It is hard to imagine, but Linkedin still has a tremendous amount of growing to do.

In terms of membership, of course. But also in terms of the share of time spent on the site during job search. All those people who have dutifully added their profile and have now begun the arduous task of waiting for people to come find them. Well, of course, there will be some of that. You get your self out there and, yes, people will find you.

My advice? Stop waiting and go find them. They are out there.
The real value of Linkedin, of course, has to do with networking. Specifically in building a strong and accessible network. And, in my opinion, you don’t do that through accepting every possible invitation to connect.

You do it by building relationships.

They can either be created on Linkedin or formalized there through a connection. However, if you read the post regarding my Linkedin policy, you know that I am not a LION (Linkedin Open Networker). I am a self-described LAMB – although I have not decided what the acronym stands for . . . nor do I particularly like the term. But here we are.

So, Linkedin groups may just be the greatest (and often the most under-utilized) tools on Linkedin. If you’ve been on Linkedin for a while, you may have joined a group or two. A college alumni group or a former company alumni group, perhaps?

Well, those are good. But honestly, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of powerful interaction going on there. Especially for those out there cracking the pavement looking for work these days.

A good LInkedin group has a well stated purpose, requires that memberships be approved, includes active members (not just badge collectors and LIONs), has a good ratio of helpful people and has an active owner (keeping things real). Yes, not just everyone out for themselves.

It is also not about quantity. 100 or 10,000 doesn’t much matter. Although, too many discussions and I worry about not being able to keep up!

So, based on that criteria and my own experience with these groups, here are the Top 10 (no particular order) as I see it . . .

1. Indeed.com – A Group for Indeed.com job-seekers and employers. Indeed.com is the leading search engine for jobs. ONE SEARCH. ALL JOBS

2. CPGpeople – A Professional networking group for people with an extensive CPG/Consumer Prod, or FMCG background.

3. Linking the LaidOff – Are you, or someone you know, one of the 1.2 Million Americans who lost their jobs in 2008? If so, please join us in Linking The Laid Off.

4. Helping Friends Career Network (LI2HF) – Welcome to the LinkedIn2 HFCN group — a business and career network of networkers for entrepreneurs, hiring managers, recruiters, and talented professionals worldwide to make meaningful win win win connections!

5. Career Rocket Ship – Welcome to Career Rocket Ship, a new career advancement networking group where any and all career-seekers and career-changers can post their career objectives and where any and all employers and recruiters can browse and search for available job candidates and/or post their available opportunities.

6. Success Through Networking - The purpose of this Professional Networking Group is to assist members who wish to advance their careers through professional networking. Members assist each other by mentoring, networking and passing on job leads. We are different because we take a proactive approach to networking.

7. Women for Hire – This group is for professionals who support Women For Hire’s mission to help women launch and advance their careers. Members of this group seek the advice and connections of others, and they’re willing to reciprocate with advice and connections as well.

8. TalentBar: HR and Recruiter Network – TalentBar is the premier networking group for the recruiting, staffing, and Human Resources fields, with over 30K recruiters, HR, and recruitment or talent consultants. Connect with alumni and colleagues, or make new friends and connections.

9. Executive Suite – Welcome to the Executive Suite where you can connect with over 100,000 US-based executive and recruiter members. For additional career advice, recruiter connections and job opportunities, please go to www.execunet.com.

10. Spin Strategy™ – This group is comprised of active job seekers as well as employed professionals offering tips, advice and strategies for successful job search. Spin Strategy is based on a blog and website: Spin Strategy – Tools for Intelligent Job Search.

Well, you really didn’t think I could leave that last one off, did you?

So, now it is your turn. Which groups did I miss? If you are a group owner or have a favorite I’ve not listed, add a comment below, tell me about it and leave a link for others to follow.

Linkedin is an amazing resource. But here’s a little secret.

You have to use it.

-From Spin Strategy