How much effort do you put into maintaining a LinkedIn profile or is there a better choice for your effort?
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I am constantly told that I need to maintain a very active LinkedIn Profile. What are your thoughts?
'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country! from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?' - Jay Leno
Timothy W. Okrey wrote:
What are your thoughts?
That's between you and your profile. What we think matters not.
"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson
"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons
"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - James D. Miles
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Timothy W. Okrey wrote:
So do you use social media or anything else for your professional life?
The day it becomes a requirement for me to have any sort of social media account "for my professional life" is the day I throw in the towel.
Sentiment understood. I would be more inclined to use that towel, rolled up, to apply some old school locker room antics.
"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson
"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons
"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - James D. Miles
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Timothy W. Okrey wrote:
What are your thoughts?
That's between you and your profile. What we think matters not.
"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson
"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons
"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - James D. Miles
I strongly disagree. This site is full of seasoned professionals who have been through the mill a few times. Their thoughts and ideas on what works and what does not can really help fellow developers navigate through tough spots like finding work. "What are your thoughts?" is a legitimate question, and is really what the lounge is all about.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend; inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. -- Groucho Marx
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I am constantly told that I need to maintain a very active LinkedIn Profile. What are your thoughts?
'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country! from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?' - Jay Leno
In terms of business profiles, LinkedIn is the the top dog currently. A basic profile is good enough to set and forget for most people. My view is that it is essential for anything where you often reach out to people. My top thoughts for needing a profile that is often updated: 1. Sales - you can reach out to people who your contacts are connected to! 2. Consulting - you can ask for recommendations that are publicly viewable. 3. Thought leadership - lots of people read the content on LinkedIn 4. Looking for a job - A LinkedIn profile can make you look more professional Since people also often jump jobs, it is also an easy way to find lost business associates. If you are a developer and are happy with your job/career, I wouldn't do anything more than the minimum.
"Qulatiy is Job #1"
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I am constantly told that I need to maintain a very active LinkedIn Profile. What are your thoughts?
'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country! from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?' - Jay Leno
TL;DR - Network if you want. It's up to you. Like many other areas in life, you'll have to put some time into it in order to gain any benefit. Benefits aren't guaranteed, of course, but you're guaranteed to get nothing out of LinkedIn if you don't put anything into it. I get contacted by recruiters often, but it's easy to tell the garbage from the real jobs. One benefit I have is that I live in an area with limited senior-level development talent, so many of us know each other, and know the companies. Every now and again, a new company enters the area, and they spend time looking at LinkedIn. This lead to one job that I had, and it was a good job. I only left that place due to a change in leadership; leaving was my vote of no confidence. That said, LinkedIn is more than just your profile. I'm part of a military veterans group on that site, and that's afforded me several opportunities to talk to people I wouldn't have otherwise come across. I enjoy using LinkedIn, but I also understand it's not for everybody, and I don't look down upon people who don't use the site.
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TL;DR - Network if you want. It's up to you. Like many other areas in life, you'll have to put some time into it in order to gain any benefit. Benefits aren't guaranteed, of course, but you're guaranteed to get nothing out of LinkedIn if you don't put anything into it. I get contacted by recruiters often, but it's easy to tell the garbage from the real jobs. One benefit I have is that I live in an area with limited senior-level development talent, so many of us know each other, and know the companies. Every now and again, a new company enters the area, and they spend time looking at LinkedIn. This lead to one job that I had, and it was a good job. I only left that place due to a change in leadership; leaving was my vote of no confidence. That said, LinkedIn is more than just your profile. I'm part of a military veterans group on that site, and that's afforded me several opportunities to talk to people I wouldn't have otherwise come across. I enjoy using LinkedIn, but I also understand it's not for everybody, and I don't look down upon people who don't use the site.
I appreciate your comments and all of the others as well. Thank you for adding your thoughts. I too am a veteran, what is this veterans group you are referring to?
'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country! from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?' - Jay Leno
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I am constantly told that I need to maintain a very active LinkedIn Profile. What are your thoughts?
'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country! from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?' - Jay Leno
"I am constantly told..." You don't happen to work at LinkedIn do you?
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"I am constantly told..." You don't happen to work at LinkedIn do you?
That's pretty funny, no I do not. I have taken the position of ignoring social media in general over the years. My business associates and well meaning friends are the ones constantly telling me this. I set mine up a few years ago and have not done much with it. Now I am looking for new opportunities hence the comments about LinkedIn.
'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country! from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?' - Jay Leno
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I am constantly told that I need to maintain a very active LinkedIn Profile. What are your thoughts?
'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country! from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?' - Jay Leno
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I appreciate your comments and all of the others as well. Thank you for adding your thoughts. I too am a veteran, what is this veterans group you are referring to?
'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country! from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?' - Jay Leno