During the resume review at Heli-Success, I probably talked to over 100 pilots looking for work, and pointed most of you to my Linked-In profile. I didn’t get much time to explain how it can help you (and the Facebook analogy is pretty bad). So, here’s why you should: Linked-In will help you stay in touch with your network. Here’s an example:
I want to work for XYZ Helicopters and I’ve sent many applications with no response. I go through my Linked-In profile, view my connections, and find somebody that I went to school with years ago that currently works there. Now I have an inside way of getting my resume into the CP’s hands.
Or, say I don’t know who to address my cover letter to. I look through my Linked-In connections and find somebody that I went to Heli-Success with who works (or worked) at XYZ Helicopters. Couple of clicks and I can get an email to him, ask him who the CP is. As a bonus, when your connection replies, he gives you a little first-hand knowledge of what the CP likes and how the working conditions are at XYZ Helicopters.
Investing the time in registering, updating, and maintaining your profile is something that’s going to help you vastly more than it’s going to help me! It’s an easy way to network, doesn’t require any hand-shaking or small-talk, and gives you up-to-date access to many more people than you’d be able to stay in touch with in-person.
All you have to do is click the link to the right. That takes you to my profile, where you ask to join my network as a colleague from Heli-Success. You’ll have to register (free), and fill in some info about your job history. That’s it. As a bonus, Linked-In will automatically scan it’s database to find other registered users who you might have worked with previously, giving you an easy way to re-connect with them. Easy and free.
I don’t use Linked-In but I do use Twitter and Facebook. I think that social media has a place in helping people find connections etc. After trying to get my ppl for a long time (with many roadblocks) I did find that one thing that may be helping me more then my perseverance is..finding a club that meets every other month. I am starting to find a connection with pilots and pilot wanna-bes that I would not normally fit in with….so dont forget the real live networking helps too.
For sure…all the online networking just serves the purpose of facilitating face-to-face meetings. The only reason I recommend Linked-In is that it is focused on professional qualifications and skills. Facebook, when used correctly, can be just as effective a way to manage your professional brand. With any social networking, what you don’t want to do is put something out there that degrades your professionalism or projects a negative image of yourself.
And glad to hear your PPL is coming along. I think for high-performers and career-minded students, it can get very stressful. There were many times (right before stage-checks and check rides) where my roommate and I seriously questioned whether pursuing our ratings was going to be worth it down the line.