Posted: 1/15/2010 9:29:23 AM EDT
|
just wanted to get some opinions on it... i'm really not into the social networking thing (facebook, twitter, etc), and hope i don't have to - i'm just looking for something for job/career searching... also, from what i've seen people's info is viewable publicly from the web and the site, and this seems like a huge opsec problem...
your thoughts?.. |
|
I am a corporate recruiter in the transportation industry and use linkedin primary for professional networking, recruiting, and perhaps a better offer than my current situation.
My wife is a recruiter in the staffing industry and uses linkedin to keep in touch with her candidates and to keep tabs on what is happening in and around business generally. |
|
I use it and have a fairly updated profile.
I think its good for industry incest and knowing/meeting others in the same line of work. I did find an old HS buddy on there that I went to boot camp with. Funny thing is he is now in TX from CA and we both are in the mortgage industry... Odd Thats the best thing to come out of it for me... |
|
It is the only social networking site I actively use. It also allows me to have some control over my "real name" online personality. A google search for my name will lead you to my professional linkedin profile early in the results, rather than some other stuff. It is a good way to keep in contact with old co-workers or other people you've done business with. My wife has successfully used it to get "introductions" to people in her industry a-la friend of a friend and accomplish some good stuff. |
|
I have one. I haven't received any business from it or anything but figure that having what is essentially my resume a click away for people is a good thing.
It works nice when I send my portfolio off via PDF and link to my linkedin page directly from the PDF, though. 
|
I joined it years ago when it first launched, almost on a whim. I never really updated it as most all of my job changes were due to solid professional networking or working with a couple of good headhunters. My career went up in smoke a few years ago and it sems I'm so far removed from what I did, no amount of updating on Linkedin or Plaxo is going to help. The last recruiter I contacted that posted a position online appeared to be more interested in establishing her Linkedin credentials as a hybrid Facebook/Linkedin superstar. It was so self promoting and over the top, I couldn't take her seriously. She never responded to my submitted resume, so it seems she had the same opinion of me. 
I don't discount it's value but I do think it's overrated. Many hiring managers will offer a position to a resume, vs. a person, and I think the same can be said about networking sites like Linkedin. Glamor shot photos, inflated accomplishments, etc., and you're off to the races. And yeah, I too am amazed at all the personal info some people will put up there. |
|
I'm there, and keep my profile as updated as possible.
More than once I've had recruiters contact me because they saw my profile. I've also managed to create a fairly decent network of old cohorts that I can bounce ideas off of. That said, I go in there maybe once or twice a month because I'm not actively looking for work. Yes, I'm in the ARFCOMMER group.
|