Personal branding? Social networking? A waste of time?
In the most basic sense, LinkedIn is a social networking site much like Facebook that is geared toward a professional audience. Since a lot of librarians are on there, I thought it might be useful to flesh out some of the advantages and disadvantages of getting LinkedIn.
Pros:
Stay connected: It’s a way to keep in touch with colleagues whom you may wish to work with on a project in the future or seek advice from on something relevant to your job. Who knows, someone might even see your profile and offer you an opportunity to do something in line with your skill set and interests.
Maintain privacy: By having a LinkedIn account for professional acquaintances and a Facebook profile for friends, you can keep your personal and private lives separate.
Showcase your abilities online: Much like having a blog and an e-portfolio, this is another way you can show people what makes you special, smart, involved and valuable to the profession by way of your interests and experience. It even lets others add recommendations about your abilities, which never hurts.
Increase your search engine results: While looking for a job and once you have one, people are very likely going to look you up online. LinkedIn profiles tend to rank high on search engine results. It can therefore be an easy way for you to represent yourself in a professional manner on the Internet. (I’d also recommend removing your name from any and all personal Web sites you may have created in the past that may not cast you in the most professional light, e.g. Myspace.)
Research an employer: See who works at a given library and what they’re up to. This can be an indication of the level of professional development opportunities a library provides its employees with and what type of people you may find yourself working with. LinkedIn is especially handy if you want to learn a bit about the people who will be interviewing you should you have an interview coming up.
Cons:
LinkedIn can do more harm than good: Like anything you put up about yourself online, make sure it casts you in a positive light. If your profile is sloppy and incomplete or if it makes you come across as wholly lacking experience and/or direction, it might be best to hold off creating a profile. Remember to check your account regularly and keep your information as fresh and current as possible. A friendly, professional photograph of yourself helps as well.
LinkedIn lacks zest: The profiles on LinkedIn are pretty cold and without personality. You cannot dress them up with colour and a variety of visual elements that might better reflect your true self. For some, this is perhaps a blessing in disguise, but for others, traits like creativity and a sense of humour are what can truly impress employers, colleagues and the public.
Privacy concerns: What goes on the Internet often stays on the Internet. Always think twice about revealing too much of your personal information online or things you may regret later, especially if you have your profile set up so that it is completely open to the public.
Additional Resources:
- LinkedIn: Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell You, But Was Too Shy/Modest/Embarrassed to Say… A piece from LIScareer.com about what LinkedIn has to offer LIS professionals
- LinkedIn is *NOT* Facebook for Grownups A slight rant against the impersonal side of LinkedIn
- Robyn Hall- LinkedIn My new LinkedIn account. By all means, feel free to add me as a connection if you’re somewhere out there in the library world and stumble upon this.
- Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn A great list of ways to make LinkedIn work best for you
* Helpful tip: If you want to include bullet points or other symbols that will enhance the organization and aesthetics of your profile, follow these simple directions.
