All about LinkedIn
Apr 20th, 2009 | By posseranch | Category: LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003 mainly used for professional networking. As of February 2009 it had more than 35 million registered users, spanning 170 industries.
The purpose of the site is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called Connections. Users can invite anyone (whether a site user or not) to become a connection.
This list of connections can then be used in a number of ways:
*A contact network is built up consisting of their direct connections, the connections of each of their connections (termed second degree connections) and also the connections of second degree connections (termed third degree connections). This can be used to gain an introduction to someone you wish to know through a mutual, trusted contact.
*It can then be used to find jobs, people and business opportunities recommended by someone in one’s contact network.
*Employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates.
*Job seekers can review the profile of hiring managers and discover which of their existing contacts can introduce *them.
The “gated-access approach” (where contact with any professional requires either a preexisting relationship, or the intervention of a contact of theirs) is intended to build trust among the service’s users.
When you signup, you are asked to add information about yourself and your professional background. For many people, it is as simple as adding your resume. From there, you can search for people that you know, or want to know, and connect to them. In addition, more recently LinkedIn has been adding applications to the site that help you better connect to more people and use their services more conveniently.
The advantages of a profile on LinkedIn can be many. One, you can use it to self promote in a way that is not as intrusive as other networks. By adding your blog, website, and other professional contact information to your profile, you expose the information to anyone who searches for you. Also, they have a question and answer service that allows you to ask or answer questions posted on the site. For example, if someone in your network asks a question that you have the answer to, posting your answer will automatically give you credibility and access to anyone who sees it.
In addition, communicating with other people in your network is getting easier. You can email your connections, post comments, and find personal contact information very easily. And if you are looking to hire people for your practice, LinkedIn is one of the best new ways to find top talent. Recommendations from other people within your network are easy to get and more reliable than other hiring or recommendation engines out there.
For some links on how it all works start with these:
