LinkedIn - Online Business Connections

It's All About Who You Know
There's a great deal of hype surrounding LinkedIn, an online business network tool. As of September, 2007 there were over 14 million registered users on the LinkedIn network. The concept is simple, list yourself and find other friends who are on LinkedIn, and you begin creating a web of contacts that will spread across the country. In many ways it is like the Degrees of Kevin Bacon party game. We're all seperated only by a few friends of friends to almost everyone in the business world. The big question is - does it work?

Your Contacts
Your success on using LinkedIn to connect with new business contacts is limited by the size of your own network. If you have only one or two people in your personal LinkedIn network, then there is not a great deal of value in LinkedIn. It's recommended that a minimum network size should be greater than 20 members.

Another factor to consider is the relative career status of your contacts. If you are just beginning your career, your friends and contacts are probably just beginning their own careers. Although they may be able to give you contact names of people within their own organization, they may not have established enough personal "clout" at their company to be of much help. It's a good idea to have a network that includes all ages and positions. This advice applies no matter what your age. For example, if you are already established in your career and are looking for a hot, young graphic artist then other young graphic artists are your best source for leads. Remember, LinkedIn is not just for job hunting, it can help find freelance professionals or information resources.

Does It Work?
I've been on LinkedIn for three years and have been contacted through the service only once. It did work, however, and I was able to help the person who contacted me. According to a poll on Guy Kawasaki's web site (9,000 respondents), roughly 70% of the people who used LinkedIn reported being satisfied with the service.

Keep At It
The usefulness of LinkedIn is greatly dependent on the effort of the users. To have a complete profile, you must take the time to not only find your contacts, but also ask for references from co-workers and ex-bosses to post adjacent to your profile. There are many professional recruiters who use LinkedIn to find candidates and if your profile includes references and contacts, you can quickly position yourself as a trusted resource or job candidate. Good Luck!