- There are a lot of people telling me to join, but I've tried Monster and 100k jobs and the just don't preform the way I expect them to. I get emails here and there, I've applied for jobs, but nothing ever comes of my efforts. Is Linkedin really all that different?
- Enhancing your search engine results. I love Time magazine, and I trust them. In one of Times recent editions, there was a whole article about companies not hiring candidates based on information they found on social networking sites. The numbers were staggering! Do I really want to link my blog, Facebook, Myspace and Twitter accounts? I know some people love to do this, but I'm not going to lie, I sometimes post inappropriate things and I would hate for this to ruin my chances at the job of my dreams.
- As far as an HR tool, Linkedin misses the boat in my opinion. Why would companies hire HR directors, if they really could just find everything on Linkedin. My theory is this. People can say whatever they want on these social networking sites. I could be an axe murderer on Facebook, and would you believe this? My point is that to act like Linkedin and everyone on it are using it in a truthful manner is just naive.
And just to be positive for a second. I learned about Linkedin today, and I just might join. It couldn't hurt my job search, or could it?...
I really like LinkedIn! It seems to have a lot less spam and "junk" jobs than other sites. Admittedly, I haven't used the other sites in a while, but LinkedIn just seems easier to use and more focused. Plus, I like being able to see if I have direct or secondary connections to the company/job so I can get a recommendation, etc.
ReplyDeleteI use LinkedIn all the time. It's a great way to keep in touch with colleagues/friends (especially when people change jobs), and it's an easy way to make new connections. I have done about 5 or so informational interviews by reaching out to connections of connections. It's a great way to figure out whether you might like to work for a company. I definitely recommend it, and it's all very professional. By the way, don't think that potential employers cannot see your Facebook, MySpace, etc. accounts. Be careful what you post.
ReplyDeleteKeep your friends close and your unrealized potential contacts closer - only post what you want people to know. No matter what kind of privacy you think you have, people will always find something about you on the online. But don't take this as a shy away from sites like LinkedIn. In a instructive lesson, I was shown how awesome it can be just by using the search box. Go, run, do, and network your ass off!
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