I’m going for a job interview this week. I know the name of my interviewer and her organization. Within 2 minutes I expect to know her background, what she looks like, and whether or not I know anyone who knows her. Yes, I’m talking about LinkedIn.
As a freelancer, I’ve come to rely on tools like LinkedIn, but it’s not just for me…
- Employers send requests to their contacts when they need to fill a position (that’s how this opportunity came my way).
- Colleagues promote each other when their contacts have opportunities (again, how I got hooked up).
- People get references from other people who are in their “degrees of separation.”
Plus, it’s just fun to look up people you know (God, did everyone in this town except me work at Buck and Pulleyn at some point???).
LinkedIn may seem like old news, but I still find a lot of people who either aren’t on, or whose profiles badly need attention. Seems like the Rochester ad community lives and breathes by its connections. If you’re not already linked up, get hopping.
i think i might be a linked-in snob. feels too corporate to me. people keep sending me invites to join, but i prefer FB and twitter. someone also told me about a social network for ad people, but i forget what it’s called.
p.s. just remembered it’s called adgabber: http://www.adgabber.com/
Linked in works for me precisely because it’s not tied to one industry, but you can find expertise quickly. For a freelancer, might pay to be where clients live, in addition.
Two troubling trends on the rise though: 1) value-less updates (e.g. “Steve is going to airport”) and 2) when distant connections cold call.
I’m a big fan of LinkedIn. I’m not on it as much as some people, but it is an AWESOME resource.
I find a new use for it all the time.