LinkedIn slowly becoming Facebook, move to Xing?

[Eirikur]

Last week I saw somebody put a link to rightmove as his house was for sale and another chatlike conversation about buying christmas presents. Today I saw the first kitten post. This must be the end of LinkedIn.
I have an account on Xing since 2006 or so but it doesn't seem to take on outside of Germany and I haven't done much with it tbh, but maybe it's time to pay it a bit more attention.

[scooterscot]

Have two fairly decent jobs through xing. And no kittens.

[BolshieBastard]

I closed down my LI account about 18 months before I stopped contracting. It was just a spamming excuse for agents. I had people in my specialism wanting to link with me who I had absolutely no connection with other than the specialism.

I know some people found work through ex colleague or ex clients on LI. One ex colleague actually passed me details of a job when I was looking. I must have passed loads of roles to people I knew were looking but they never reciprocated except for the one person.

Waste of time, imo.

[zemoxyl]

Have two fairly decent jobs through xing. And no kittens.

You must be some kind of engineer to get work in Munich.

As far as Xing goes, I get recruiters contacting me occaisionally but writing in German.
If you want to learn the language and move to the DACH area, Xing over LinkedIn every time.

[vwdan]

I don't mind it - I've always just seen it as a "Facebook with colleagues, rather than friends". I'm not really sure what anybody expected to happen - it's no different to sitting the office chatting about non-work tulip.

[scooterscot]

You must be some kind of engineer to get work in Munich.

As far as Xing goes, I get recruiters contacting me occaisionally but writing in German.
If you want to learn the language and move to the DACH area, Xing over LinkedIn every time.

ja, ich bin ein Ingenieur, but a operate in a very niche sector. But I don't often get jobs in Munich, sometimes but not always. My office is in Munich and German clients are happy for you to deliver from your location. Not like the UK where they want to own your ass and make you commute long distances.

freelance.de is another good place for direct clients.

Also important to say it takes me 9 months on average to set up a direct client. Never overnight like with an agent. Networking is not a dirty word. Job however, that's positively disgusting.

[quackhandle]

I closed down my LI account about 18 months before I stopped contracting. It was just a spamming excuse for agents. I had people in my specialism wanting to link with me who I had absolutely no connection with other than the specialism.

Just say no.

I don't mind it - I've always just seen it as a "Facebook with colleagues, rather than friends". I'm not really sure what anybody expected to happen - it's no different to sitting the office chatting about non-work tulip.

This. In fact I've struggled to tell the difference when you look at any user timeline for FB, LI, Twitter, they have all amalgamated into one and the same, all full of "look at this cute kitten" and "you're a genius if you solve this..."



qh

[scooterscot]

LinkedIn's downfall is of its own making. In the beginning they had a simple model that worked. Keep it SIMPLE. But no, they had to chase cash at every opportunity. I don't know professionals who are really serious about their work, looking to discuss subjects of importance that would use LinkedIn as a medium for discussion.

My own preference, as a IEEE member, is to use their discussing forums. Also it's very niche and like minded individuals are that without digressing.

[Brussels Slumdog]

I get recommended for skills I don't have by people I have never worked with or ever met. This rather defeats the object of skill recommendations by either co workers or project managers. I do find it strange being asked to connect with someone in the middle of the USA when I don't have the right to work there.

[DodgyAgent]

LinkedIn's downfall is of its own making. In the beginning they had a simple model that worked. Keep it SIMPLE. But no, they had to chase cash at every opportunity. I don't know professionals who are really serious about their work, looking to discuss subjects of importance that would use LinkedIn as a medium for discussion.

My own preference, as a IEEE member, is to use their discussing forums. Also it's very niche and like minded individuals are that without digressing.

Well said

It is also losing its credibility by trying to force people to connect and with its utterly ridiculous skills endorsement system.