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LinkedIn. I'm not on Facebook or any other social networks. LinkedIn is basically like a Rolodex of friends and colleagues that automatically keeps updated. S

LinkedIn. I'm not on Facebook or any other social networks. LinkedIn is basically like a Rolodex of friends and colleagues that automatically keeps updated. So it's useful to query, for example, who in your network works at a particular company now. And then you find out that guy from college who you hung out with a few times but otherwise never would have kept directly in touch with, is now a senior manager there. The regular network updates can be interesting, to see who's gotten promoted or moved on to new positions. I don't do any of the socially networky things on it, though occasionally read what some people postings. Regarding keeping in touch, you can contact people via the internal messaging feature, though most of my contacts also have their email address visible for their connections, so I mostly email people as needed. I'm in the financial industry now, after finishing a PhD in physics. And via LinkedIn, for example, I've been contacted by the dean of the business school at my university (even though I was never involved with the biz school in any way at uni) who was visiting London to invite me to an event he was speaking at. I've had students I don't know from my uni, or friends of friends, reach out to me to ask questions about what it's like moving to finance, advice for getting jobs, etc.

recmend 10y ago
Got it. You use Linkedin when you need to find someone in your network that works at a given company, so your interactions are more of a need base than casual social conversations?
- jeffwass 10y ago
  Your posting specifically mentioned professional relationships and not 'casual social conversations', and professional connectivity is the key focus of LinkedIn. Though I keep my friends as contacts here too. I do contact people casually and socially via either the messaging app or email periodically. It's not just for finding out who works at companies, although that's a handy feature. For me it's really more of a Rolodex of resumes and contact info that is kept up to date. For example, I wouldn't care about reading all my colleagues daily Facebook or Twitter feeds of yet another picture of them on a beach or about to eat some fancy entree. (As mentioned, I'm not on Facebook). But it's useful to see the regular LinkedIn updates of who's moved to new positions. And some people have written some interesting posts as well.
recmend 10y ago
Thanks for the clarification :)

recmend 10y ago

Got it. You use Linkedin when you need to find someone in your network that works at a given company, so your interactions are more of a need base than casual social conversations?

jeffwass 10y ago
Your posting specifically mentioned professional relationships and not 'casual social conversations', and professional connectivity is the key focus of LinkedIn. Though I keep my friends as contacts here too. I do contact people casually and socially via either the messaging app or email periodically. It's not just for finding out who works at companies, although that's a handy feature. For me it's really more of a Rolodex of resumes and contact info that is kept up to date. For example, I wouldn't care about reading all my colleagues daily Facebook or Twitter feeds of yet another picture of them on a beach or about to eat some fancy entree. (As mentioned, I'm not on Facebook). But it's useful to see the regular LinkedIn updates of who's moved to new positions. And some people have written some interesting posts as well.

recmend 10y ago

Thanks for the clarification :)