Using Linkedin efficiently

[Amp34]

I moved countries at the end of last year, during the biggest downturn in my industry in 20-50 years... Good timing!

Anyway there are essentially no relevant jobs here at the moment. I've uploaded my CV to various industry recruiting websites and availed myself with the agencies. Now all I can think of now is leveraging contacts of contacts on Linkedin.

Specifically it will be contacts of just a couple of people I have worked with that are from here. What is the etiquette for doing this? I get the feeling that just linkedin messaging "Hi, look at my profile, got any jobs?!" is probably not the right way to go about it, especially when I've never met any of these people... That said, using the introduction feature probably isn't great considering they are contacts of just a couple people, there's also the small matter of the need for a short message.

Any pointers from people that have done this before would be helpful (even if it "don't do this"...)

EDIT: The people I'm thinking of contacting would be CEOs and Directors of small companies, rather than lower level employees.

 

[Amp34]

I'm not too keen on just providing the guy with a list of names for his contacts so he can "introduce" me. He has already been pretty helpful with connections. I did have a meeting through one of his connections already (but was told they weren't actually hiring when I got through the door and spoke to the managers... Disconnect between CEO and lower management apparently!). I think the biggest issue I have is how to differentiate myself from the other hundred people calling them, all asking for jobs, especially as I'm not really that great of a networker/social bee.

Unfortunately meetup.com doesn't really have anything for my industry (Oil and Gas), I've been looking on there, for both job related and social things. Oddly the societies I am a member of don't appear to be as active for social things this side of the Atlantic (usually have "young persons" events/socials every so often, but none here so far). I'm not too keen on forking out hundreds of dollars to go to the other industry events at the moment (conferences and exhibitions), although am trying to get to the few free ones - not that that's helped so far.

My current feeling is to look into other jobs that utilise some of my skills, but I'm drawing a blank on what they could be at the moment! I think i'd rather work in something like landscaping than sat in an office doing something unrelated to my core skills at the moment, but that's a different matter! Currently not in too much of a hurry to get a job, but I've been saying that for 6 months now, and the other work I have been doing is drawing to a close. I think myself, like a significant portion of the industry are hoping OPEC will get their act together or the middle east implodes...