LinkedIn-Does it help?

Sup peeps,

I recently setup a LinkedIn profile, added 30 connections and got 4 recommendation. ***PM me if you want to connect***

Through LinkedIn, i just applied for an opportunity of lifetime at a "BIG BIG" firm. More info later...

SO I also upgraded my account and sent the recruiter who posted the job for this firm almost a "cover letter" type message and hoping that it will help me get at least an interview in this overly-competitive and horrendous job market...

SO what you guys think about linkedIn? As i stated, i just setup the profile last week and noticed that my connections, some of them Managers At Cisco and Microsoft btw, had 250+ connections...

Is it a good job hunting tool?

Thanks.

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Comments

nicklauscombs

went from slightly skeptical to absolutely loving it over the past few months.

anyone wishing to connect shoot me a PM. the more the merrier.

erpadmin

falcon101 wrote: »

Sup peeps,

I recently setup a LinkedIn profile, added 30 connections and got 4 recommendation. ***PM me if you want to connect***

Through LinkedIn, i just applied for an opportunity of lifetime at a "BIG BIG" firm. More info later...

SO I also upgraded my account and sent the recruiter who posted the job for this firm almost a "cover letter" type message and hoping that it will help me get at least an interview in this overly-competitive and horrendous job market...

SO what you guys think about linkedIn? As i stated, i just setup the profile last week and noticed that my connections, some of them Managers At Cisco and Microsoft btw, had 250+ connections...

Is it a good job hunting tool?

Thanks.

I did get an offer recently from a headhunter for a job in FL doing PS Security. The pay was great for FL, but I have my eyes on a different prize so I passed.

LinkedIn is great. It's like Facebook, but for grownups! LOL.

dynamik

There's a group: TechExams.net group | LinkedIn

erpadmin

dynamik wrote: »

There's a group: TechExams.net group | LinkedIn

Never knew it! LOL...definitely asked to join though.

Aldur

I think LinkedIn is a great tool for job seekers and I constantly get inquiries from different recruiters. It really dampens my fears of ever being jobless

But seriously it seems like a great resource.

Devilsbane

You will likely want to check this http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/52085-advantages-using-linkedin-com.html thread out.

I never knew there was a TE group. I'll have to join sometime!

Bl8ckr0uter

I think it is a good too. It can help you identify things you are lacking on your resume. It is also good for the reasons mentioned by the other guys.

Monkerz

I'm up for linking! I have 0 Connections at the moment...

Chris Monk - LinkedIn

Samurai004

knwminus:

***AKA Black Router***

That is pretty funny, I got a nice laugh from that one. I don't have anything that cool:

Scottish Router
Dutch Router
White Router
Pale Router
Sunburnt Router

They just don't work...

Bl8ckr0uter

Samurai004 wrote: »

Scottish Router
Dutch Router
White Router
Pale Router
Sunburnt Router

They just don't work...

Oh so just because I'm black it has to be talking about because I'm black. Is that what your saying? Huh? LOL!!!!! J/C Someone finally sees my double entendre there

.

Why do I want some mountain dew now...

falcon101

sweet info guys....!

For anyone who has PM'ed me, you are now my connection...

I also do see great benefit in LInkedIn. Few nice jobs that are posted there specifically state that LinkedIN profiles and with recommendations will be preferred. As i said earlier, ANYTHING EXTRA like this can and should help in this job market, while i am updating my certs.

Chris, connection invite sent.

Monkerz

Thanks man!

Paul Boz

As long as you don't treat it like MySpace its great. I get dozens of invites a month from people I don't know. I deny about 90% of them though, because if I don't have a professional relationship with you I don't have a reason to friend you. I make exceptions for people I feel are knowledgeable and would be considered great contacts, but 9/10 random forums invites gets blown up. I got my current job through one of my good friends' recruiter and the first thing she did was check out my linkedin to see who I knew. You don't want a bunch of random people on there that may potentially make you look bad. On the inverse, if you have like a dozen CCIEs that will vouch for you you're rock solid.*

*I do not have a dozen CCIEs on Linkedin

earweed

I got you Monkerz.

I know what Paul is saying. I've finally connected with some recruiters who may actually be able to help me out and it's been through linked in. Most of my connections that I have are from TE though.

TheMechanic

On LinkedIn, really starting to like it ALOT. Social networking-for professionals.

Eddy Breton - LinkedIn

Add me guys, located in NY!

Anonymouse

Your experience will vary I suppose. I made one after reading a thread about it on here. Hasn't done anything for me at all in 3 months.

earweed

It's like anything else. If you just let it sit there it'll do you no good. You need to work with it a little.

Anonymouse

earweed wrote: »

It's like anything else. If you just let it sit there it'll do you no good. You need to work with it a little.

Genuine question: How would I do that? It seems like a myspace/facebook but with your resume instead of mundane details about what you did today or pictures of you at a party drunk.

erpadmin

nanashi wrote: »

Genuine question: How would I do that? It seems like a myspace/facebook but with your resume instead of mundane details about what you did today or pictures of you at a party drunk.

The easiest way to create your profile is to import/modify your resume. That's what I did. When someone googles your name, the LinkedIn profile is the first link that comes up (or one of them).

My fraternity for a time had a statewide alumni group that I was a part of. One of our brothers is an account executive at LinkedIn. He gave a 20 minute presentation on the benefits, many discussed here. When I set my profile up, I was connecting with other PeopleSoft professionals in short order. I have gotten my profile looked at by HR departments at various companies and schools, but mostly from "recruiters." It is also a good way to reconnect with other professionals from your past. One guy from high school is an engineer with Lockheed Martin and living in Atlanta. He found me on LinkedIn. I had no problem adding him and reconnecting with him.

