Social Media: I'm on LinkedIn. Now What?

Maybe you can relate to my initial experience on LinkedIn: I set up a profile, plugged in my resumé info and "connected" with a few colleagues. Then I sat around wondering, "Now what?" Well, the site has grown up a lot. What started as an online resumé service is now a full-fledged professional network with 200 million users. Here are three ways to make the most of it:

1) Join Groups: Join a few groups related to your profession and discuss issues with other people in your field. For example, our Hardwood Floors magazine group (shameless plug!) has more than 3,200 flooring professionals who are constantly bouncing ideas off of each other.

2) Find a Job: LinkedIn is very helpful should you find yourself on the job search. Search for jobs by title, keyword or specific employer. Set up email alerts to be notified when jobs you may be interested in become available. Upgrade to a premium account and contact job posters directly.

3) Research Potential Hires: Once you've used LinkedIn to land that dream job, you'll be the one doing the hiring. Use LinkedIn to look at applicants' resumés and see if they have endorsements or recommendations from past employers.

Hopefully these tips point you in the right direction. How would I know? LinkedIn is how I scored this job.