Juliana Recino
LinkedIn is all business. The mood at LinkedIn reminds me of a Chamber of Commerce mixer. Folks are on LinkedIn because they want to find others with whom to do business. They might be looking for a job, or for clients or customers, but LinkedIn is where you go to network for business. The mood, like a Chamber mixer, is the self-promotional side of the business world.
As for what LinkedIn has to offer, you can post as much widespread personal information as you would like as part of your profile, complete with photo. You can ask questions, start a discussion or post a news item others might find interesting. And most importantly, you can search the site to identify people who work in a particular industry, to contact them directly.
LinkedIn user-profile pages often read like a resume, with users listing their work experience and education, along with noteworthy accomplishments, Web sites and other relevant information. You choose how much data you want to share (you can close yourself off to invitations as well); there is also a listing for recommendations of your work by others, or recommendations by you for others . And, there are various tools, such as people and job search, questions and answers to people in or out of your social network, and social networking groups you belong to . And, of course, the all important contact list.
Here’s how I see LinkedIn working for you: Building a social network of people you know is a fine thing. However, since these people are probably already in your address book, the idea would be to leverage people you know professionally to “virtually” meet others whom you don’t know, but who have a profession or industry in common with you. The point of building a connection portfolio is to build a reputation among people who might know someone, somewhere, who can help you find information, potential customers – or even a new job. Used properly, the LinkedIn tools can help you build your reputation and enhance your professional standing.
LinkedIn’s has great values to it such as great connections. There are a lot of intelligent business folks from every field imaginable are on LinkedIn. LinkedIn’s professional profiles give you a ton of information about someone, a great way to do research on folks you may want to connect with. A sincere willingness on the part of those who are on LinkedIn to share what they know when you have a question. And for those who draw strong distinctions between “business” and “pleasure,” you will feel most comfortable at LinkedIn, as it is really almost entirely “all business.”
LinkedIn also has some downsides such as its layout is awkward, and can get downright frustrating sometimes to navigate with. Also, because everyone is at LinkedIn for one purpose only – to do business – many people find LinkedIn a bit too self-promotional, with everyone trying to sell themselves, all the time. If you generally feel comfortable and “in your element” at a Chamber of Commerce mixer, however, you will be right at home at LinkedIn. Lastly, I feel like Community Benefit Organizations are an extra at LinkedIn. Much like we often feel at a Chamber mixer, those of us whose lives are not dedicated to making money, selling a product or service are really attending an event that is meant for someone else. LinkedIn is inviting us to be there, it’s not really aimed at our needs and our ways of working together. That doesn’t mean it is not a good place to find people – it is absolutely great for that. It just has a different sort of “feel” than many Community Benefit Leaders are used to.
LinkedIn can be of great service. After all, it is a networking site, and the tools it supplies do just that. And like any other tool, LinkedIn is what you – and only you – make of it. Maybe a LinkedIn job search won’t find you your dream job on the first try, but if the person who has the keys to finding that job is on the site too, you’re already halfway to your goal.
Work Cited
http://learn.linkedin.com/what-is-linkedin/
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/01/ten_ways_to_use.html#axzz0lljCZu7q
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