By Dave Mendoza, Master Cybersleuth, an Affiliate Partner, JobMachine Inc.

Yesterday I hit 8,000 connections on Linkedin.

I am stating it not to boast - I don’t throw footballs in the end zone with creative knee wobbling.

I simply want to mark the occasion to publicly thank everyone who has connected with me.

I thought Glenn Gutmacher put it best, that I have been fortunate to stand “… on the shoulders of giants” and certainly, this would be an opt description for Shally Steckerl and Glenn. I live and breathe social networking and an hour doesn’t go by that I am not logged into my Linkedin account availing myself to fellow colleagues and varied passive talent groups.

To be a recruiter and not actively utilizing Linkedin as part of your daily resources is to proceed into the War for Talent unarmed. I encourage all of my colleagues to embrace networking by first and foremost reaching out to your fellow colleagues who sit next to you, across the nation and globally to share best practices and to mutually benefit from 2nd and 3rd degrees of inclusion.

The bigger your network grows the more you can do with LinkedIn so I like to encourage people to invite other open connectors to their network. and insert my email, ldavemendoza AT gmail.com

I’ve taken the liberty to likewise strongly encourage you to reach out and connect to my colleagues:

** Shally Steckerl, Click http://tinyurl.com/2vqxr2, enter this address, (shally@jobmachine.net)

** Glenn Gutmacher, Click http://tinyurl.com/2755ts, enter this address, (glenn@recruiting-online.com)

Both Shally & Glenn are also open networkers and would welcome you and your friends’ connection requests. Within LinkedIn you can choose to identify yourself as a open connector by selecting to be listed as an “Open Link” Open Link Networker. Shally has been kind enough to develop a list where you can find other open networkers like us here:

•LIONS (http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/linkedinlions/) •MLPF (http://www.mylinkedinpowerforum.com/)

•TopLinked (http://www.toplinked.com/)
•MyLinkWiki (http://toplinkedin.pbwiki.com/)

As my colleagues would profess, there is value in sharing our contacts on LinkedIn. Here’s one of Shally’s famous articles written on LinkedIn if you are interested:

“Becoming A Promiscuous Linker on Linkedin“: http://www.ere.net/blogs/CyberSleuthing/5906A153A51141918B6697BF535...

Reach out my friends. Send me an invite and be part of a broader circle within “Six Degrees From Dave”

Have a wonderful weekend with your families and everyone who makes life fulfilling.

Always strive to be part of something bigger than yourself.

PS: Consider networking with recruiters and staffing leaders, fellow CyberSleuths I admire like: * Amy Beth Hale

* Barry Geiman
* Carl Chapman
* Craig Silverman
* Dakotta Alex
* Dennis Smith
* Eric Jaquith
* Gerry Crispin
* Hilary Taubman-Dye
* Jason Davis, Founder, Recruiting.com
* Jason Gorham
* Joel Cheesman
* Jim Stroud
* Keith Halperin
* Krista Bradford
* Leslie O’Connor
* Maureen Sahrib
* Michael Kelemen
* Otis Collier
* Ritesh Nair
* Rob McIntosh
* Russ Moon
* Sean Rehder
* Seth Williams
* Steve Levy
* Steven Rothberg
* Suzy Tonini
* Tim O’Connor

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