Anybody Use LinkedIn?

[Clint Cora]

I'm starting to understand Facebook and even Twitter but for LinkedIn, that's another animal. Although I've got around 1200 connections on LinkedIn, and continue to get requests, I'm not doing a lot on it. I do belong to quite a few LinkedIn groups but notice that most people on them are there just to promote their own little things, bordering on spam.

Are any of you getting anything out of LinkedIn?

[Acting Like Godot]

As far as I can see, Linkedin is a useful tool for seatch firms to track potential candidates, and for professionals and executives to be tracked by search firms.

[cacheborn]

Yes, it's much different. Mainly useful if you have a company or if you are doing a job and want to hire or want to get hired. You can also join groups of your interest. Personally, it's not of much use for me since I left my job.

[aelle]

I'm on it but like you I'm not getting much of it. The main point I see in it for now is in tracking the career progression of ex-classmates and business contacts, to stay up to date on what my network is. I think that like in real life networks, you need to invest by giving a lot of free value (advice, help, contacts, etc.) before people reciprocate with equally high value even if you aren't best buddies.

When in college some of my classmates said they got recruitment offers through LinkedIn. I'm skeptical.

[SireneB]

I'm also seeing the main value to those who hire and those who are changing jobs (either voluntarily or involuntarily). I have a stable job, so < shrug > I'll add anyone who wants to be added and for now, that's the limit of my interaction. Maybe they'll find a contact through me.

[Sypyres]

LinkedIn is a way to advertise yourself..sell($) yourself and be known in the business world. That's what I use it for. If someone sees your profile and want your skills, then they can hire you. It's more of a job aide than anything else. It's Facebook with more of a professional and business perspective.

[newmark]

I use it, but I'm bored by it really. If I was looking for a job it could be useful.

[splok]

I know people that use it pretty much like they would Facebook, but at least for me, it's just a place to keep a resume so that people who might want to hire me can find it and message me if they want.

I do actually like that it notifies me when my connections update their profile though. Maybe they aren't all people that I talk to constantly, but its a nice chance to get back in touch when you notice that someone has made a job move or something.

[Clint Cora]

So far, I haven't really come across anybody with real success stories using LinkedIn. I know there's potential there somehow.

[cacheborn]

I think you can have much better interaction with a person on G+. I find LinkedIn rather restricted in this aspect. You cannot connect to a person you like unless s/he approves, it has a feel of exclusive club where you have to make your way slowly into the elite circles. (And I don't care much for those. )

[SireneB]

A friend of mine found it useful. He's a programmer and was able to use connections in his field through LinkedIn to find a new job when he recently had to move a different part of the country

I can see how I could use it the same way, if needed, although I have a good national list of contacts already.

[cacheborn]

Just came across this post. I don't do Freelance Writing but apparently LinkedIn is useful for that kind of business.

5 LinkedIn Features Every Freelance Writer Should Use