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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

...to think that LinkedIn isn't so mum-friendly?

193 replies

semi · 24/03/2013 22:07

I am a working mum with quite a few professional contacts on Linkedin and have found that most self-employed women/mumpreneurs I've spotted in the press haven't got a Linkedin profile. What's that all about? Don't virtual networks well lend themselves to busy mums? Or is it that we just don't like to share what we are up to? Talk about our successes/achievements?

OP posts:
Tee2072 · 24/03/2013 22:09

Linked in is for professional networks. I have no idea what being a mum has to do with that.

YABVVVVVVU to use the word 'mumpreneture' or whatever the fucking stupid twee annoying and idiotic made up word is.

fiorentina · 24/03/2013 22:10

I know quite a few mums on LinkedIn. I think it is very useful professionally but maybe not for all industries perhaps they use different channels to connect?

catinboots · 24/03/2013 22:11

ARF at mumpreneur.

Linked In is for professionals as Tee said ^ there

Not bored mummies trying to make pin money from baking cupcakes and knitting jumpers for boiled eggs

MrsTerryPratchett · 24/03/2013 22:11

I didn't have a profile before DD, don't have one now. I really don't see what my ovaries and what they do have to do with LinkedIn...

EuroShaggleton · 24/03/2013 22:11

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

OhDearieDearieMe · 24/03/2013 22:13

Seriously Grin Grin Grin @ 'mumpreneurs'. What in the name of all that is holy is one of them?

redskyatnight · 24/03/2013 22:13

I know many working people. some are employed by a company, some are self employed. some are mothers, some are fathers and some have no children.
Some are on linked in and some aren't
I'm not sure I could come up with any connection between the ones that aren't.

OddBoots · 24/03/2013 22:13

I have a LinkedIn and I don't remember feeling in any way unwelcome because I happen to be a mum, I don't recall there being a vetting process of any kind but it's been a while since I signed up so maybe I've forgotten.

Oreocrumbs · 24/03/2013 22:14

I'm on linked in, but I can't say I gave my DD a moments thought when I joined. It is for work not parent stuff.

I don't understand your point.

ThreeMenFromCarntyne · 24/03/2013 22:16

I am on Linked In. i am also a professional, have I just dissed the theory?

FadBook · 24/03/2013 22:17

Linkedin isn't popular with all industries and job roles.

I'm a mum. I work (albeit, now part time since DD) and I run a small consultancy business. I use Linkedin to network with peers and past colleagues. It's useful for my industry and for the job I'm in now. It has nothing to do with me being a mum.

Tee2072 · 24/03/2013 22:17

BTW, I'm a mom and an entrepreneur. I have a LinkedIn profile for the latter part. I have Facebook and MN for the former.

LadyWidmerpool · 24/03/2013 22:20

I'm a mum and I use it. There's nothing mum-unfriendly about it and I have a fair few self-employed/freelance people as contacts. I don't identify as a mum in my working life particularly. Non-mums can be busy too.

INeedThatForkOff · 24/03/2013 22:21

I know mums in different kinds if self-employment, if that's what you mean by 'mumpreneur' (actually the one and only person I know who uses this cringey title in RL is an exception to the rule I'm about to describe as she uses LinkedIn, FB and Twitter).

LinkedIn tends to be used by those like myself who are promoting their professional skills (tuition, law, PR etc).

FB seems to be favoured by those using their creative skills (dressmaking, accessories, cake decorating etc).

The one I mentioned above works in a creative role linked with her professional field, and annoyingly makes frequent reference to her PhD.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 24/03/2013 22:22

Maybe if they are in the press they don't want to be inundated with connection requests from strangers.

montmartre · 24/03/2013 22:26

Y'know, I don't think there is enough discussion about this, and other such issues mumpreneurs face. Have you thought about blogging about it?

jumpingjackhash · 24/03/2013 22:28

As just about everyone else has said, Linked In is a place for professionals to connect in a business sense. Not sure why it should be 'mum-friendly'?

BecauseImWorthIt · 24/03/2013 22:29
Grin

I'm on Linked In
I'm a 'mumpreneur' I suppose, in that I run my own business
I'm on Facebook
I'm on Twitter

So bloody what?!

SheepNoisesOff · 24/03/2013 22:29

I don't really understand this either. I'm self-employed, I was on LinkedIn before I had children, and I'm still on it now. Did I automatically become a 'mumpreneur' when my first DC was born? What about DP, is he a 'dadpreneur'? Grin

Trills · 24/03/2013 22:30

YABU

In what way is it not "mum friendly"?

Nobody is discriminated against by LinkedIn based on whether they have reproduced or not.

quesadilla · 24/03/2013 22:42

I am on LinkedIn and an a mum and not a professional. It's for work, not necessarily only for professionals. Not particularly sure why it should have to be mum-friendly, it's not gender-specific and your status as a parent or otherwise is irrelevant.

Ironbluemayfly · 24/03/2013 22:45

It's actually quite hard to put a career break on the job history part of linkedin, the formatting makes it not look right.

GogoGobo · 24/03/2013 22:47

I reckon a "mumpreneur" is one of those insufferable fuckers that blogs about "all things mummy related" for a living Wink

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 24/03/2013 22:49

I changed mine to Career Break when I took voluntary redundancy and it said WhoKnows works at Career Break, didn't sound right.

Vicky2011 · 24/03/2013 22:51

Why not set up a LI group for mumpreneurs?

In reality though parental status is just not relevant, increasingly people don't put personal details on CVs so makes no sense to do on LI