People's experience here with LinkedIn?

[Lostlover]

I've been a member at LinkedIn for probably two years and I don't know what all the hoopla is about. Yes, I've barely updated it so that people looking at my profile know my true work history, but since I've been active on it, I'll I've gotten in return are job offers (out of state ) and spam e-mails of no value.

I'm this close to deleting my account as I'm not looking for a job and I really don't want all that information about me out on the web.

I also don't understand how the founders of LinkedIn are billionaires. Where is their revenue stream?

(I know this isn't politics, but I doubt I would get a serious response if I posted this in the Hot Topics forum.)

 

[Jack Springer]

Linked-in has pretty much turned into Facebook.

People bragging about their accomplishments and trying to outdo each other.

I still have an account but rarely go there -- but do get the weekly reports.

 

[Lostlover]

Linked-in has pretty much turned into Facebook.

People bragging about their accomplishments and trying to outdo each other.

I still have an account but rarely go there -- but do get the weekly reports.

Weekly reports on what?

Co-sign on the accomplishment comment and even the job titles people have. Shitty jobs have important sounding titles. On LinkedIn janitors call themselves "Sanitation Specialists."

Plus, it's troubling when my boss, a very accomplished man in his late 60's, has a profile no less stellar sounding than some 20-something-year-old.

LinkedIn would be more effective if employers updated workers' profiles.

 

[Lostlover]

Personally I have found LinkedIn to be a complete waste of time. I have been bombarded by people wanting to link that I never heard of and have no interest in their business profile as well as lots of spam, which I was assured didn't happen there. Suuuuuure it doesn't. I am deleting my account this weekend as it has no value to me.

Our experiences are so similiar.

Some asshole at my grad school sent me a request to link up. I accepted it and the little asshole is spamming my e-mail address. He's actually looking for jobs through people he doesn't even know. What the hell is that about?

Another problem I have: my name! I have an English/Scottish/Irish first and last name and all the people lately that have looked at my profile have been from the UK as there are probably thousands of people over there with my exact name. This is of NO VALUE to me.

 

[Centexfarmer]

I've been a member at LinkedIn for probably two years and I don't know what all the hoopla is about. Yes, I've barely updated it so that people looking at my profile know my true work history, but since I've been active on it, I'll I've gotten in return are job offers (out of state ) and spam e-mails of no value.

I'm this close to deleting my account as I'm not looking for a job and I really don't want all that information about me out on the web.

I also don't understand how the founders of LinkedIn are billionaires. Where is their revenue stream?

(I know this isn't politics, but I doubt I would get a serious response if I posted this in the Hot Topics forum.)

Now that I know that you're on it, and despite the encouragement of my friends to join them?

 

[Lostlover]

it would appear that the man must be desperate for a job

I sympathize with this, but what makes you think a recent college graduate is in a position to hire you and how would I be able to put in a good word for you if I don't even know you? This person does have a couple of things going for him. He has an engineering degree and he's good looking (intangibles count).

Real-life networking is the best way to get a job. It really is who you know, not what you know that gets your foot in the door. This brings me to another problem with LinkedIn; why would I want people, strangers, friends, family members, classmates, and even co-workers to know who is in the network that I have built slowly and effectively enough to get a job right out of college despite having a short work history compared to many people unemployed? Why would I want to mix business with family?

I think the people in your Rolodex should stay there and not on the web.

I think one would be smart if he purchased LinkedIn stock with the intent to short sell.

 

[Orlandude]

LinkedIn has lost its way and in no way even resembles its original purpose as a professional resource. I deleted my account over a year ago, never regretted it and know of no professional people who take LinkedIn seriously anymore. It's considered a joke. As Jack Springer mentioned, it is now just another Facebook. IMO, it's just another version of Craigslist classifieds, complete with phonies and losers looking to steal your contacts. This is a case where they should have made it a pay site to keep out all the riff-raff.

Perform your own networking diligently and you won't need sites like LinkedIn...or even Facebook for that matter.

 

[Lostlover]

LinkedIn has lost its way and in no way even resembles its original purpose as a professional resource. I deleted my account over a year ago, never regretted it and know of no professional people who take LinkedIn seriously anymore. It's considered a joke. As Jack Springer mentioned, it is now just another Facebook. IMO, it's just another version of Craigslist classifieds, complete with phonies and losers looking to steal your contacts. This is a case where they should have made it a pay site to keep out all the riff-raff.

Perform your own networking diligently and you won't need sites like LinkedIn...or even Facebook for that matter.

I have found that a lot of older people have used LinkedIn like younger people use Facebook. My 63-year-old boss has 500 + connections. I can't find enough time to hit accept on 500 + friend requests.

 

[G-Lexington]

My experience is that specific people have invited me to join LinkedIn...and I get reminded of this fact every few days.

Lex

 

[72-Jay]

Someone invited me to join LinkedIn last fall, I looked at the site but didn't see a point in joining
I did send a email back to her saying thanks for the invite but I wasn't going to join...

 

[TriBi]

Interesting, strange - or perhaps even logical, is the fact that the people who want me to me to connect with them on LinkedIn are the ones whose posts I usually end up blocking on facebook...

 

[StillWaters24592]

I have found that a lot of older people have used LinkedIn like younger people use Facebook. My 63-year-old boss has 500 + connections. I can't find enough time to hit accept on 500 + friend requests.

As an older person (I'm 44), I agree with you on this. I believe LinkedIn is more valuable to people who have established careers than to recent college graduates.

I've joined a couple of professional groups there and have had some work come my way because of it. Also, it allows you to connect with people you know professionally but with whom you don't want to share the kind of personal things you might post on Facebook.

Yep, there are people who just collect connections like people collect friends on Facebook (yes, I'm so sure Reba McEntire and Jason Aldean are friends of yours), but I don't mind unknown people adding me on LinkedIn. At this stage of my career, you never know whose attention you might attract.

 

[Swellegant]

I have an account, and am connected to most of my coworkers at my current and last jobs, but have never found any utility in it. It's just one of those things that's there, a neutral sort of thing that doesn't bother me but which I can visit if I have some time to kill, like network television. I do find it interesting to see where former coworkers have ended up, and how many are still at their old posts, but that's about as interesting as it gets.

 

[Lostlover]

And that does it for me: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolo...estigates-theft-of-6.5-million-passwords.html

Spam e-mails, releasing personal information on the internet and now this hacking. I'm done. Account deleted.

On a side note from an earlier comment: I got the guy that wrote me from my school an interview. I guess LinkedIn will work for him.