What's LinkedIn for?

[chicaguapa]

I've set up a LinkedIn profile and have added a few people I know (including friends it found from my emails). But I'm not quite sure what it's for and what the etiquette is for adding people I know through work.

Is there an idiot's guide somewhere?

I don't really know. I think it's like facebook but for people you work with or know through work. I have an account but don't really use it. It's good for checking where a person works.

LinkedIn can be very useful if you want to change/update your career/career moves.

You can add people through work, but you don't have to. Obviously if you're looking for work then don't add people through work!

you can add CV, skills etc - its sort of a self promoting your career/job site.

Oh, lots of people from agencies have added/contacted me which can be useful if like I said you're looking for work.

What do you do super? I've heard people saying it's good for job hunting but I presumed only in niche industries?

Recruitment companies use it increasingly to headhunt/search for appropriate candidates. It can be like an online CV. It's very easy to glean all your work history and experience from it. If you're open to offers it's a good idea to make sure it's up to date.

The paid for version gives you access to people who aren't your connections etc I think.

Interestingly, the son (about to leave uni this summer) of a friend of mine was contacted by a company in the son's target industry and - 2 interviews later - has now been offered a job. Company uses LinkedIn to find people so that they don't need to advertise a job and deal with x hundred applicants.

Wips - I'm a Legal Sec/PA but haven't always been in that industry.

I know lots of other people from events managers to recruitment in construction etc… who are on LinkedIn and use it to apply/look for jobs or to be headhunted externally etc.

I'm sure I don't use it as well as I could.

as HaHa and Lancashire say its used in both those ways certainly not if you're just in a niche job industry.

here you go Idiots Guide to Linked In:-

idiotsguides.com/static/quickguides/businesspersonalfinance/marketing-your-business-using-linkedin.html

I use my LinkedIn page as an extension of my CV. It can be useful to list professional contacts, as evidence of experience in a particular field. I've had a few inquiries from recruiters who use it, but more for contract/temporary work than anything permanent. Just don't put anything on there that you don't want your current employer to see; outstanding employee seeks route out of hellhole

I use it for keeping in touch with former colleagues who I didn't know well enough to have on FB, or people I meet through my work.

The main thing for me is the discussion groups, I work for a tiny, niche company in a very big business sector and it is absolutely invaluable for keeping up with what current thinking, best practices, effects of changes in legislation etc.

I've had a number of interviews through LinkedIn and one job offer. I also keep in touch with colleagues who are/were colleagues rather than friends. I've got some people I met at work-related functions.

My company tends to use it to look for internal candidates, because their own internal tools for people's job profiles are rubbish and people don't update them. They also look for external candidates.

I don't know if it's better for some fields than others (I'm in IT.)