Also, say you know of a position that Company X is hiring for. You can find folks who work there and perhaps even the department head of the IT department. You have another "in". Maybe one of your contacts knows that in, and you can talk to him to see if he can put in a good word. You'd be amazed at how well the "six-degrees-of-separation" concept works.

Plus you have various alumni groups, tech groups....it's really all about what you make of it and how you use it. Plus

Like anything else, it's just another tool, but not your only tool. But a good one.

laptop

Do you guys put your recent job title/location into linkedin?

Sometimes I do feel like I want to include it. But, at times, i don't really want to let other people know i'm working at some specific company. Anyone has this feeling before?

Devilsbane

laptop wrote: »

Do you guys put your recent job title/location into linkedin?

Sometimes I do feel like I want to include it. But, at times, i don't really want to let other people know i'm working at some specific company. Anyone has this feeling before?

Rather than not disclosing information, maybe your just need to regulate who can view it? Set up the privacy settings so that only your connections can see it (rather than the default which includes groups and 2nd and 3rd connections) and then just carefully consider who your connections are.

laptop

Devilsbane wrote: »

Rather than not disclosing information, maybe your just need to regulate who can view it? Set up the privacy settings so that only your connections can see it (rather than the default which includes groups and 2nd and 3rd connections) and then just carefully consider who your connections are.

Yeah I can also do that. 2nd or 3rd connections might not see the detailed info. But, they can still see where I am currently working.

Example:
Current: Computer Expert at ___Corporation.

I just want to let my connections know that i'm working here. But, not anyone else. I don't think there's a feature for this. Just dont want other people spying on me. So, I rather leave it out for now and make it seem like i am unemployed.

networker050184

laptop wrote: »

Yeah I can also do that. 2nd or 3rd connections might not see the detailed info. But, they can still see where I am currently working.

Example:
Current: Computer Expert at ___Corporation.

I just want to let my connections know that i'm working here. But, not anyone else. I don't think there's a feature for this. Just dont want other people spying on me. So, I rather leave it out for now and make it seem like i am unemployed.

Why would it matter if someone knew where you worked? Thats kind of the point of LinkedIn.

Megadeth4168

Hopefully it is as good as everyone says it is for networking. I just joined it this past week, I have been at the same job for 10 years and its just looking like there will be nowhere for me to grow. I just started trying to get out there and explore my options and I'm hoping that linkedin does help.

Aldur

networker050184 wrote: »

Why would it matter if someone knew where you worked? Thats kind of the point of LinkedIn.

The same thought ran though my head. I'm not aware of too many places of work that would be upset if you put you job title and company down.

Unless of course your a super spy for a foreign gov't

mikej412

networker050184 wrote: »

Why would it matter if someone knew where you worked? Thats kind of the point of LinkedIn.

Unwanted sales calls. Unwanted calls from people being "proactive" looking for jobs. Unwanted calls from recruiters looking to staff one of their positions. The nice thing about being in the IP Voice Group is that my published corporate directory phone # now goes to a full voice mail box.

Toss in all the people I didn't know who got laid off wanting to connect and asking for recommendations -- and the "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" BS recommendations that those people created for each other -- and I'm pretty much not impressed with LinkedIn or the accuracy of the information that's posted.

And then there are other issues that can affect a business when people link to their current customer contacts.....

But I'll leave those to your imagination and corporate legal departments.

erpadmin

Aldur wrote: »

The same thought ran though my head. I'm not aware of too many places of work that would be upset if you put you job title and company down.

Unless of course your a super spy for a foreign gov't

I'm not (actively) looking for work, so I don't have a problem listing the companies I'm with. I will only have an issue if I decide to leave for the next job...then I will sit on it for about 6 months to a year before I post it. Or I will post everything I do except the company name.

I am paranoid about the "haters" that may find me and try to give me grief at new place because I make more than them...blah blah blah. Haters suck like no other.

mikej412

Oh -- I can think of one good thing to say about LinkedIn, especially when compared/contrasted to/with FaceBook/MySpace/FriendSpace -- at least none of my Cats have LinkedIn Profile.

Devilsbane

mikej412 wrote: »

and the "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" BS recommendations that those people created for each other -- and I'm pretty much not impressed with LinkedIn or the accuracy of the information that's posted.

This is nothing new. Every job requests references, but that doesn't mean much. You stick your best friend on there and he tells them how you are an awesome person.

Personally, I would probably write every person that I am connected with a recommendation. I don't connect with people just because I know them, but rather because I like and respect them and I think having them on my "friend's list" will make me look better. The random people that I went to highschool with wouldn't get accepted onto my list, they can be on my facebook if they want to keep in touch with me.

networker050184

mikej412 wrote: »

Unwanted sales calls. Unwanted calls from people being "proactive" looking for jobs. Unwanted calls from recruiters looking to staff one of their positions. The nice thing about being in the IP Voice Group is that my published corporate directory phone # now goes to a full voice mail box.

Toss in all the people I didn't know who got laid off wanting to connect and asking for recommendations -- and the "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" BS recommendations that those people created for each other -- and I'm pretty much not impressed with LinkedIn or the accuracy of the information that's posted.

And then there are other issues that can affect a business when people link to their current customer contacts..... But I'll leave those to your imagination and corporate legal departments.

I've personally never had any of those issues. I hardly ever log into it though to be honest.