Brazen careerist
Where ambitious young professionals connect and grow
Email
Print
A few months ago I opened an account with LinkedIn. I had never heard of it before that day, in fact I only found it because my friend had mentioned it.
And now, today, I realize that I should probably delete the account or actually use it. I logged on, delved into my curiosity and did a few searches to see what I thought about it. In my journey of discovery I decided that this site could be extremely useful to me. On the site, I'm given the opportunity to bas
For more timely, relevant, and engaging articles,
subscribe to Brazen Careerist.
- Continuing Education: Extending Learning Beyond Your Campus Years
- Why You Might Be Better Off Without a Job After College
- A New Kind of Business Mover and Shaker
- The Anti-Stalker’s Guide for Converting Online Contact into Real World Collaboration
- How To Find a Writing Partner Who Can Help You Achieve Your Goals and Make More Money
Comments
03.25.09
I met the founders back in 2005 through an "alumni show your business to students" type program, and then really didn't think much about it for a couple years. Of course that was when even Facebook and MySpace were in their infancy and new social networks were a dime a dozen. LinkedIn seems to have been one of the ones that "stuck" and has since managed to distinguish itself as the premier online business networking tool. I think you'd be a fool not to be on it now though. At one point connections through LinkedIn accounted for about 50% of the new hires in my group (including me).
It's definitely not (thank goodness) just another place to vent and talk about how your day sucked or how you stared at your fingernails while you were eating breakfast. LinkedIn is all about making connections and finding jobs and business opportunities. Their paid mail system may seem harsh, but it does a great job of eliminating spam and helps InMail to be taken more seriously. Applying for jobs, arguably the service that you really wanted anyway, is free.
03.26.09
To some people, linkedin seems like a dirty word.
They think you're looking for a job when you still have a job. Intentionally and being disloyal. The dirty look i get is just... unbelievable.
I think we should be careful about who we tell about our involvement in linkedin because the site is looked as a "job and networking" sort of opportunities.
I mean we may not necessarily be looking for a new job.
I quite like the network and reading through the discussions relevant to my interest area.
I also find that I am not comfortable in posting my resume, maybe because it's not so great yet.
On a side note, I found some great people in there whom I wish to be like one day. Hehe.
03.26.09
Liza, excellent distinction between networking and social media. The closest aspect to a social function on LinkedIn is their Group function, where you can participate in discussions. I encourage you to stay involved in Linkedin, over the last 3 years, we've seen an ever increasing amount of hires coming the networks we develop on LinkedIn.
03.26.09
I have a LinkedIn profile, and I've invited other classmates and contacts to join. I have no problem posting up my resume. Some people do and that is acceptable. I won't force anyone into using this service.
This service for me fills a niche that facebook doesn't. I want to connect with former and current professors, classmates, business contacts and acquaintances because the future is uncertain. I may lose my job, or one of my contacts may be looking for a job. With a service like LinkedIn (or Jobster for instance) hiring and finding people becomes easier. It's also a clean place to *not* post your political views of photos of you wasted last weekend. I don't care to see that stuff for 99% of my contacts. I don't use Facebook for business purposes, so LinkedIn fits well.
Groups allow you to communicate with individuals that you share common interests with, and the Q&A function allows you to answer questions in your field of expertise and get recognized, or get a question answered.
All of this is free. Yes, if you want to send "InMail" then you have to pay, but why pay? I've been using LinkedIn for 4 years now, completely free.
03.26.09
LinkedIn has its purpose, just as Facebook does.
LinkedIn is a "just the facts" type social networking and really allows you to put your best foot forward in a professional, business environment. There is room for all different types of networking online, and LinkedIn serves its niche very well.
I have been using it for almost a year and have never paid a fee.
03.26.09
@Anastassia
I could see some of the old guard not really getting it. However, my previous company was in the online advertising industry and nearly everyone was on LinkedIn and connected to each other. Definitely good to be aware of what environment you are in.
03.26.09
I like LinkedIn, and I think it has its purposes, but I've recently become more selective about who I connect with on LinkedIn. It's not like Facebook where everyone adds everyone even if you met once for 3 seconds and never talked again. The point of LinkedIn is to connect with people who could and would actually refer you to a company, help you in a job hunt, write a recommendation for you, etc. I don't think it's more impressive to have lots and lots of contacts on LinkedIn. What's the point, if the contacts are just people you don't know, who don't add value to your network?
03.26.09
@Nisha - It's funny that you should mention usage. I am restrictive on who I add to bothy FaceBook and LinkedIn. With FaceBook I only accept people I *really* know (former classmates, people I really spoke to, and so on). On LinkedIn I am a tad bit more liberal. If I met you once, at a networking event and I want to keep in contact but you are not a friend per se, I will most likely add you to LinkedIn. The one thing I don't do is "Open Networking" - that has no value (at least to me) :-)
03.26.09
I don't add anyone to facebook/linkedin who I haven't met in person or at least had a phone call with. Where I draw the dividing line is that I generally reserve linkedin for people I know in a professional capacity. I might add old high school friends to facebook to get back in touch, but not on linkedin.
03.26.09
I might be one of the only people left without a LinkedIn profile, and I'm not really sure if this post makes me want one more or less.
You've definitely given me a few things to think about though!
03.26.09
@Dr. Pepper -- I definitely don't do the open networking thing on LinkedIn. I don't understand why people do, either. Having the little "500+" doesn't mean anything.
Got Something To Say?
Got Something To Say?
Not a Member? Brazen Careerist is a career management tool for next-generation professionals. Set up a free account today to comment on this post and start sharing your ideas. Learn more.
Login to view your networks!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
