Linked In

seagull_in_malaysia · Nov 19, 2014

What is the main purpose of it?

I have signed up today as I've been looking for a job for a while now and it was recommended by a few people. Apart from the job ads which are posted on there what can you actually do with it? It seems like a duplicate of my CV, merged with a friends list. I am probably missing something significant here...

Thanks in advance.

Balders · Nov 19, 2014

Business version of facebook - except it's seems to only revolve around posts about available jobs or people waving their appendages about shouting "look at me aren't I wonderful"

I've had people endorse me for skills who I have never even heard of or worked with. Oh......and it seems to be, the more connections you have, the bigger your appendage ;-)

Rugrat · Nov 19, 2014

It's a place where you hear from people when they lose their job and provides them a way to ask if you can help them

Superphil · Nov 19, 2014

Or, if you work it well it's not a bad way Of finding new business contacts, leads/customers and suppliers. We had a training course on it back in the summer and it has worked wonders, it's amazing who you can connect with, who you'd find it incredibly difficult to contact via other methods. I can say for sure that I have connected with, and am doing business with, people I would never have done so with without it.

Oh, and it's a good place to look for a job, and contact recruitment people.

Monkey Man · Nov 19, 2014

To me it's simply a contacts book that updates itself.

Don't bother with all the endorsement nonsense.

Westdene Seagull · Nov 19, 2014

Got me my current job and was far more useful than the 'job' centre

Hiney · Nov 19, 2014

Superphil said:
Or, if you work it well it's not a bad way Of finding new business contacts, leads/customers and suppliers. We had a training course on it back in the summer and it has worked wonders, it's amazing who you can connect with, who you'd find it incredibly difficult to contact via other methods. I can say for sure that I have connected with, and am doing business with, people I would never have done so with without it.

Oh, and it's a good place to look for a job, and contact recruitment people.

I don't suppose it was run by a bloke called James Potter was it?

We hosted a lunch recently and he gave a presentation on LinkedIn. Very interesting.

seagully · Nov 19, 2014

Brilliant if you are looking for work (while still employed). Since I signed up I've had dozens of messages about potential job vacancies. In fact I've just bagged myself a new job following my new employers approaching me through Linkedin.

Great tool if used properly

Cian · Nov 19, 2014

Got my current job through a cold contact from the companies HR department on there. Some of the groups can be handy for seeing job ads also although a lot are bloody useless.

If you've any Old Boys Club advantage from school/college/sports teams I'd imagine it could help there also as you're searchable via those groups.

Driver8 · Nov 19, 2014

I got inundated with crap emails from recruitment agencies so cancelled my account.

FamilyGuy · Nov 19, 2014

all the above is true - it can be very useful if you use it well, and a pain in the rse if you don't.

Its just a tool - use it or don't.

look at the subgroups and join a few that interest you - that's perhaps the best area.

dazzer6666 · Nov 19, 2014

Been on it for years, and I am currently off work (sabbatical, my choice) so have been spending a bit more time dealing with recruiters and have discussed LI quite a bit with them. Not sure about other industries, but in Financial Services, and particularly in the City, it is fast becoming the primary source (or certainly a hugely important source) of candidates. Headhunters and recruitment agencies use it all the time to search for candidates, and I know of several institutions that are now employing teams of people to sift through it and directly contact potential candidates.

On this basis, I'd at least keep your details up to date and in particular if you are actively looking for a job then make this clear as the searchers use keywords.

The 'endorsement' stuff is meaningless in my view and be selective about joining groups because you'll get vaguely-related spam just like any other social media

Finally it's a good way of keeping/getting in touch with former colleagues.

Peteinblack · Nov 19, 2014

Balders said:
Business version of facebook - except it's seems to only revolve around posts about available jobs or people waving their appendages about shouting "look at me aren't I wonderful"

I've had people endorse me for skills who I have never even heard of or worked with. Oh......and it seems to be, the more connections you have, the bigger your appendage ;-)

Indeed!

Some of the posts and blogs are pure corporate bullsh*t and management-speak from wannabe Richard Bransons and Alan Sugars!

matt · Nov 19, 2014

It's a tool for looking at funny profile pictures of 'people you may know'.

I think it has some other features but I haven't got to those yet.

http://www.linkedinfun.com/

ofco8 · Nov 19, 2014

Coincidence this post. Was a reluctant joiner of Linked In but was persuaded to.

Am self employed and today one of my old clients saw my name, reminded him of me and emailed me offering a lot of work if I want it.

So there are definitely advantages to be had.

Beach Hut · Nov 19, 2014

I get a lot of mails saying companies are interested in my CV but never clear how true it is. One mail advised my parent company wanted me to apply for a job.

Superphil · Nov 19, 2014

Hiney said:
I don't suppose it was run by a bloke called James Potter was it?

We hosted a lunch recently and he gave a presentation on LinkedIn. Very interesting.

His name is Mark White, www.linkedintraining.net. He very much advocates it for business, not recruitment, and showed how it's used as such. The recruitment part is only a part of it, the rest really can be very good for opening doors and finding contacts, I don't read the recruitment stuff, and don't find I am particularly hassled by spam, or pictures of people's dinner/dog/children.

MissGull · Nov 19, 2014

headhunting...

mikeyjh · Nov 19, 2014

Like it or loathe it, it's where employers look for talent, I've lost 2 guys to Uber in the last few weeks based on their Linkedin profile, foolish to ignore it.

Driver8 · Nov 19, 2014

mikeyjh said:
Like it or loathe it, it's where employers look for talent, I've lost 2 guys to Uber in the last few weeks based on their Linkedin profile, foolish to ignore it.

Is everyone always looking for another job? I'm certainly not.

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