Linked-In is a website that according to their own self description is a place to re-connect with past and present colleagues and classmates, discover connections when looking for a new job or business opportunity and network with experts who share advice. From a purely observational standpoint, it seems to be a social networking site that has a business focus. Whereas Facebook and Myspace are social networking site for friends and recreation, Linked-In is for professionals to network with other professionals.
This site can in theory be used for the goal of more effective networking, which is a very important business practice. We’ve all heard the term ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ and networking in business is all about ‘who you know.’ Since in the normal course of your career you can only be exposed to a certain amount of limited individuals, a site like Linked-In opens you up to networking without any geographical limitations. It can be possible to network with someone in New York, even if you work in Los Angeles. That means more effective and a more broad networking schematic, instead of being limited to the individuals you would meet only in your normal duties. The virtual potential is very exciting when your real-world prospects are limited.
I believe this site to be effective, if from nothing else but an empirical standpoint. I have heard about this site for years, and I know it is a publicly traded company. When I think of other websites that I have heard of for professionals, none other come to mind. And in business, professionals know that every opportunity should be explored, it does not make good business sense to close any opportunity before it has been explored. I plan to join Linked-In as of this writing, and fully explore it’s potential for myself. I know from experience networking can be quite difficult, and with any luck and some effort perhaps this site can be used to advance my own career.
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