LinkedIn To My Past

Early in my job search, I was advised to join LinkedIn. It is apparently the go-to site for connecting with former colleagues and acquaintances, like a Facebook for professionals. Once you sign on, you surf the site to see who you might know and ask them to join your network. It was a way for me to get the word out that I was back in the job market, and hope that someone would think of me if a relevant position popped up.

I was somewhat tentative to put my "professional self" out there. It was discouraging to fit my experience to the format - so many people had hefty resumes and I had a large gap during my years at home.

I took the plunge anyway and started searching out people who I worked with years ago. It was a pleasant surprise to hear back from many who remembered me. Frankly, it felt good after wearing my "mom hat" for so long.

One former co-worker, who has been very supportive, e-mailed me:

"You have a great brain and it didn't atrophy while child rearing. You get in front of enough people and they will see how remarkable you are." That kept me inspired for a quite a few days. (Now I just need a potential employer to feel the same way!)

I was encouraged by the fact that several offered advice and promised to keep me in mind if a job turned up. People I never would have expected were quick to step forward.

I feel that LinkedIn has given me some momentum. I have few lunch dates scheduled. There have been some introductions into a couple of key companies that might have potential. I got one lead so far that didn't pan out. Another that might be a real possibility.

Who knows if this is how I will land a job ... for me, it has been a starting point to the networking process.

I'm hearing again and again that in this tough job market, you have to know someone to get the inside track, more than ever before. I believe this is accurate from my experiences thus far. I've applied for at least a dozen jobs on the Internet. No interviews yet. In most cases, I never hear anything back and wonder if I pushed the correct button when I sent my information into cyberspace. I shudder at the thought of how many resumes join mine in the pile.

I've been told not to take things personally and that the job hunt will take time. It's difficult not to be impatient.

Looking at the bright side, as I must do to keep my spirits up, I already have a total of 29 LinkedIn connections and counting ... anyone interested in joining my network?