Saturday, August 6, 2011

The Value of a Linked In Profile

I think that LinkedIn is an excellent tool to network with other professionals and create a site to promote your abilities and strengths for potential employers or business partners to see.  Although I'm relatively new to using the site I have had some difficulties in navigating the site.  I have had a LI profile for at least 2 or 3 years now but I have not used it to the full extent of its potential. I am currently updating to reflect my Graduate School work with regard to sustainability as well as other profile changes.  I also received a request from a classmate to network with him and when I logged in LinkedIn actually created a duplicate account because the email that my classmate sent the request to is differnt than the one I used to originally set up my account.  It was a nuisance to have to figure out how to close the dulicate account and then try to reconnect with my classmate from my other account.  I had to do a search for him that didn't take too long but if I hadn't had the issue with the duplicate account I wouldn't have to do the search in the first place.  The only downside I can see for me personally is that I have such a varied background and work history that it may be difficult for potential employers to determine what type of job I may be looking for.  I do not belong to a LI group but do have a network of about eight people.  This year I have been better about developing connections to others.  LinkedIn is the only professional networking site that I have registered with.
Posted by at

2 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 6, 2011 at 6:36 AM

    James,
    As more people have joined LI, it has become an excellent resource to search for different types of skill sets and potential employees or consultants with specific skill sets. I think learning to use the search features can only help you get the most out of this tool. For instance, if you were trying to meet someone with a particular skill set, and you searched and found them on LI, you could quickly see if anyone in your network knew them and could introduce you. Or if you were interested in working for a particular company, you could look them up to see if anyone you know, knows someone who works there. I think if you continue to get familiar with LI, you will get more out of it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. JRyanAugust 6, 2011 at 4:03 PM

    Thanks Lisa! I will continue to work on it and get more proficient at it in the coming months. I appreciate the advice.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)