How and why I use LinkedIn
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I have to admit that for years I was pretty sniffy about LinkedIn. I used to think it was the boring Facebook for nerdy squares (or something). Then again, I used to think Facebook was the boring Facebook for nerdy squares, so what do I know…
Anyway, I’ve got into LinkedIn much more in recent months. Why and how? Read on…
- I always link to everyone who asks. This is partly because I don’t want to appear rude, but also because you never know who might be a useful or interesting connection. I wonder how many of you keep your networks ‘manageable’ rather than open. Does that mean I’m inundated with posts? Not really, but there’s always fresh stuff on my feed.
- Having an open network means I get articles and posts from a wide range of people with all sorts of jobs who live all over the world. I don’t think I’ve met more than about 10% of them, so I’m always reading about unexpected things that keep my mind broadened.
- I got into LinkedIn when I was gainfully employed. I don’t know how important this is, but a sudden appearance on LinkedIn can often denote the end of a job. If you don’t want to denote that, jump in now (unless you just lost your job. Actually, never mind – just do it whenever you like!).
- I have a feeling there are vast slices of super-LinkedIn that I have no idea about. Sometimes a post appears in my feed with 10,000 likes and 2000 comments and I wonder how the hell that happens. I think I’m also a bit of a relative LinkedIn newbie, so I may be missing a bunch of interesting nuances and skills.
- The big LinkedIn dude in my feed is a guy called Tom Goodwin. He’s Head of Innovation at Zenith USA and he seems to do several interesting posts a day which then get 5000 likes and 500 comments. But he seems like a good bloke and I think a drink with him would be fun.
- LinkedIn often feels like a D&AD annual from 10-15 years ago. When I wander through through the names of people LinkedIn thinks I might know they tend to be very interesting creatives in the Autumn of their careers. I find it very interesting to see what they’re up to now.
- You can apparently link with all sorts of fascinating CCOs, CEOs, Presidents, Chairpeople etc. of past and present. A case in point: I’m not entirely sure why Mark Wnek linked to me a few months back, but I find his new project fascinating.
- There are in-jokes on the site, like being rude about Gary Vaynerchuck, but I’m 100% certain Gary doesn’t care about that. In fact I think he wears such attention as a badge of honour. People also like to complain about those who use LinkedIn to express political opinions or as some kind of dating site. I don’t see much evidence of either.
- There’s a lot of public proclamation of worker availability and worker need (that might be kind of the point). I think it’s great that a forum to connect workers and recruiters exists that allows both to express themselves creatively (or not, as the case may be).
- I once asked a couple of questions that spread around the site like wildfire. They asked about the existence of ad agencies that had female or minority names above the door (not many do, at least compared to the number with just white guy names). The reaction made me realise just how fertile the diversity debate is. Anyway, I wonder how much this post will be shared around, but if I want to give it an extra push I’ll need to finish with a LinkedIn in-joke question.
Do you agree?
Linked in has potential but I see two big problems:
1. Over the past few years I have noticed a troubling trend. Once people are Linked In (or even on Facebook), it seems like an intrusion to call someone on the phone, or even send an email. It’s as if the connection is “covered” now in a way that closes off real relationships and opportunities. Ad agencies are a little toxic in that the cliques that exist among their staff continually ostracize people (such as former colleagues and/or freelancers, who now compete for their jobs and/or are just out of fashion). Linked In helps to build that invisible wall by letting people pretend there is still a way through when the door has been shut. Those who are still in the lifeboat are frantically pulling up the ladders.
2. Linked In is the perfect data filter for creative recruiters to engage in age discrimination, a phenomenon that is as universally decried and denied as it is universal.
Maybe there could be a new network that nurtures the potential of its members. (Linked Up?). The real function of Linked In seems to be to allow employers to choose cheaper, pre-trained staff from as big a pool as possible, while keeping insiders inside, reinforcing often dubious credentials and biases, and privileging the kind of belittling groupthink about individuals that should have been left on the playground (not that it ever belonged on the playground). If you truly think for yourself, Linked In is like a Rover, the hovering white ball in The Prisoner that prevents your escape to freedom and success and happiness.
Wow. This was a truly embarrassing read.
Unsubscribe.
Agree.
Or gimmee.
As annoying the trivial notifications can be, the power of LinkedIn for people who are on the lower echelons of industries can’t be underestimated. It enables you to follow and contact people without the usual obstacles of life, and in a way is far more meritocratic than the system of begging for a coffee meeting.
Nonetheless a bit more “truth to power” against big corps could make the platform a little more spicy and really open things up a bit. Cat. Pigeons. Craic.