143 and counting – I am LinkedIn

Building a professional network is what LinkedIn is all about. I like to describe it as Facebook for professionals – only nobody will offer you a hug, a kiss, or a plant while LinkedIn. You build your professional network by finding and inviting people who can (and want to) add value to your chosen professional pursuit. Connect with them and be connected by them. According to LinkedIn, “Your network should be made of people whose value is measured by the amount and quality of knowledge and resources available within your network. . . Generally it's not about the number of connections you may have or connecting for connecting's sake. Your network should be about quality of knowledge, resources, skills and advocacy that LinkedIn can help unlock.”

A true social network, you build your connections by first creating a profile based upon your education, work history, community service, awards, etc. Each area of the profile can be an opportunity to connect with other. The other main strategy is to connect with groups. For example, I belong to several groups, including Chattanoogans, Professional Second Lifers, and MERLOT. I cannot tell you how many people I have reconnected with through LinkedIn, but it has surprised me. Of course, you can E-mail within from within the environment. A primary activity within LinkedIn is related to looking for jobs. Apparently, many large companies use LinkedIn for talent recruitment.

One of my favorite tech Bloggers, Guy Kawasaki, has written a very good piece, Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn. BTW, I have added Guy’s Blog to the Blog List below.

Web 2.0 Blog List

A new feature of this Blog is the Web 2.0 Blog List. You will find it at the very bottom, so scroll on down. The first post is from Alex Berger, a 23 -year old student at Arizona State University. If you want some insight into how the digitally savvy young people look at learning and the world, then read it.

VirtualWayfarer.com | A Place For Intellectual Musings

More Blogs relevant to Web 2.0 will follow