Linked In?

[livingdeb]

I'm wondering, should I be LinkedIn? I don't want recruiters looking for me, but is it a thing now where prospective employers look for you and if you're not on LinkedIn, you're not taken seriously? And you're probably fake?

(I know they look for you on Facebook and Twitter to see if you're an idiot. So for those things it's just as well that I have a totally common name so they won't be able to find anything at all.)

I found some articles on mistakes not to make when using LinkedIn. Apparently, you should have a picture.

Me - Robin, you should take a picture of me. But not like this [slouching and making a zombie face from behind my laptop].

Robin - Okay. But you have to be wearing a jacket. And you can't be wearing a shirt with penguins.

Me - But penguins help.

Robin - No. They don't.

Blog entry of the day - from Little White Lion: Mom Asks Son to Clean Bathroom "Like the Queen of England Is Visiting" - What would you do? "Mom meant make it spotless, but he took it a little further…" See pictures! (Yes, they are pictures of a bathroom, but they are not embarrassing. Remember, this bathroom is fit for the queen!)

Comments

[p-j-cleary.livejournal.com]

Being on LinkedIn won't send recruiters scurrying your way. You'll get a few misdirected inquiries from spammy recruiters, but that's easily handled. I don't know how much it improves your chances, but I like the networking capabilities.

[texpenguin.livejournal.com]

Penguins ALWAYS help!!!

[indigo-rose99.livejournal.com]

I believe perspective employers look for you on LinkedIn. Plus if someone who knows you professionally is trying to find you and offer you a job, it is where they search. I'd say, yes, be on LinkedIn. But it is more like a 65%-strength yes, not a 100%-strength yes. Your presence on LinkedIn is unlikely to hurt you, and may help.

Plus LinkedIn is a good place to search for jobs. At least my kind of jobs.

Besides the picture, are there any other LinkedIn mistakes of note?

[(Anonymous)]

I also vote Yes on LinkedIn and No on penguins in the photo. You surely want to save the penguins for your interview, where they can have a greater impact.

Robert found that LinkedIn provided a pretty high-quality source of job ads; he got his current job through one of their ads.

-sally

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Not sure what I think about networking. I think my friends and old co-workers already know I'm job hunting and already know how to contact me.

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

That's what I said, but Sally makes a very good point.

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

But are UT employers hip enough to be looking there, or are they stuck in the Middle Ages?

My kind of jobs are all listed online.

Except, of course, for my last three jobs, which were made just for me.

Other possibly-not obvious mistakes: Don't use the standard request thingy--personalize each request for the person you're contacting. And fill in descriptions. And in class I learned that you should fill in everything you like about your work history to make it easier for interesting people to find you.

What I was really wondering about were mistakes like when you let all these strangers from high school friend you and then you're stuck reading loads of political or religious or other things of no interest until you figure out how to hide those things.

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

Good one about the penguins!

Interesting. I think most of the jobs I'm interested in would be on UT's job page. Apparently all of them are on the state job site that those on unemployment have to use anyway.

Mostly I'm just wondering if I would eliminate myself from consideration by not being (findable) on LinkedIn.

[(Anonymous)]

Linked in is not like facebook. I like it quite a bit because the default is no updates. I find it to be very easy and lowkey. To be honest I only have it because I can say no to students on facebook but yes on linked in and it's no big deal. It's also kind of nice to see where they are 4 years after they've graduated.

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

Thanks, mysterious commenter. (I'm guessing you're nicoleandmaggie?)

Hmm, maybe I am kind of fascinated with what kinds of jobs people end up with.

[(Anonymous)]

The nice thing is they don't change their jobs as often as they say, feed their kids strained peas (or go on political screeds etc.).

Yes N&M.

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

And here I thought everyone changed jobs all the time. Now averaging five careers per lifetime!

[(Anonymous)]

that's still not as bad as facebook updates

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

Heh, it's like I didn't read. I did know people don't change their jobs as often as they make facebook updates!