LinkedIn

[Stewie]

LinkedIn is ubiquitous.

I use it to connect with co-workers, former co-workers and friends that have an interest in life/work/business.

How do you use it?

Do you get a benefit? Job opportunities? A connection to others?

Just curious.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

I'm on it, but I don't use it. of course, I haven't looked for a job in 10 years.

[Rain Man]

It seems like it should have a lot more use than it does, so maybe I'm not using it right.

I link up with people I know, and occasionally use it to congratulate someone on a promotion.

I should use it to find partners for proposals, but we seldom need partners.

I get a fair number of invitations from salespeople that I don't know and from foreign market research firms. I don't quite understand the first group, because I'm probably not going to need a Realtor in Tuscaloosa any time soon. I do understand the second group, who I suspect want to see who I'm linked with so they can try to steal my clients.

The discussion forums could be good, but they're dominated by salespeople who are just trying to get you to talk to them so they can ask for a meeting.

I'll use it to get background information on a potential client I'm meeting with, so I can say, "Hey, I'm from Texas, too", or "I saw that you worked for the Franklin Mint a few years back. Love those plates." But now they block you from seeing anyone who's more than two steps separated, which makes it much less useful.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

yeah, seems very spammy these days...

I also wish you could see more profile info, but I understand the privacy.

[blaise]

I use it to get a bunch of emails, mostly.

I think the one time I used it for real was to get the contact information for a paying agent on a security. It worked for that.

[Thig Lyfe]

**** a LinkedIn.

[KC native]

I found my next job on there (got two weeks off before I start). For finance job seekers, it is awesome. A lot more quality finance jobs get posted on there than on any other job board.

[BigRedChief]

I have 256 connections. Use it to stay in touch with former co-workers and network.

[wazu]

The premium membership is outstanding of you are trying to hire skilled people.

[TribalElder]

I've had a huge amount of offers from recruiters on LinkedIn.

[Cannibal]

Got my current job with it.

[Saul Good]

It's Facebook for the underemployed.

[Discuss Thrower]

I'm on LinkedIn... Hasn't helped me find a job.

[lewdog]

I am not using it now but I do have it to build a network for when I do switch jobs.

[underEJ]

I have had several job offers from it. two of them cold contacts from head hunters that if I hadn't been in a contract at the time, I really would have jumped at. My industry is fairly nomadic, and it makes it easy to keep in contact with coworkers and recruiters without the concern of facebook familiarity. I enjoy the updates from contacts so I can keep up on trends like where the work is going.

That said, I spend no time working on my profile or networking beyond people I already know, and I don't accept connections of strangers without a direct connection to someone I know (especially students getting my name from websites or credit lists and trying to connect.) I think it might be even more actively useful if I participated more. There are very good groups that my colleagues have recommended to me, but I haven't followed any of them yet. Being an eleven years at one place and 7 at another type person (though there was some nomad in the middle when I job searched alot,) I don't find much call for it.

If everything falls apart in this country for my industry, I will surely be sprucing up that profile in a hurry!