LinkedIn is the interconnections of business professionals from 200 countries and more than 170 industries around the world. Unlike other web-based social networks, LinkedIn is business-oriented. It is designed primarily for professional networking and now boasts more than 40 million members making it the largest network of professionals in the world.

On LinkedIn, the people one has listed as contacts are called connections. One’s network of contacts may include direct connections, 2nd degree connections (connections added through direct connections) and 3rd degree connections (connections added through 2nd degree connections).

In 2008, LinkedIn added new features such as the Amazon Reading List (allows members to feature the books they are reading) and WordPress (allows users to publish their recent blog postings).

Just like professionals from other parts of the world, people in Hawaii can use LinkedIn to achieve a number of purposes. LinkedIn can help professionals in Hawaii to:

1. Maintain known and trusted business contacts

No need to write contact details in your address book or stuff your wallet with dozens of calling cards. LinkedIn is an easy way of storing and accessing business contact information. Plus, you always get up-to-date information about your contacts.

2. Revive former contacts

On LinkedIn, you can get connected again with former bosses, co-workers, professors, football teammates, friends, etc. These are the people who can provide recommendations and attest to your credentials.

3. Expand business networks

Through LinkedIn, you can get introduced to other professionals who your direct contact knows. And your new acquaintance may introduce you to another. The possibilities are endless. A bigger network of business acquaintances can lead to increased sales or new partnerships. For instance, if you’re selling banana breads, you may get more customers if you know more people than your local competition. If you own a restaurant, a new business acquaintance may refer you to their company for catering services.

3. Find employers or hire employees

A contact may inform you of a job vacancy, refer you to a future boss, or provide job leads. Through LinkedIn, you can also review a potential employer or target company before submitting your resume. Check out the health of the company, including the turnover rate to see how well you can grow there as a professional.

If you are looking for people to fill job vacancies in your company, searching for the right candidates is easy through a social network. You can also easily check how a candidate fared as an employee (of another company) using LinkedIn’s reference check tool.

4. Find business opportunities

Making more business connections can lead to a potential business partnership or to more opportunities for business growth. Who knows, a former colleague of yours might be looking for a business partner to start an Italian restaurant in Waikiki.

5. Share and exchange business ideas

On LinkedIn, you can share and exchange new business ideas, which may help you find new ways to improve and grow your company further.

If you want to reap the potential benefits that LinkedIn offers, registering is just the first step. Think of LinkedIn as a tool. Treat your profile page as an executive biography to increase your “connectability.” Include your educational background, affiliations and work history. Beef up your profile by highlighting your background and skills in the summary section, your goal (what you are looking for), or how you think you can contribute to organizations or help other professionals.

If you are looking for a job, utilize the Answer section. Choose questions where you can best showcase your expertise. Increase your visibility to the business world by adding connections. Set your profile to full view, so that your profile will get indexed by the search engines.