Hello,

If you are in the market for a job, especially if you have at least several years of work experience, you should be taking advantage of the significant benefits LinkedIn can bring to your job search, including warm leads into companies or to people you are targeting, the possibility of creating new job leads through recruiters who frequently use the site or people who are impressed with comments you post on the site, and access to posted and unposted job openings. So how do you take advantage of LinkedIn if you’re a job seeker?

1. Create a Thoughtful Profile. According to LinkedIn, you are 40X more likely to receive opportunities if your profile is complete. A complete profile includes your current job and 2 previous jobs, your educational background, a profile summary, profile picture, your specialties and at least 3 recommendations. Your profile summary should highlight your passions, interests AND your personality. Your work experience should highlight the specific actions taken and the impact achieved. Many people make the mistake of writing their experience as a recitation of tasks; e.g. built models, created presentations. If you’ve created presentations, projects or have other work that showcases your talents, use an app like Slideshare or Box.net to include your work in your profile. Thoughtful (vs boilerplate) recommendations from colleagues who can speak to specific skills or your impact can help.LinkedIn has a simple tool that lets you solicit them for people you know. Once and only when your profile is complete, include a link to it in your email signature, on your resume, and even on your business card.

Hi All,

Like Johnny Lemonade, I too have been away from here for far too long, but no pregancies here--congrats to you and the Mrs!  This has been a crazy Summer and I have been busy with the launch of the print edition of my book that just came out.  But I always believe you never forget your roots, and as someone who has been laid off twice before hitting her entrepreneurial stride, my heart is always with those who have been handed lemons by an employer.

Hi Lemonaders,

It has definitely been a long time, and I know I have written this same blog several times already explaining why and vowing it will never happen again...I SWEAR...this time I mean it ;). Well, I can't really, but I can tell you the reason behind my not blogging lately.

We recently found out, Mrs. Lemonade and I, that we are pregnant...with twins! I cannot begin to tell you the joy we feel because of this. Things have been gerat and we have been celebrating and getting ready for their arrival, even though it is about 5 1/2 months away.

As planned, I will work on changing some things on LemonadeIt to reflect our new focus. Adversity can face anyone, even the employed, and we want LemonadeIt.com to reflect this.

Saty tuned and Happy Friday!

Johnny Lemonade

Are you a University of Miami alumnus? If so, are you looking for a job? Need to make a career change? Then don’t miss the Fall Career Expo on Wednesday, September 16, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. in the BankUnited Center on the Coral Gables Campus. This is a great opportunity to network with hundreds of recruiters representing almost every industry! View the list of companies (updated daily) at www.miami.edu/careerexpo. Make sure to bring ID and plenty of resumes. Professional Dress is required to enter.

Hi Lemonaders,

While enjoying a nice relaxing weekend with friends, I started thinking about the focus of LemonadeIt.

As you know, LemonadeIt was started with the sole purpose of providing the unemployed with a platform to share their story and help others going through similar challenges....the First Online Community for the Unemployed.

This was my dilemma...why only the unemployed? Everyone is faced with diversity at some point, and most of the time it has nothing to do with work, or lack there of. After all, life throws 'curve' balls often, which you have to make the best of.

With this in mind, and to always stay one step ahead of the thousands of sites popping up daily about pink slip parties, unemployed, etc, I want to officially change the message of our community because you HAVE to LemonadeIt, no matter what life hands you.

Johnny Lemonade