Making connections to hiring managers, employees via LinkedIn

    If you don't know me, I have a background in design verification/EDA, and almost always have a few great former colleagues seeking employment.  This message compiles a few good links on the topic of LinkedIn and jobseeking, hope it helps!

   I've suggested to a number of people that if you could find people in LinkedIn that could help your job/contract search
(for research, for resume expediting, to check for existence of unadvertised jobs, or to try to get a job created/remoted for you because of a very special skill match),
then you could write a linked in introduction to said person, and  I would happily forward it (I recommend you give me hints about points to highlight in recommending you for this specific position/company, either in the portion of the intro that is for me, or in a separate email).  It is better if I know you, but if I only know you via a contact or two that will vouch for you, I will still consider it.  These introductions do by and large reach their intended recipients.  I spent all this time in 2002/2003 building up a big network, someone should benefit from it.  So here is the nuts and bolts of that:

http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/2009/11/17/how-to-request-and-introduction-on-linkedin/
http://windmillnetworking.com/2009/07/09/linkedin-introductions-how-to-ask/

This last link tells generally how LinkedIn can be used to help in a job search.  Most people can do everything they need to with the free LI service, by the way.

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2009/02/10-ways-to-use.html#axzz0dB7wOYZL

Cheers,
Connie