Maybe you're in the middle of a software deployment and need advice from someone who's been there. Perhaps you're seeking a new mentor to help you carve out a career path or improve an existing skillset. Either way, navigating LinkedIn's waters, which are full of HR representatives, recruiters, jobseekers and managers, isn't always easy.
The key to successful connections with these different personalities lies in both the approach and the details of communication, according to Blake Angove, director of technology services at staffing company LaSalle Network. "LinkedIn doesn't just have to be for job seekers — there's value beyond that," he says. "It's built for professional networking, which makes it easy for you to effectively search out and connect with the professionals you're looking for, for a variety of reasons."