The Linker

About a year ago, I got an invitation to join a little site called LinkedIn. The somewhat laughable purpose for this site was to let everybody link to everybody else they know, make recommendations, and publish profiles about themselves.

About a year ago, I got an invitation to join a little site called LinkedIn. The somewhat laughable purpose for this site was to let everybody link to everybody else they know, make recommendations, and publish profiles about themselves.

You know. A MySpace for the un-hip crowd who is far more interested in job contacts than posting videos of their latest tattoo.

Well, anyway, it turns out it’s far larger than I ever thought. In the past year, it’s actually gotten downright huge. So far, the only person from this site on there other than me is Tim Clarke.

(EDIT by matthew: I should have said, “So far, the only person from this site who has linked to me is Tim Clarke.” That’s a situation which, as of the time of this edit, had changed, too!)

My thought is, this site is likely to be a godsend for people looking for work. I’m gainfully employed, and have been for over three years, but still, when the day comes that I leave (voluntarily or involuntarily), my first stop is probably going to be with former classmates and co-workers via LinkedIn.

Yeah, yeah, so it’s an endorsement. Still a nifty tool.

My link is: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/3/683/8aa

I’ve left off at least one embarassing job 🙂 How about you?

5 thoughts on “The Linker”

  1. Not so fast

    Well, since you’ve since linked to me, you’re aware of the factually incorrect statement you made above. Particularly ironic, given my three-year membership on the site. Yes, I was unhip before unhip was hip! I forgive your egregious oversight.

    1. Trying to describe it…

      I’ve talked about it with several people over the past few days, and found that trying to describe what it does is not easy to a non-technical person. The most successful description I’ve been able to use so far is, “It’s like your own ‘little black book’ where the other people keep their own contact information updated.” That one seems to work.

      —
      Matthew P. Barnson

      1. 6 degrees

        I recently signed up. I had a couple co-workers who had been asking me about it recently, so with this blog i took the plunge. As i am looking through contact of contacts I began to think that this would make an interesting six degrees of seperation project. The conversations we were having stemmed from knowing 42 people. Knowing 42 people is not unreasonable to a person. One class or workplace can contain 42 people. Thus, if 42 of your friends knows 42 other people, and they each know 42 more people, and so on and so on until 6 chains have been formed, then that will encompass 6 billion people.

        he he… fun

        1. Separation…

          I just got an approach for a “dream job” with a company I’d love to work with. It would require relocation, but I’m positive due to location and exposure it would pay reasonably well.

          They said they found me via a LinkedIn referral. I don’t know who the person was who referred me, but the recruiter said I was an exceptionally good match. I don’t have much interest in leaving my current job with one of the largest software companies on the planet, but for the right job, at the right pay, I just might.

          So personal testimonial: crazy as it is, this thing works mighty well.

          —
          Matthew P. Barnson

Comments are closed.