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I think people within our direct industry tend to look down on LinkedIn but it seems clear to me that those in sales and b2b find it completely invaluable. Thei

I think people within our direct industry tend to look down on LinkedIn but it seems clear to me that those in sales and b2b find it completely invaluable. Their interface to me looks haggard and is filled with bugs but I don't expect this to be anymore than the fluctuations and corrections in the market.

douche 11y ago
Does anyone other than slimy recruiters actually use LinkedIn? Actually curious - I've never had any interactions through the site other than randos endorsing me for things I know nothing about, and code-sausage-machine consultants and recruiters sending me emails about positions that don't match anything in my profile. But it must have somebody out there that uses it, if they're pulling in 3.6 billion in revenue.
- click170 11y ago
  At my last couple jobs there was actually a running joke that any time someone updated their LinkedIn profile it was because they were looking for another job. It seemed to actually be mostly true. I work in tech.
- eli 11y ago
  People find jobs through it all the time. Sadly LinkedIn seems to have put their Groups on the back burner, but they're still a good way to chat with people in your industry, especially niche and non-tech industries
- itgoon 11y ago
  That's how I find most of my long-term work. As someone else mentioned, I update it when I'm looking for a job. That kicks off a bunch of messages and invites from recruiters. There's the usual hits and misses, but it works fine for me.
  - therein 11y ago
    Exactly, same here. It works as intended for me as a Software Engineer.
- swalsh 11y ago
  You're a developer, i'm guessing your profile plays that up. Are you expecting anything other than a recruiter to contact you? Now imagine you're a buyer for a large furniture retailer, if you have your profile open, it might not be unusual for a supplier looking to get into somewhere bigger to contact you. I've worked with a few sales guys, what they tend to do is use linkedin to build a tactical map. They then strategically expand their network until they get close to who they want. LinkedIn, when used correctly probably won't come in the form of an inMail, but in the form of a phone call out of the blue from an acquaintance.
  - jeffwidman 11y ago
    This. I use LinkedIn all the time to identify who in my network is connected to the person I'm trying to reach.
  - flinty 11y ago
    What's a tactical map
- megablast 11y ago
  Do you actually know anyone that doesn't work in it? Those people do.
- ryanSrich 11y ago
  > positions that don't match anything in my profile It's funny you mention that because I feel like in the last year or so LinkedIn recruiters have caught on a bit. I've received far less solicitations than years past (at one point I was getting 5-10 per day). In fact I rarely ever get LinkedIn spam these days. Instead I'm seeing more spam from Dribbble and AngleList.
- neltnerb 11y ago
  I personally don't care for the site, but when I do use it, it is to learn more about people before contacting them to avoid wasting time. For instance, reading an article that quotes someone, and then finding out if they're still doing work in that area and what their contact information is to see if they're interested in collaborating. Or figuring out which geographical regions some company was doing a project in if I was interested in learning more... people usually like talking about their interests after all. Also good for finding well respected people in my field, figuring out from that which companies are doing good work there, and keeping tabs on the companies so that I have a clue what the more global picture is outside of my immediate circles. I do not work in programming though.
- jeffwidman 11y ago
  Yes, I use LinkedIn all the time to figure out who in my network knows someone else, so that I can background check someone before I walk into a meeting or ask for them to send a backchannel recommendation. Not for hiring, but for various other kinds of business deals. I don't use it at all for the social network stuff--I find that a complete waste of time. As a network map + living resume of people I'm meeting with it's fantastic.

douche 11y ago

Does anyone other than slimy recruiters actually use LinkedIn? Actually curious - I've never had any interactions through the site other than randos endorsing me for things I know nothing about, and code-sausage-machine consultants and recruiters sending me emails about positions that don't match anything in my profile. But it must have somebody out there that uses it, if they're pulling in 3.6 billion in revenue.

click170 11y ago
At my last couple jobs there was actually a running joke that any time someone updated their LinkedIn profile it was because they were looking for another job. It seemed to actually be mostly true. I work in tech.
eli 11y ago
People find jobs through it all the time. Sadly LinkedIn seems to have put their Groups on the back burner, but they're still a good way to chat with people in your industry, especially niche and non-tech industries
itgoon 11y ago
That's how I find most of my long-term work. As someone else mentioned, I update it when I'm looking for a job. That kicks off a bunch of messages and invites from recruiters. There's the usual hits and misses, but it works fine for me.
- therein 11y ago
  Exactly, same here. It works as intended for me as a Software Engineer.
swalsh 11y ago
You're a developer, i'm guessing your profile plays that up. Are you expecting anything other than a recruiter to contact you? Now imagine you're a buyer for a large furniture retailer, if you have your profile open, it might not be unusual for a supplier looking to get into somewhere bigger to contact you. I've worked with a few sales guys, what they tend to do is use linkedin to build a tactical map. They then strategically expand their network until they get close to who they want. LinkedIn, when used correctly probably won't come in the form of an inMail, but in the form of a phone call out of the blue from an acquaintance.
- jeffwidman 11y ago
  This. I use LinkedIn all the time to identify who in my network is connected to the person I'm trying to reach.
- flinty 11y ago
  What's a tactical map
megablast 11y ago
Do you actually know anyone that doesn't work in it? Those people do.
ryanSrich 11y ago
> positions that don't match anything in my profile It's funny you mention that because I feel like in the last year or so LinkedIn recruiters have caught on a bit. I've received far less solicitations than years past (at one point I was getting 5-10 per day). In fact I rarely ever get LinkedIn spam these days. Instead I'm seeing more spam from Dribbble and AngleList.
neltnerb 11y ago
I personally don't care for the site, but when I do use it, it is to learn more about people before contacting them to avoid wasting time. For instance, reading an article that quotes someone, and then finding out if they're still doing work in that area and what their contact information is to see if they're interested in collaborating. Or figuring out which geographical regions some company was doing a project in if I was interested in learning more... people usually like talking about their interests after all. Also good for finding well respected people in my field, figuring out from that which companies are doing good work there, and keeping tabs on the companies so that I have a clue what the more global picture is outside of my immediate circles. I do not work in programming though.
jeffwidman 11y ago
Yes, I use LinkedIn all the time to figure out who in my network knows someone else, so that I can background check someone before I walk into a meeting or ask for them to send a backchannel recommendation. Not for hiring, but for various other kinds of business deals. I don't use it at all for the social network stuff--I find that a complete waste of time. As a network map + living resume of people I'm meeting with it's fantastic.