March 16 Assignment - LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social networking website for professional people.  It is designed to allow professionals to develop a list of contacts with people that they have some professional connection.  You can upload your resume or design a profile that provides details on your professional experience and accomplishments and professional affiliations.     Your connections can be used to find jobs, people and business opportunities.  Recruiters and employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates based on the credentials you have listed.    You can follow specific companies and receive notifications of job opportunities.

You build your LinkedIn network by first establishing  direct connections.   These are people who you know, have worked with, or have some direct professional affiliation.  The second tier of contacts is referred to as second-degree connections.  These are people that you became affiliated with through your direct connections.  Third degree connections are connections you have been introduced to through your second-degree connections.  

The 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd degree connection system where contact with any professional requires either an existing relationship, or the intervention of a contact of theirs, is designed to build trust among LinkedIn users.

LinkedIn, through an application,  allows members to display blog postings with their LinkedIn profile.  There is also a mobile version of the site that I use often.   The mobile version of the site is more limited in its features. 

There are groups on LinkedIn that you can join where discussions on specific topics take place.  Groups are   moderated by the group owners and managers. Groups offer the ability to reach a wide audience of people with similar interests.  Groups also keep their members informed through emails of the most talked about discussions within your professional circles.  Groups can be private, accessible to members only or open.  You have to request to join a private group and you will be notified when your request has been approved.   The graphic below shows the group that I belong to.  It also shows a pending approval for a group I would like to join. 

LinkedIn allows members to research companies with which they may be interested in working.   You can also apply online using the “Apply with LinkedIn” button.

One thing I really like about LinkedIn is receiving job postings.  These job postings are sent to my  email account and are based on the skills and job experience that I listed on my profile.   Here is an example of a list of jobs I received in my email inbox this week: 

LinkedIn allows users to endorse each others' skills. This feature also allows users to efficiently provide commentary on other users profiles so that network building is encouraged.  The graphic below shows an endorsement of one of my contacts: 

I use LinkedIn but not often.   I do tend to participate in the groups that I have joined but don’t really work hard enough at the networking component of LinkedIn.    I like the system but find it a bit intimidating.    I think that for professional people it is essential that you participate and stay active on LinkedIn.