Linkedin

[Barleycorn]

I am forever getting emails saying that one of my email contacts wants me to join Linkedin. Is this a scam, or is there a benifit from joining, I have held off so far.
Seems to be like an internet Masons to me!
If I did join would I get loads of spam, and have my email address sold all over Nigeria?!!

 

[bobk]

Have you got anything to sell ?

 

[Ukjay]

I am forever getting emails saying that one of my email contacts wants me to join Linkedin. Is this a scam, or is there a benifit from joining, I have held off so far.
Seems to be like an internet Masons to me!
If I did join would I get loads of spam, and have my email address sold all over Nigeria?!!

Linkedin is supposedly a professional networking platform, but unfortunately there are quite a lot of idiots using it like facebook now, so it is starting to go a bit off the wall.
There is a lot of good info there though.

You will not get a lot of spam by joining the legit site - and you can set your preferences to receive no emails etc.

 

[7610 super q]

Looks like I'll have to be the one to ask......
what is a ' professional networking platform ' ?

 

[Ukjay]

Looks like I'll have to be the one to ask......
what is a ' professional networking platform ' ?

Basically, it is was designed to be a global market platform to allow people of various market sectors connect (make contact) with each other, with mutually beneficial organisations, people etc that could help your business, yourself if self employed, to get business leads, free marketing leads etc.
This could also be new jobs, new contacts to sell your services , find additional contacts to source things / services that may help grow your business reach.

Unfortunately things are going south and it is becoming a bit of a Let me post my selfie kind of deal.

 

[Chasingmytail]

Its a waste of time honestly, people wanted to link with me were huge builder merchants, banks and people who would not be any benefit to our business at all. It also holds a lot of personal info which I didnt like. Didnt achieve anything but was a complete nuisance then it became the the hash tagging. If you get anymore requests block them or reply saying not interested. People ask you because either they think you are important or want to make their acquaintances up. In in a nutshell its another waste of time on the net.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Have you got anything to sell ?

Hehe. Pretty much. If you're out in industry it's THE go to tool of the professional recruitment consultant. That's it end of.

I was last actively using it 5 years ago having started 5 years previously. Do I miss it? Errrr no.

 

[Hampton]

Basically, it is was designed to be a global market platform to allow people of various market sectors connect (make contact) with each other, with mutually beneficial organisations, people etc that could help your business, yourself if self employed, to get business leads, free marketing leads etc.
This could also be new jobs, new contacts to sell your services , find additional contacts to source things / services that may help grow your business reach.

Unfortunately things are going south and it is becoming a bit of a Let me post my selfie kind of deal.

Or to put it another way, people who work in offices (they like to call themselves professionals) put their details on there, either to sell their services, or (and more importantly) to try to get headhunted.

 

[Barleycorn]

Thanks all, that's a big no then, won't bother!

 

[Great In Grass]

I left after 8/9 months and it's now being bought by Microsoft so I can't see it getting better.

 

[Dr Evil]

Am on it but not really sure why.. I get the occasional email, reg someone wanting to add me or some job or other, but generally I suppose I look in occasionally to see who's changed jobs. It's useful as an extension to a cv when recruiting staff, and I have used it for that- but I tend to find a Facebook search will usually tell you more about someone than the very "managed" impression they may try to put across on LinkedIn.

The recruitment team I've done work with think it's great- and alongside indeed, the only place that's worth looking for staff these days. In my experience, candidates "headhunted" on LinkedIn have pretty much all turned out to be short of what their profile promises..

In short- I wouldn't bother signing up....

 

[HolzKopf]

Thanks all, that's a big no then, won't bother!

Dead right - don't bother

 

[Blod]

Personally I find it useful. connecting is a bit like swapping business cards and I often use it after shows or conferences.. I've set mine so I only get alerted if I get a message. The trick is to make it work for you. Can't see it being any use if your not into expanding your network though.

 

[JP1]

Personally I find it useful. connecting is a bit like swapping business cards and I often use it after shows or conferences.. I've set mine so I only get alerted if I get a message. The trick is to make it work for you. Can't see it being any use if your not into expanding your network though.

It's a personal professional site. I have many contacts who take periods freelancing and then on the books at event companies and it's handy to keep track of them.

I don't have the patience to do much personal profiling on there but I do publish some AC blogs on there .

Bit like Twitter and marmite, some like it. It's probably too "American" in it's model but it is more businesslike than FB

 

[7610 super q]

A few more questions....
What is ' personal profiling', and what on earth is 'expanding your network' ?

 

[Blod]

A few more questions....
What is ' personal profiling', and what on earth is 'expanding your network' ?

You set your own personal profile and can change it. I always keep in mind that what I see on a profile is what that person wants me to see. It can be a bit of a mini CV or something more revealing.

As for expanding your network, if you heard someone give a talk, met them at a conference or heard things about them that made you think you wanted to have a connection to contact them even though you don't have their email, you can find them through mutual connections and make a link. Does that help?

 

[7610 super q]

You set your own personal profile and can change it. I always keep in mind that what I see on a profile is what that person wants me to see. It can be a bit of a mini CV or something more revealing.

As for expanding your network, if you heard someone give a talk, met them at a conference or heard things about them that made you think you wanted to have a connection to contact them even though you don't have their email, you can find them through mutual connections and make a link. Does that help?

It does. I'm a bit thick.

 

[Blod]

It does. I'm a bit thick.

No you're not, you just haven't needed to explore it. It would take me a few questions before I could set up a drill or slurry pump

 

[opininionated]

It sort of backfired when I was asked to connect to one of my suppliers, within days some of his competitors, having seen me added to his contacts, asked me to connect to them. Some of them were previously unknown to me and have become suppliers to me.
I have had a bit of work from it as well, even though I rarely post anything on it.

 

[choochter]

what's it all about?
why do I need it?
what would it do for me?