You’re in my network
Sometime last week I hung out with people from work. It was fun and informal. This weekend, one of these peers sent me a LinkedIn invite. While I’m honored by this simple gesture, I am also troubled by who this individual has connections with. A cursory glance suggests that an entire product management organization at work has “linked” with one another.
This made me realize that I really don’t know what to think of LinkedIn. It’s not like I use it to track the life changes of friends and coworkers. Nor has it introduced me to smart hardworking people I’d like to work with (that would be useful when trying to fill an open position). The only excitement it’s brought me is the thrill of the hunt: does this acquaintance have a LinkedIn account? How many connections? Since LinkedIn is about your public face as you network with others, isn’t looking up a LinkedIn account implicitly better than googling that individual?