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LinkedIn has pros and cons

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Social media has become a part of every day life and even business professionals are getting in on the trend with LinkedIn. This social media avenue has become valuable when it comes to finding new employees, employers and clients; getting career advice; or reconnecting or building professional relationships.

For those who arenā€™t aware of what LinkedIn can do for a business professional, the first thing to note is that itā€™s not like other social media websites such as Twitter or Facebook.

ā€œThis is like your resume ā€“ itā€™s your personal brand. You have to add your resume and also a professional photo. Ultimately you ask for recommendations from supervisors and fellow employees that can attest to what you can do or what you have done in your career. That helps develop a positive online reputation and add credibility,ā€ said Joshua Killey, director of the Kelley School of Business Career Planning Office at IUPUI.

LinkedIn is a research tool and a supplement to tried and true methods of calling, face-to-face networking and pounding the pavement to find job and networking opportunities.

ā€œIt really allows you to tap into your network and understand the different contacts that are in it. You not only know whom youā€™re connected to, but whom theyā€™re connected to. You can reach beyond those initial contacts to really establish and further develop your network,ā€ said Killey.

Once a LinkedIn user has created their profile they can begin introducing themselves to other business professionals. Killey said a good introduction is key to building a strong network of contacts and begins with a truly professional profile. Users can find others through searches and can look up individuals or companies. The site will then inform the user of how far removed they are from certain contacts.

People also have the option to only connect with people they want to stay in touch with. The site does offer control and privacy features, which can prevent a profile from being publicly available in search-engine results, for instance, and limit who in a network can see particular information.

Like other social sites, LinkedIn has recently added features and tools to make networking more user friendly, effective and fun.

LinkedIn, for instance, offers service providers a referral feature where they can solicit reviews and referrals from other users. Another feature is called LinkedIn Answers, where users can pose questions to all or selected members of their personal network.

Most importantly, LinkedIn has the potential to help people move up in a job industry or potentially change careers. Killey added that LinkedIn is also a very good tool for informational interviewing.

While LinkedIn has its strengths, people should understand its limitations. According to the Wall Street Journal, the value of the site depends on the amount of people, and the quality of the people using it.

Success on the site also depends on how much time one uses it. Experts say that initially, building a profile could take a while, however, over time, simply maintaining the profile is easy. The payoff comes from the maintenance.

ā€œLinkedIn is what you make of it,ā€ Killey said.

In todayā€™s job market, young and old alike are looking for jobs. Karl Knapp, associate professor of business at the University of Indianapolis said LinkedIn is used equally by seasoned professionals as well as business rookies, however one side has an advantage.

ā€œIt depends on the person, but I think older people who understand networking to a greater degree know how to use (LinkedIn) better. I think younger people, although technically savvy, arenā€™t in tune to what you truly need to be good at networking,ā€ said Knapp.

Another downside to LinkedIn is that many users use an automated tool that searches through email and will then match the user with people who are already on LinkedIn.

ā€œThat sounds great, but many business people get a lot of email from a lot of people. It may be from people you really donā€™t know well. If you use that tool you may be connected to people youā€™re not truly friends with or have interacted with. It dilutes the value of your network a bit,ā€ said Knapp.

LinkedIn certainly has made networking easier, but experts say that professionals will always appreciate personal interactions such as handshakes, written thank-you notes and professional conversation.

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