Hi Christina,
You share an excellent example of strategically using a social network to meet your identified goals. The description of your intentional use of LinkedIn to specifically connect with colleagues, local recruiters, and HR managers is a perfect example of how you've deliberately designed your PLN (Personal Learning Network). Using the word-of-mouth information shared by your carefully selected network, you learn in real-time and continuously. The examples of useful information you share such as IT certification trends, fresh job orders and leads, and even employer feedback on the characteristics they seek in candidates are all a result of your intentional use of this one platform. Although it may seem like common sense, I have found that many use tools such as LinkedIn without having first identified their intent, goals, and thus, strategy of how they will wield the tool to serve their work/business needs. You've done this brilliantly and this is merely one example of goals that may be achieved. Thank you for sharing as you've illustrated a real-world example of strategic and intentional use of social tools to serve your objectives vs. simply using tools to communicate with others.
Robert Starks Jr.