how many contacts do you have?

are you selective or do you just invite/accept new contacts from almost any acquaintence

what groups do you belong to?

has it ever helped you get a job?

12/9/2008 12:13:47 AM

It's just facebook for the +30 crowd. I signed up and was immediately barraged by friend requests from 3/4ths of the sales staff of my company (90% of which I'd never met)

I never went back again.

12/9/2008 12:18:20 AM

^ i can see how that can happen, but is that a bad thing? this is professional networking, not a social outlet for hooking up dates or beer buddies.

^^ my answers:

1) ~40

2) selective: only people ive worked with directly, or know personally, plus a few tech recruiters

3) Perl Mongers, but i dont see any benefit

4) not directly, but i did get inside info on a company i was interviewing with.




[Edited on December 9, 2008 at 12:42 AM. Reason : ]

12/9/2008 12:37:11 AM

Quote :

"this is professional networking"

You can call it that if you like. To me it's exactly the same as joining facebook/myspace and getting bumrushed with 50 friends requests of people you went to high school with and never spoke to. I'm sure there are some benefits to all those sites, but it all still feels like a giant "I've got more friends than you do" site. Just like all the rest.

But, you know...for professionals.

12/9/2008 12:48:20 AM

80 contacts

Very selective. I only accept invites from people who I would either personally vouch for (in business or as a character reference), or, people who I know are extremely well connected and can/have helped me out in the past.

No Groups

Yes, it's how I found my current job (though I found it almost by accident). And I will add that LinkedIn directly helped me land this job, as my network and recommendations over time helped vet me before they even contacted me.

[Edited on December 9, 2008 at 2:31 AM. Reason : .more.]

12/9/2008 2:30:53 AM

Connections:
24 connections most of which are through professional association. Actually come to think of it a lot of them are from the groupstudy.com listserv. I think 6 or so came from TWW fwiw.

Selective:
I use LI to establish a professional network of contacts. I dont connect with people as liberally as facebook because of the professional identity linked in is meant to establish. As I start working again when I graduate I will become more and more selective of who I connect with. I will also likely remove connections that I have little or no association with. Right now Im using it as a tool to find a job, or establish professional credibility.

Groups:
American Society for Information Science & Technology

CISCO

Cisco Alumni Association

CISCO CERTIFICATIONS

Cisco Certified

Cisco club

CISCO PROFESSIONALS

Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity

Kukkiwon

Networkers Club for all Cisco networkers

Tae Kwon Do Black Belts

UNC Alumni

UNC General Alumni Association

USAFNetwork

WTF Tae Kwon Do - Athletes

[Edited on December 9, 2008 at 2:58 AM. Reason : .]

12/9/2008 2:57:20 AM

Quote :

"To me it's exactly the same as joining facebook/myspace and getting bumrushed with 50 friends requests of people you went to high school with and never spoke to"

so you're in your first job since college, i take it? that's cool.... after you've been in the workforce a few years, face a few potential (or real) RIFs due to downsize or merger, you'll probably start to understand the value of professional networks.

LI is nothing like Facebook/MySpace -- it has no social value, you don't make friends with it, and you don't connect with parties or events, or "sup asl? do u cyber lol". If thats what you're looking for, obviously it's not for you.

case in point: the one guy at my work who has like 500+ cnnnections, and is member of like 100+ groups, everyone makes fun of him. he's not a recruiter, just an engineer. he's taken it to a ridiculous extreme.

most people i know have between 10-50 connections. its a way to maintain a network with people you used to work with, so you'll have contacts/references when you need to find jobs. that's it. a guy i used to work with is contacting me to help him get a job where i work now. i'll probably do similar to someone else in the future.

12/9/2008 3:19:22 AM

Joe is right on point.

"Recommendations" on LI function essentially as professional references, just as your references would on a resume.

LI uses the hresume microformat. It is primarily meant as a professional networking site where your identity is established through your resume (work experience, education, accomplishments therein). Its a way of maintaining your resume online instead of on job sites, on top of what Joe already mentioned about maintaining contact with those who you currently, or used to work with.

12/9/2008 9:09:35 AM