We've talked about the power of networking online and offline, including the use of Twitter to connect with recruiters and employers. LinkedIn is another online social network which can be a great resource for any job seeker who wants to begin building a network (that may eventually lead to a job) quickly and easily.  Here a few tips that can help you use LinkedIn effectively as a job seeker:
1.    Create a professional profile.  Creating a professional profile is the key to getting others to take you seriously on LinkedIn.  Treat your LinkedIn profile like a resume.  Make sure your job experience listed is complete and accurate.
2.    Use keywords.  Use the right keywords in your profiles so that recruiters and employers can find you easily.
3.    Connect to former supervisors and colleagues.  Make sure you get them to post recommendation for you on your account.  A LinkedIn recommendation from a former supervisor can go long way in impressing recruiters and employers.
4.    Connect with others.  This one is tricky because anyone who has spent any time on social networks knows that there are tons of spammers who send out blanket "friends requests" to people they've never met. This is a huge turnoff for those professionals who are serious about using LinkedIn to make real connections. Before you send a friend request, make sure you have something of value to offer that person. Which takes us to our next point…
5.    Don't be a spammer.  Make sure that you offer value to the LinkedIn community.  Join groups/discussion boards and share information that can help others.  Think about sharing articles, job leads and information about upcoming events. You may even want to start a blog/column to share your expertise and knowledge.  This will make others want to be connected to you.
6.    Take your connections offline.  If your LinkedIn contacts are local you need to cultivate the relationship so that it eventually goes offline.  Think about inviting others to offline events or classes.  And if you've followed some of our other tips, you may even have an offline course or discussion of your own that you can invite your LinkedIn connections to.