Showing posts with label linkedin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label linkedin. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Whom Do You Network With on LinkedIn?

If you are active on the professional networking site LinkedIn, I have a question for you.

Whom do you connect with on Linked In?

The reason I'm asking is because my understanding of LinkedIn is it's a network primarily aimed at highlighting your professional experience and abilities. By that understanding, the people I connect with on there should be folks who know me well enough personally to be able to speak to my character and/or ability to execute my professional duties.

Recently, I've started getting requests to connect from people whom I recognize from Twitter but with whom I have never had interaction on a level which makes me feel I truly "know" them, nor do I feel they "know" me well enough to speak to my character or job abilities. If I were asked to recommend them for a job, I would not feel comfortable doing so, nor would I ask for a recommendation from them.

I have some exceptions to my personal rule for whom to connect with. I am connected on LinkedIn with a few folks whom I haven't seen in person in years, even going back to college. So if asked about them, I would have to speak to what I knew of them several years ago. But at least there was an in-person connection at one time.

Am I looking at LinkedIn too narrowly? Or am I being true to its original intent?

Whom do you connect with on LinkedIn, and why? I would really appreciate your thoughts. Thanks in advance!