What is the value of LinkedIn?
Published February 13, 2007 by Robbie
I’ve had an account with LinkedIn for three years. Over that time, I’ve received dozens of emails from various people that want to connect and emails from LinkedIn updating me on changes to my network. I’m now up to 109 connections. It could be significantly higher, but I tend to reject the connection requests from people I don’t know (go figure).
In all the time I’ve been a LinkedIn member, I can’t recall one beneficial thing that has happened as a result. I have some friends that sing the praises of LinkedIn, but I’m not sure why. At this point, I’m considering canceling my account unless I can find a reason to keep it. Right now, LinkedIn is in the hole with me from a productivity perspective. I’ve put a lot of time into it, but received very little in return.
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I’ve had exactly the opposite experience.
I’ve put very little time into it: most of my profile is just “please see [my web site address].” I do accept most connection requests, including from people I don’t know well but either want to know better, or have something in common with (e.g. common schools, worked at the same companies, etc).
As a result, I’ve gotten numerous good and great job offers, consulting gigs (including ones I’ve actually taken for real money), met some excellent people for networking purposes with whom I still have relationships… Considering I spend at most 10 minutes a week on LinkedIn.com, I think that’s a great return on investment.
I see two problems for most people and their usage of social networking sites like LinkedIn. One problem is the company’s fault: they and their competitors hype social networking like the end-all, be-all solution to something. It just isn’t, and users should stop expecting miracles.
The second issue is that most users, like you, refuse too many connections in my opinion. Why? It doesn’t cost you anything, doesn’t reflect on you badly, and has a positive expected value in the long term. It may be a tiny EV, but it’s positive, not negative. Most people instead just stick to their offline acquaintances online, and connect only with those — not much point in that ;)
That’s just my take on it, I do recognize I’m a bit of a contrarian and my views aren’t shared by a lot of my friends…
My views on LinkedIn are mixed. I lean more towards Robbie in that my policy is to only accept invites from people I know or someone interacted with.
I don’t agree with Yoav’s point that the EV is positive (by definition). If you end up “making a connection” to somoene with a very, very negative EV (like a career criminal), then at some level, you are responsible for others that might connect to that individual. Not saying this is probably, but it is possible, hence the “EV is always positive” argument doesn’t ring true with me.
My two cents.
I also had the exact opposite experience. We have made several connections on the site. My suggestion is if you already have it up and running, than that is the hard part.
Why not just leave it open and maybe something will come about.
I think it is also important to be an active participant in any community if you are expecting to get something out of it.
http://www.linkedin.com/answers/using-linkedIn/ULI/88503-3282206?goback=%2Enrp_1_1187990345044
Check out this post. The problem with Linkedin is that they say one thing and encourage another. they say only link to your friends yet know that recruiters are their biggest customers and recruiters do not use the inmails. The users are the product not the customers. Linkedin is an online white pages that is searchable and includes resumes. Some people think that if they only link to friends they aren’t visible to millions of people. All they need to do is make the names private, but if they did that, the traffic would go to nothing.
I just use my private “career” e-mail address to talk with recruiters (staffing companies), and don’t display my contacts on linkedin. This is so that hopefully my friends/co-workers won’t get spam e-mails. Anyway, recently I’ve done a google search on myself and found that someone with the same name has a linkedin profile. Mine is still not displaying despite numerous e-mails to linkedin and updates to my account settings. Does anyone know of a governing body that regulates this kind of site?
I believe that many of these sites would do a lot better if a persons credentials could be verified. Then you as a user could count on their credentials that they say who they are and not as someone said a career criminal out to get someone. Right now you can be anybody who you choose.
I am not, by nature, a joiner. But LinkedIn was recently recommended as career transformation aid, so I looked past my aversion, shared by my more sociable wife, to learn what experienced folks might have to say. Thank you, one and all, for your thoughtful opinions and comments, and Jake in particular for highlighting the overarching problem of credibility. Collectively, you confirmed our individual impressions, my aversion will remain.
I have been on Linkedin now for a little over three years. Many good and well known contacts and not too much to show for it. I do get some interesting contacts from time to time but that is about it. HOWEVER, I recently terminated my account after being dumped during an interview process with a mid to large company (very high profile position). It evoprated litterally with one interview left (the company president). The internal recuiter said that HR had a problemwith my Linkedin account….and they had issues & concerns…..I can’t figure for the life of me what they might be. Of course they will not say “exactly” what. My resume and Linkedin match….I have not accepted “unknown” contacts “AT ALL”….meaning if I don’t know you “PERSONALLY” I don’t link to you…………this is highly disturbing……I see the “potential” value of the site but this is NOT what I had in mind…..so I am out…..BTW I have no other foul ball site profiles like Youtube, Myspace, Facebook etc…..I only used this one because of it’s business flavor…….NO MORE.
FD