I've never quite known what to think about LinkedIn - a social network that friends and co-workers keep inviting me to via email. Therefore, I was excited to find out that our sister publication The Register Citizen would be hosting a class on the subject in its new classroom with expert Cindy Donaldson from Founders Insurance Group.

The class taught me that it's all about who you know and are connected to on Linked In that matters, and you have to know how to fill out your profile so you will be found.

If you are looking for a job or looking to hire someone, LinkedIn can be a great tool. Through the people you are already connected to, you can find other prospective employers or employees with just the click of a button. And you don't have to used the paid version - the free version of LinkedIn is just fine.

LinkedIn allows you to upload your resume, share some highlights of what you've done in your career and connects to your Twitter feed and your blog, if you want them all connected. You can also join groups that can help you in your career.

My first step after the class was to go in and add my profile picture - that's where I had gotten stuck several months earlier when I first set up the account. LinkedIn also lets you import contacts from your email account to see if people you already know are in the network - kind of like on Facebook - and you can click through your friends and connect with others you might know.

I am by no means an expert on the subject and probably never will be, but I feel more comfortable with the site now and will hopefully be able to use it to make connections with people in the local community. Come find my profile here.