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IT Insights – "MySpace for Professionals"

You've heard of MySpace and FaceBook.  But what if you are over 30 and would like to network professionally using the Internet?  Introducing LinkedIn.com.

Whether you want to network with your peers down the street, in another state, or even in another country, catch up with previous co-workers and college friends, or ask for advice from perfect strangers, LinkedIn provides an-easy-to-navigate platform and forum to do all this and much more!

In 2003 Reid Hoffman and four others launched LinkedIn.  By adding over 700,000 users a month, LinkedIn now boasts 12 million users – including one "hard-to-impress" technology consultant ... me!

Like MySpace and FaceBook, LinkedIn allows you to create a profile page where you can selectively list your current occupation and employer, past employers, college and years attended, website, blog, summary of your skills and specialties.

I joined LinkedIn to keep up with college friends and previous co-workers in Texas and Pennsylvania.  I now have a LinkedIn "network" made up of several 1st, 2nd and 3rd level "connections." 

Your "network" is defined as the group of LinkedIn users you can contact through your connections up to three degrees away.

• You are at the center of your network.
• Your direct connections make up the 1st degree of your network.
• The people connected to each of your direct connections make up your 2nd degree.
• The people connected to those in your 2nd degree make up your 3rd degree.

This chain of trusted connections gives you inside access to a vast network of professionals, companies and industries across the world – relationships that you can use to help one another.

Since joining LinkedIn I got back in touch with several college friends, a couple old clients, and a few other technology consultants.  In addition, if you list your area of specialty, don't be surprised if you get contacted by other LinkedIn members for an occasional question or two or by job recruiters looking for your skills at their clients.

Concerned about privacy?  Me too.  LinkedIn has numerous privacy settings to "lock down" what can and can't be seen by the public and even by those in your network.  Nevertheless it is not recommended to put anything on any networking site of a private or personal nature that could be harmful to you, your family, or others if viewed by unscrupulous individuals.

You can visit my LinkedIn profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethsaxe.

 


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