LinkedIN at Muncie Free Press - Delaware County Indiana | News and Information

Gary Thomas, president of Thomas Business Machines, talks about the impact of LinkedIn and social media in the market. Photo: Rick Yencer

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN - In the world of social media, LinkedIn is a big and fast network to find a career by college students and job seekers and for employers to capture that new intern or rising sales or management star.

 And Gary Thomas, president of Thomas Office Machines, offered a few tips Thursday to members of Easy Central Indiana Social Media Group to make the most  of networking with popular LinkedIn, that has 189 millions users, is preferred by 39 percent of hiring managers and hits that all important 18-24 year-old demographic.

 By day, Thomas sells printers, copies and other business machines, but always looks how to interconnect what he sells to social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and those quick stop QR codes that look like a puzzle, but are a shortcut to websites, discount coupons and other content. He's the third generation of his family business that commands a space on Kilgore Avenue next to Beech Grove Cemetery..

 He also is known online for creating a Facebook page for that utility pole that sits in the intersection of Jackson and Tillotson after construction of the new CVS Pharmacy and accompanying street work next to it.