....to not understand why I'd need a LinkedIn account?

[user1491724818]

Are they if you want to be headhunted?

Are they are sort of "career Facebook"?

I work freelance and have plenty work already.

Do I need a LinkedIn account?

What about security? I can imagine it would be quite outing, especially if you live in a tiny community?

[user1491724818]

So many people are on it - I am just wondering if I am missing a trick?

[WorknameJimEllis]

To stalk all the old schoolmates not on facebook?

[Glossolalia]

What about security? I can imagine it would be quite outing, especially if you live in a tiny community?

Outing in what way? Do you have a job that you do not want people to know you do? If yes, then it would be outing.

I use LinkedIn for lots of reasons. I like keeping up to date with where old colleagues are, without having to have them on my FB. I like to see job opportunities. I'm a member of a few closed groups for people in my niche industry.

[user1491724818]

I suppose I am a bit daft about this, but I don't like the idea of a particular ex and an ex-friend knowing exactly where I work and live.

I suppose it has some kind of privacy settings?

[PatMullins]

It does have privacy settings, yes. You can set your profile so no info comes up unless you are connected with someone.

It depends what industry you are in. I find it useful as I locum and DP was headhunted on there.

[Scribblegirl]

I use it for networking. Once upon a time you'd exchange business cards, LinkedIn allows you to connect so you can keep in touch, stay updated about what they're doing etc. I also use it to follow industry groups to stay up to date about things that are changing in our industry.

[bananafish81]

I'm freelance and get so so many interesting work requests and opportunities via LinkedIn

I have plenty of work but would have missed out on a lot of very interesting projects if I hadn't been on LinkedIn

It enables me to stay in touch with colleagues - and recommend them to others. And others recommend me. So when someone says 'do you know any good freelance copywriters?' I can ping them through the relevant LinkedIn pages of the folk I've worked with and rate

People do the same with me and my LinkedIn

Before a meeting I almost always try to gen up on the person in question by looking at their LinkedIn to get a sense of their background

It would be considered very suspicious in my industry if you didn't have a LinkedIn profile. Many don't bother with a CV any more and just use LinkedIn

I rarely if ever use a CV, because of LinkedIn. Plus instead of having to write 'references available on request' and the person having to then get in touch with the nominated referees, they can just look at the recommendations on my LinkedIn profile. I have testimonials from many of my previous clients on my profile, which means the quality of my work is more easily verifiable at a glance

Depends on your industry.

[Littlecaf]

I did it as if you googled my name the first thing that came up was an unflattering (and untrue) account of a public meeting which I was speaking at. I wanted my clients & the public to see the full picture and not the one sided and rude words of someone who thought they knew better than I did (local politics for you!) . Now my LinkedIn account comes up first and people can see my qualifications and experience. I also get industry news, and job offers from it. I find it useful although I only look about once a week.

[user1491724818]

Thanks everyone so far.

That's very interesting.

I've always been a bit of a late adopter with things like this.

I don't have a FB account either.

[SummerKelly]

I've had LinkedIn for ages but I don't really get it! I've never been offered work through it though I know people in other industries who have. I wonder whether it is very industry specific or whether it's just that I don't put much in (I don't need more work at the moment) so don't get much out.

[wasonthelist]

You can use privacy settings to restrict who sees stuff but if you don't want to be on linkedin, don't.

Different industries/jobs/countries seem to use it in different ways. I only connect to people I actually know but there was a thread on here where someone said lawyers use it to connect to more senior lawyers they don't know.

I am plagued by recruiters I don't know asking me to connect - they aren't interested in me, they want to mine my contacts. I don't connect to such folk, but even if I did, my privacy is set so they cannot see any of my contacts unless they are already known. Very occasionally I get an offer of work, but so far nothing better than I already have.

[JeNeSuisPasVotreMiel]

I can't stand it.
I used to be a member. Then one day when I got a new phone, I logged in to the site on my phone, and without my realising it, LinkedIn sent connection requests to EVERY SINGLE PERSON in my email address book, including my ex and someone who I had had a court case with.

Also it has an annoying habit of repeatedly requesting connections from people who have not responded (possibly because they don't have/don't want LinkedIn).