This is the third part of a four-part series about how to get the best of social media. Check out the first part about Facebook or the second part about Twitter, and stay tuned for the rest!

What’s going on with LinkedIn?

The whole point of social networking is to make connections, and none are more business-like about it than LinkedIn. This professional network focuses heavily on individuals and personal connections in a business setting. Having a LinkedIn profile is essentially like having a dynamic online resume that, in addition to providing details about your background and past employment history, also showcases the people to whom you are connected.

Within the LinkedIn site, there are a variety of tools to help you professionally network, including the ability to search for and apply to job listings, automatically connecting your Facebook or Twitter feeds, and writing recommendations for your connections, who hopefully will return the favor for you. Since LinkedIn is such a professional site and does not have much room for potentially embarrassing personal details, the accumulated recommendations makes for a great reference for people who are applying for new jobs.

If your position at your company is fueled by personal networking, such as a headhunting or sales position, LinkedIn is the perfect tool to help you expand your social horizons efficiently.