Editor’s Note: According to recent data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 70% of workers said they expected to work for pay in retirement in 2012. So we invited AARP’s Job Expert Kerry Hannon, a nationally recognized authority on career transitions and retirement, to give us some job hunting tips.

If you’re a seasoned professional who’s looking for work, you’re not alone. In a recent retirement survey from Wells Fargo, three-fourths of respondents stated that they plan on working past age 65.

My friend Bill, 54, who currently has a part-time gig, but has been aggressively looking for a full-time job for months, called to tell me he had heard of the “perfect” job at a great company. Problem was, he wasn’t sure he knew anyone working there who might be able to get his virtual resume noticed. “Without a real connection, it’s like sending a message in a bottle, or shooting an arrow in the air,” he told me.

He used his LinkedIn account to run a search and see if he knew anyone at the firm. Bingo. He did. He sent a quick email to his connection asking for help. Within a half-hour, he received a note back, and got the ball rolling. For more, go to full post on LinkedIn.