2/18/2005 11:30

Okay, we've all seen them. The cheery little e-mails from some co-worker or acquaintance that proudly state how wonderful LinkedIn is and politely invite you -- the lucky recipient -- to become "LinkedIn" too.

If you're like me, you've probably accepted such invites. And then promptly forgotten about the growing list of contacts in your LinkedIn network.

I have to wonder whether anyone is really using LinkedIn in a meaningful way. I've seen some folks post about the company's ambiguous business model, but how about some best practices on how to use it? After all, according to LinkedIn's FAQ, it's supposed to be an excellent resource for referrals.

I'd love to talk to someone who has actually used LinkedIn for this, so that I can put together some tips/tricks on how to use it. Please contact me if you fit the bill.

Posted by at February 18, 2005 11:30 AM

Comments

Rob Leathern email - www.linkedin.com

Hi Tara- LinkedIn has just pushed out a few new changes on the site, one of which is a rotation of some of the case studies (success stories) on the home page. We actually have many more across various areas such as finding jobs, connecting with experts, hiring people, and finding clients or business partners. Connect with me via LinkedIn and I can share some best practice pieces we have with you and your friends/colleagues.

Tara email - www.marqui.com

Thanks very much for responding, Rob. I'd love to connect with you, but don't I need your e-mail to do that? Or can I do a search somehow? Also, I only see the one case study, but hey if it's good enough for The Apprentice's Kelly Perdew. maybe it's worth checking into...

Rick Upton email - www.rickupton.com

Hi Tara,

As an <a href="www.rickupton.com/scu-mba-courses.htm">MBA student at Santa Clara University</a>, I found <a href="www.linkedin.com">LinkedIn</a> to be very useful for researching a company. For example, for one class, my group wrote a paper about the <a href="www.bmwgroup.com/">BMW Group</a>. We had no personal contacts at BMW. However, through LinkedIn, I was able to connect with BMW employees in Colorado, USA and Munich, Germany. It was extremely valuable to learn from these employees what it is like to work at BMW, and get an insider's perspective on various issues.

If I ever am looking for employment at a company, I will certainly use LinkedIn to to find inside contacts as I did with the BMW project.

Of course, getting help from others is easier when you help others first. And even if you never need help, it can be an enjoyable experience helping others. LinkedIn has given me a way to help a number of friends who were looking to make contacts with each other through me for various reasons.

I am such a fan of LinkedIn, I have written some <a href="www.rickupton.com/linkedin-tips.htm">LinkedIn tips</a> that you may find of interest.

There are a number of other networks like LinkedIn (you can see a list of them on my <a href="www.rickupton.com/contact-rick-upton.htm">contact page</a>), but I like LinkedIn best for professional use.

Best regards,

<a href="www.rickupton.com">Rick Upton</a>

Tara email - www.marqui.com

Hi Rick,

Thanks very much for taking the time to comment on this. I took a look at your tip sheet and it is very helpful. Anyone interested in how to make the most of LinkedIn should definitely check it out.

Best, Tara

TrackBack Link