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LinkedIn seems like the perfect internet gateway drug for Boomers. What could be better than using the social web as a way to connect all of your work contacts (who use it) and create what amounts to an online resume?
Where it always seem to fai
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Comments
06.19.09
I still use it. You don't have to pay to use it. There are many people there, and you can get reasonable answers to your questions on most days.
LinkedIn is not a destination like facebook. No games to play there. It's simply an online resume where you can connect with people you know and maybe get a job out of it. It's not the end-all-be-all of a job search, but I would not call it a pozi scheme.
One of the things I like about LinkedIn is that you can get recommendations from people that you provided a service to or from people you worked with. This comes in handy when job searching (the good ol' fashioned way).
At the end of the day it's a tool to use. If it's useful, great, if not - that's OK too.
06.19.09
Good post. Don't turn your back on linkedIn completely yet though. Think for a minute why one would have an online presence in the first place, visibility. One can easily put together a linkedin profile with some very basic information that identifies that you are the right "Bill Jacobsen" the person is looking for but also provides an explaination of why you are on that site and links to the sites you are really putting your energy into. Using some simple API's and/or "Applications" as LinkedIn calls them allow you feed real time content like blog posts, tweets, or bookmarks to that site for others to see where you are if they want to find you online. Others may even prefer the LinkedIn interface and choose to keep up with you via that site without you having to work through it.
Yes, LinkedIn is more of a Boomer/Gen Xer resume and work networking site but don't forget that people in those generations spend money, hire people, promote content, and may be the very people you need to know who you are in some cases. Why not let them know who you are and where you spend your time online in a way they can understand now?
06.19.09
I can see its value for people. The lack of value it has for me, relates largely to my career more than anything else.
I'm not a Gen Y and I'm not in a field where Boomers who are hiring me use it. So it doesn't really matter. It's one less digital footprint that needs to be out there.
06.19.09
For me? Use it constantly.
ALL networking tools can be "pyramidal." It's the nature of the beast. But LinkedIn.com is a social networking tool focused on a need that works as I need it, so it's great for me. The fact also it's de rigeur to look professional in my geographic location, and it's a winner.
06.19.09
LinkedIn was the first social networking site I joined. I almost never use it. Why? Because I can't figure out what to do with it.
I'm not looking for a job. My connections on LinkedIn are, primarily, people from my previous career path in an industry that has lately been devastated, which means that a significant number of them don't work for those companies any more. And if I were looking for a job, I'd have plenty of other ways to connect with people who might be in a position to help me. Similarly, there are plenty of other ways for people who I might help to contact me.
I know people swear by LinkedIn. Clearly, it works for them. But I can't figure out how to make it work for me.
06.19.09
The people who use it and swear by it, talk about it like it's a cult.
Which is sorta hilarious.
At best, it can be useful. But at worst, it's invasive and I think it just reiterates the bad things about a resume, that it just tells titles and timeframes. Sure you can list descriptions of what you do, but it's still not the full story.
I think like any networking, YMMV.
06.19.09
Kate - I'm in the same boat with mine. I have it, people are "connected" with me (most of which are also connected on Facebook and Twitter and...and...and...) and I don't like to make statements on forums or in groups for my current occupation because I don't have the authority to speak for my company like that. The only messages I get are from business acquaintances trying to use my position to get them into company functions. Really, the entire thing has turned me off from the site.
If anyone has any really good ideas for how to use theirs, I'm all ears. Otherwise I just use it as an online resume.
06.19.09
I went on a Linked In updating spree and was surprised to see the number of people on LinkedIn who had about 10 connections (but would have hundreds on Facebook). That underscored this post.
I also had one co-worker reply to me that she longer accepted LinkedIn invites because she sees no value. It took her longer to write the note to me than it would have to accept my invite but she did feel that strongly.
I then actually went to use Linked In today to try and find people who worked at the large national insurance companies for a research question. I would have to upgrade to a $30/month account to contact them so I just renewed my membership on MBA alumni program to be able use our alumni directory instead.
I have gotten contacted by head hunters via my Linked In profile which is a good thing.
If you need to cold call companies for research, Linked In useful. My Facebook network didn't have the same connections as Linked In.
06.19.09
I personally use facebook for friends and family. LinkedIn is for all of those people that I know and have worked with, but I don't want them to be linked to me in facebook. Yes I can have groups to prevent certain people from seeing certain info, but at that point the excluded people feel like chopped-liver.
I don't see a point in having everyone I know on every service, that defeats the point :-) My linkedin, facebook, twitter (etc, etc) contacts are mostly different. only a tiny subset of them are all on each service (namely my really close friends)
06.21.09
My views are similar to Dr. Pepper.
I look at my Facebook as my personal networking site. It includes primarily friends and family, with a smattering of old high-school classmates and a few others. I use it to keep up with their personal lives, and brodcast updates about my life.
LinkedIn is for business only. I accept connections with people I have worked with, or people I know well enough to vouch for. My somewhat loose criteria is that I don't connect with someone on LinkedIn unless I can answer the question "should I hire this person?" (should anyone ever ask me). NOt all of my connections are like this; I'm still learning. BUt that is my goal.
06.25.09
LinkedIn is a Professional Networking Tool, it's not in the same category as myspace or facebook, which are considered "Social Networking" Sites.
I have been in the Recruiting Industry for over 10 years now and I have been actively using LinkedIn for about a year. LinkedIn is for business professionals, whether you are looking to stay in contact with co-workers, ex-coworkers, a college graduate looking for a job, a job seeker, or recruiters.
I don't necessarily "recruit" from LinkedIn, I network with other professionals in the field and industry I am recruiting in to see if they may know of others looking for employment or in the field that I could talk with.
I agree, LinkedIn is not for everyone, if you are not looking for professional networking or employment then it would not benefit you. Many people don't understand how to use LinkedIn or what's it's even used for.
If you are a job seeker or recruiter and would like step by step coaching on how to use LinkedIn to your advantage, contact me cori@1on1careerhelp.com
Thank you,
Cori, Senior Recruiter/Owner
Pittsburgh's Ultimate Career Connection
http://www.pittsburghcareerconnection
http://www.1on1careerhelp.com
cori@1on1careerhelp.com
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