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The Internet is a confusing entity. It’s expanded at an exponential rate; it covers literally every topic, subject or piece of knowledge ever known to man. But it’s chaotic; at times useful; at times baffling; at times frustrating. The younger generation grew up with it; it’s another language, another skill they seamlessly wrap around their online lives.

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But not everyone grew up with the Internet, and even if you did, there are still parts of it that need guidance. One of those parts is social media. My Space used to be no.1, now surpassed by the unstoppable Facebook. Twitter was all the rage, but people are logging off, leaving it to find its seemingly natural spot as every citizen journalist’s outlet for news (particularly in Iran). You Tube has the market cornered for videos, but it’s LinkedIn that is the go-to place 
for business.

Most people already know where LinkedIn fits — as a place for people to connect for business — but it’s knowing how to use it that is Rick Itzkowich’s speciality. Already nicknamed ‘The LinkedIn Guy,’ Itzkowich is passionate about the website and has built a business around teaching people how to use it. But what is it about LinkedIn that people are missing?

“At my seminars I ask, ‘how many people have heard of LinkedIn?’ Everyone’s hands go up. Then I ask, ‘Leave your hands up if you have a LinkedIn profile.’ About 90 per cent stay up. ‘Leave your hands up if you’re generating business through LinkedIn.’ 90 per cent of the hands go down. You see no one knows how to use it.”

It’s through seminars and talks that Itzkowich opens up the world of LinkedIn to interested parties. Recently in Dubai, he held six workshops attended by over 550 people, then moved on to Bahrain for a similar talk. Much of what he tells people is about maximising how you use LinkedIn, taking advantage of the different sections, defining your profile, how to make sure you are found, how to make sure people focus on your key attributes. For instance, he says it’s useful for hiring and job-hunting. “If you’re hiring you can actually promote what you’re hiring and use your network to find the right person — even if that person is not looking; it’s a network.”

Oddly enough, Itzkowich is not employed in any way by LinkedIn. His business is completely separate, yet he’s in demand to talk about it — and demand is growing. From his workshops in Dubai, he’s now lined up meetings in India and the UK. It’s clear people want someone to show them how to master the website — one that can open doors worldwide. It turns out the web isn’t that confusing after all — it just needs a guide.

Search for Rick on LinkedIn, make a connection, then learn from ‘The LinkedIn Guy’ about maximising your use of the site.

charlie@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE