The web is exploding with social networking sites. There are the general ones that anyone can use, like Facebook. There are blogs, like this one, for broadcasting lengthier thoughts on topics ranging from should-never-even-be-spoken-aloud-private (wait, that doesn’t exist anymore) to this-is-so-formal-and-boring-professional-it’s-like-a-textbook. And literally every single little bit of the gradient in between the two. There are sites specializing in dating, sharing your passionate fixation with the middle right leg of ants and why it is slightly longer than all the rest (ok, I just made that up. I hope), and especially sites for finding your until-death-do-we-part mate with whom you will be able to share a lifetime of joy studying the middle right leg of ants.
So if you already have profiles on all of these sites, do you really need one on LinkedIn, too? What’s so special about this site? Well, CNNMoney and Fortune Magazine seem to think it’s pretty important. In an article a week ago they interviewed John Campagnino, Accenture’s head of global recruiting who will be hiring 50,000 new employees this year. What did he say? He plans to hire at least 40% (20,000!) of these new recruits through social networking sites. Specifically, LinkedIn. He labeled social media sites as “The future of recruiting for our company,” and many other companies agree. So much so that CNNMoney declared that “If you don’t have a profile on LinkedIn, you’re nowhere.”
Ouch. So what is LinkedIn, anyways? And how do you use it? To tell you the truth, I’ve got no idea. All I know is that I better get on there quick, and you better do the same. So here’s what I’m gonna do. The next few blog posts on this site will be part of a new series–LinkedIn for really dumb dumbies–that will follow me as I get the site figured out. So if you really have no clue at all, check back here for step-by-step instructions from creating your profile and making it effective to building your contacts and finding out what groups are.
In the meantime, go read the rest of CNNMoney’s amazing article, and watch this great introductory video here.
