay in touch for future openings. I search my LinkedIn network for EVERY opening I have. If you are in my network, you will hear from me if there is an opening in your area that you are qualified for. You do not need to send me your resume now.

Connect with me on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamcmedicalsalesrecruiter

My blog, Twitter and LinkedIn are great places were we can interact, benefit and learn from each other. I look forward to it!

I am recruiting for a number of sales and marketing positions right now. It is good to be busy.

So here is my offer: if you refer a qualified sales or marketing candidate to me who is ultimately hired, I will give you a 45-minute career consultation, with the intent of helping you achieve success in landing a position or furthering your career in medical device sales and marketing.

This limited time offer will include:

• resume review
• career path assessment
• personalized interviewing tips and strategies

The openings:

ConMed Electrosurgery various Territory Manager openings around the country. Successful candidates will have 3-7 years in outside B2B sales with a proven track record of success. CURRENT OPENINGS

ConMed Linvatec Marketing Director, Interns and various Sales representative openings. Prior medical device experience preferred (especially orthopedics) for sales and Director role.  Openings

For sales positions, we can only consider local candidates.

If you know of an outstanding candidate in an area we do not currently have an opening- I would still love to hear from you. I will keep note of your referral, and should an opening arise in that area your referral will be one of the first considered.

How to refer:

Best to reach me through LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamcmedicalsalesrecruiter, post a comment here and or email me.  I regularly post new openings through my status on LinkedIn as well as on Twitter on @MyJoScope. Let’s get connected so you will be the first to know!

I look forward to hearing from you.

LinkedIn is growing by leaps and bounds.  It is considered the pre-eminent business social networking site on the Internet. There are more than 60 million business professionals who have LinkedIn profiles, including an increasing number of surgeons and hospital administrators.

Here is a quick primer of how you can use LinkedIn as a medical device sales representative:

1. Build a quality profile for yourself. In your summary, include your value proposition for customers: the products you offer and how you can benefit potential clients. Including a picture on your profile is a must.
2. Start building your network by inviting people you know to join your network. Don’t be shy about accepting invitations. It will help you build your network. If you truly do not want to connect with someone, “archive” their invitation. Once you are connected with someone, be sure to interact with them from time to time.
3. Join a few key groups- this will expand your reach of people you can send messages to. For instance, there is a group called “Orthopedic Surgeons” that might provide you with some good connections.
4. Use the search function to research and connect with potential customers in your area- surgeons, hospital administrators, OR Staff, C-Level contacts. LinkedIn profiles are often rich with background information that could prove incredibly useful during the sales process.
5. Once you’ve begun building your network, ask your current customers for recommendations. These testimonials will build your credibility as you reach out to new potential customers.

Be sure to send me an invite to join your network! You can find me at http://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamcmedicalsalesrecruiter

“Networking is simply the cultivating of mutually beneficial, give and take, win-win relationships. It works best, however, when emphasizing the ‘give’ part.” -– Bob Burg, Author and Speaker

Having a professional Linked In profile is a must if you are seeking a job in medical device sales. You can simultaneously promote your current business and open yourself to new opportunities.

If you wouldn’t mind being found by an enterprising recruiter who may have a great job opportunity for you, then you need to make yourself easy to be found. Here are a few ways to do it:

1. If you can pull it off, select Medical Devices or Hospital & Healthcare as your industry. At a minimum, list medical devices as one of your interests or as part of your summary.

2. Be sure you are “Interested In” career opportunities. This gives recruiters and others permission to approach you through LinkedIn with positions that might interest you.

3. Join a few groups centered on the medical device industry. A few I recommend are: Medical Device Networkers, Medical Device Sales Professionals, MedCareerVillage and and local medical device groups that may be in your area. Be sure you set your permissions to be open to emails from other group members.

4. Have a complete profile, including your complete work history, select accomplishments and awards. You should list your education. The more detailed your profile is, the more attention you will attract.

5. If you feel comfortable doing so, list your email address and your phone number on your profile. I also recommend having LinkedIn messages (called “inmails”) forwarded to your personal email account. That way you won’t miss out on important messages because you’ve haven’t checked your account in a while. Timing can be everything.

Don’t forget to add a picture. When you begin to network through LinkedIn, having a picture will increase the level of interest in your profile. It’s simple, but people like to see who they are dealing with. When you are ready, ask for a few recommendations, and your profile will really be impressive!

If you’d like to get even more in-depth, see my earlier post on recommended reading or contact a professional, like Resume Wonders, for assistance in developing a truly stellar profile.

Tomorrow, I am going to the WordPress and Social Media Meet-Up in Denver, lead by Mike O’Neil and Lori Ruff. They are LinkedIn experts, from whom I’ve learned a lot. They also mix in a lot of fun classic rock-and-roll, hence the title of their new book on LinkedIn profiles.

There is no question that social media in its various forms is transforming the way we communicate about many things, including jobs. In March, Facebook surpassed Google as the most visited site in the US.

If you are a job seeker, trust me, you need to make sure your LinkedIn profile is polished and public. It is not hard to imagine that profiles like these might someday replace resumes all together. Even if you are not an active job seeker, I still recommend listing “career opportunities” as one of the things you are open to receiving messages about. A great one might come your way as a result.

Sometimes its good to look for even small reasons to celebrate. So break out the champagne, I have surpassed 500 contacts on Linked-In!

Hitting the 500+ mark on Linked-In is considered the “big time”. They stop counting individual connections after that point. Thank you to the many who have accepted my requests or reached out to me to join my network.

If you haven’t yet connected to me, you can find me at
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamcglinvatecsalesrecruiter

Once in my network, you will be notified when I update what I am working on (like new positions), add new connections or join new groups. My blog is also uploaded to my Linked In page.

If you haven’t spent much time on Linked In, now is a great time to build your network in anticipation of new possibilities in 2010!