LinkedIn and stuff

[Cliphead]

I know there've been a few threads about LinkedIn but I can't be arsed trawling through searches and I'm just curious anyway.

I created a profile years ago and forgot about it but more recently I've been getting requests to join someone's network. Cool, except I've only met two people out of the current nineteen I'm connected with, no idea who the others are but accepted anyway. Kinda like Facebook in a way, seems nobody refuses a friend request.

So I'm curious, has anybody had any real benefit from membership / contacts? Is it more like Facebook without the chatter? Do you apply any criteria before accepting a request?

PS No agencies or companies or any other species if spam, seems to be just individuals.

[MarillionFan]

I don't use it heavily, but I do have a full profile.

I do find it useful for keeping a list of places and people I've worked with. I've had a piece of work through someone who tracked me down from their new client site.

In addition I have been contacted directly by agents(had a few calls but nothing from it). It's useful for looking people up though.

[Troll]

I know there've been a few threads about LinkedIn but I can't be arsed trawling through searches and I'm just curious anyway.

I created a profile years ago and forgot about it but more recently I've been getting requests to join someone's network. Cool, except I've only met two people out of the current nineteen I'm connected with, no idea who the others are but accepted anyway. Kinda like Facebook in a way, seems nobody refuses a friend request.

So I'm curious, has anybody had any real benefit from membership / contacts? Is it more like Facebook without the chatter? Do you apply any criteria before accepting a request?

PS No agencies or companies or any other species if spam, seems to be just individuals.

I have got my last two contracts through old colleagues so it does seem worthwhile

The agencies have cottoned on to Linkedin, but I block my contact list from being viewed by others and will not accept link ins from agencies

[cojak]

Yep, I ignore agents and those people I don't know.

[minestrone]

Had an offer and a face to face interview through linkedin

I get quite a lot of requests from agents I have never heard of, I just ignore them and for a while I had 'no agent speculative requests' in my summary. It seems to be junior staff working with agents who have no clue how to build up relationships with contractors just panning out network requests all day.

[norrahe]

Found it useful for making contacts in new markets and for them to get in touch with me. Have had a few useless pimps contacting me about things of no interest but few and far between.

[Fred Bloggs]

I reckon it's a waste of time. It could have been good but I think it has lost its original purpose, by and large.

[Clippy]

I don't really use it but its on my 'to do list'.

I need to update my profile but, until then, I have made it non-discoverable (?).


Couple of points though:

1) I have locked down my profile so that my contacts cannot see who I am connected to as one of them sent a connection request to one of my contacts and I then got an embarrassing call asking who the hell this bloke was.

2) Do not treat it like Facebook - only connect with people you know.

Thereafter, you need to decide how you filter any connection requests.
i.e. will you only accept connection requests from people you have directly worked with or from people you have worked with in-directly - I'd be interested to hear what others do.

3) You need to actively manage your profile and it needs to be a component of your sales strategy so if you blog or tweet about your work speciality, then include that within your LinkedIn/Twitter profile and vice versa.

[gingerjedi]

It's useful for looking people up though.

Like the people that will be interviewing you...

"I see you collect old mustard tins"

"Me too!"

[realityhack]

I got my current role and a few interviews and offers through LI, so it seems to be useful.
Had a few agents spam me but oddly, more queries directly from the clients than anything else.
There is a lot of chatter but you can dial it down - most of the spam is from groups I've joined, and not-got-around-to unticking the 'email me' option.
Definitely keep your connections non-viewable in your privacy settings.
You need to be a lot more selective in who you connect to - only about 10% of my contacts are people I've not met in person or worked with - the only reason I connect to that 10% is the same reason I follow similar people on twitter - for industry developments/news.
It's a good resource IMO.