LinkedIn ?

[wodehouse]

Anyone participate in LinkedIn? It's sort of Facebook for professionals in their working world.

I have people "endorse me" for various activities. The thing is, these people do not know me personally (some will know me through a 3rd party). And they have no direct knowledge of what my capabilities are, or aren't. And the people who have done this are pretty high-level in the industry. Consequently, I don't see "endorsements" on LinkedIn as having any value whatsoever.

Anyone else run into this?

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

I am not a member of LinkedIn, so can't help you on the endorsement matter.

However, I am going to take this opportunity to reach out to current and future LinkedIn members who might read the thread and respectfully request that you carefully vet your email contacts list before sending that mass Link request out to anyone you might have ever corresponded with in your entire life via email.

Not everyone you've ever exchanged emails with is on LinkedIn and even if they are, they might not want to Link with you -- not even if asked repeatedly.  

(I'm not on Facebook for similar reasons.  Managing the link/friend requests is a PITA.  I don't need/want to connect with the whole world, just a select few.   )

[mollyanna58]

Yeah, I'm on Linked In because I responded to one of those emails from a client, not realizing the invitation went to everyone in her address book.  I rarely look at it. 

[Waffle]

I'm on linkedin - I've never been endorsed by someone I didn't know. I have been invited to link with people I don't know - I just ignore them.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Ignoring link requests from people you don't know is easy.

Ignoring link requests from people you know -- but from a completely different part of your life than your career/industry is harder and can be fraught with some reluctance.  Sure, our kids played soccer together one Fall in preschool 11 years ago.  But, we haven't even seen each other since.  I could just ignore you.  But, what if you might have some good connections because your SIL is in the same profession I am but I wouldn't know this unless I link with you?  

AAaaaarrgggghhhhh.

[Waffle]

Jan 7, 2014 12:31:39 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Ignoring link requests from people you don't know is easy.

Ignoring link requests from people you know -- but from a completely different part of your life than your career/industry is harder and can be fraught with some reluctance.  Sure, our kids played soccer together one Fall in preschool 11 years ago.  But, we haven't even seen each other since.  I could just ignore you.  But, what if you might have some good connections because your SIL is in the same profession I am but I wouldn't know this unless I link with you?  

AAaaaarrgggghhhhh.

Would you really try to connect with someone through someone you knew 11 years ago (to use your example)?  In most cases I wouldn't have the nerve.  I have ignored link requests from a couple of people that I know - but not anyone that I know well.    

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

No, I wouldn't connect with someone from 11 years ago that I barely even knew then (i.e., only through emails regarding the soccer snack schedule).  And, I'd like to think that the person sending me the Link request would also be scratching his/her head trying to remember who I am.  

And, that's my point, clean out your email contact list before you repeatedly harass people to Link with/friend you.  

[Deleted]

Our HR director said that a linked in endorsement was worth more than a University of Pheonix degree.

[justme]

The endorsement is a mixed back. I have a lot of colleagues that have actually worked with me endorse me, and people that don't really know me. Like a friend endorsed me for Excel, he's never seen me use it but my friends have seen my FB posts about working with Excel or when they ask about work they hear about it.

On LinkedIn I add pretty much everyone that asks to connect with me. I don't post much of anything on it and want to use it purely for networking. So there's no harm of me adding random people or someone I barely know because the most they can find out about me on it is my resume!

[Deleted]

I have over 500 contacts on LinkedIn. I've been working a long time, I have a long memory, and my contacts include relatives, former HS classmates and a few old boyfriends. One had been kicking himself for 30 years because we lost touch and he was sure I was furious at him. (I wasn't.)

I've never let them have access to my e-mail contacts. I haven't endorsed anyone- I think that's silly. My cousin in Ohio who's some sort of accountant endorsed me for "Reinsurance". Nice of him but I doubt he knows what reinsurance is.

As for connections from unrelated places- before I took my current job I wanted to pick the brain of someone who did business with the company. A woman in my church had lots of LinkedIn contacts here (she sells services to them) so we met for coffee. VERY useful conversation. So, don't brush off people just because they're not former coworkers.

[NancysSummerSip]

I'm on LinkedIn for professional reasons; as a writer, it's nice to connect with others who write on the same topics as I do. I also find out about what's going on in my scope of interest: new publications, blogs, cookbooks, seminars (I am a food writer), and I do get endorsed by people I don't know. I send them an email to thank them, but I do ignore most of the invitations to link up. I'd never get anything done if I had to keep up with that many people.

I am also looking for a new job, and LinkedIn does offer a job posting service. Nothing from there yet, but it's another resource, for sure.

[Deleted]

I got my job that i am about to start through Linkedin. The recruiter for the company contacted me through Linkedin and i responded.
i also get the endorsements from people i know but havent worked with.

[souldoubt]

I'm not on any of the social media sites and have thought about creating a LinkedIn account for professional purposes.  However, I would probably end up trying to find friends I lost contact with which kind of goes against the real reason I signed up in the first place.   

[mtman]

Jan 7, 2014 12:58:02 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Our HR director said that a linked in endorsement was worth more than a University of Pheonix degree.

Now that's quite an endorsement.

[Iggy aka IG]

Jan 7, 2014 12:05:42 GMT -5 wodehouse said:

Anyone participate in LinkedIn? It's sort of Facebook for professionals in their working world.

I have people "endorse me" for various activities. The thing is, these people do not know me personally (some will know me through a 3rd party). And they have no direct knowledge of what my capabilities are, or aren't. And the people who have done this are pretty high-level in the industry. Consequently, I don't see "endorsements" on LinkedIn as having any value whatsoever.

Anyone else run into this?

I have been on LinkedIn for years, and have over 250 contacts.

I also have hundreds of endorsements for a few dozen things:  Mostly insurance products I have specialized in for 10+ years.  As far as value, there might be an advantage to having a potential client or employer see 50+ endorsements on a particular talent you have or product you offer they are looking for.

[Deleted]

I'm on it, my profile is up-to-date, but I'm not at all active on it. 

I only respond to invitations from people I know, never from anyone I don't know (which is really the point of LinkedIn, to enlarge your professional network). I have never initiated a single "link" (except to my DH and DS2, DS1 isn't on it.) 

I'm also on it because I teach university, and some of my students send me FB friend requests at the end of every school year. I'm not interested in being FB friends with them, but it's much kinder to tell them that I keep FB for out-of-town friends and family, and suggest being "linked" to them on LinkedIn instead. 

Alas I have never had anybody "endorse" me for anything lol. There are some people who really "work the system". I have a friend who did that. He treated LinkedIn like a "job", worked on getting a ton of contacts. He ended up getting the job he really wanted, but was fired 18 months later when the owners sold the company and the new owners brought their friends in. He was a recent hire, so out he went. Ouch.

My guess is that the people you don't know who are "endorsing" you are intently looking to expand their network, for whatever reason, and hoping you will be "kind enough" to return the "favor". 

[Deleted]

Jan 7, 2014 19:46:15 GMT -5 @debthaven2 said:

My guess is that the people you don't know who are "endorsing" you are intently looking to expand their network, for whatever reason, and hoping you will be "kind enough" to return the "favor". 

I was endorsed in several areas by a guy I used to work with at a small consulting firm. When we worked there the old geezer who owned the firm was convinced I was incompetent and this coworker backed him up to protect his own rear end. And now he endorses me.

I did not reciprocate.