I have officially had my first REAL encounter with Linked In!! I have always had a somewhat negative outlook on this site, maybe because I could never figure out how to work it, or I just didn't care to figure it out because whenever i hear "Linked In", I'm reminded of growing up and moving into the big girl world of finding a career and paying bills. However, I was forced to give this website an actual try for my Research in PR and Advertising class.
I was assigned a project that required me to create a survey and post it to Linked In groups so I could get answers from professionals already in the industry. The industry I chose was sports marketing. I honestly have nooo idea if that is even what I want to do with the rest of my life, so I had a negative outlook toward this project. I joined sports marketing specific groups and posted my survey as a discussion topic and included a short note about my project. I thought to myself, "This is dumb. No one is going to take time to fill out my survey, especially since most of the questions are open-ended."
The very night I posted, I received an email saying that someone had responded and filled out my survey. There's something so rewarding about interacting with others, especially when you don't expect it! Ten other responses followed, and I quickly learned how Linked In can be helpful. The people there really want to help. They are obviously there to gain something, but I quickly realized that it's a two-way street. After my survey, they even posted comments asking me to share the results so they too could learn more about the industry.
Even today, long after my project was due, I still receive emails all the time from these groups about different discussions about job openings or opportunities to go on talk shows. I now see why people are saying that written resumes will soon be a thing of the past!
I agree! I first signed up for my account after a past professor sent me an e-mail asking me to connect to a WKU group. I was confused on what it was and didn't become very intrigued, mostly because of the confusion I had with the site. After taking this course, I have become more familiar with the site and the overall benefits I will gain from utilizing it. I am so thankful to be enrolled in a course that not only requires our membership of the networking site but also teaches us how to properly use it.
ReplyDeleteGood post! Its a very resourceful tool. People want to help out others and be helped on linkedin. Its a very supportive community. I reached out to alumni of my sorority and got plenty of responses to my post. what we all need to remember is that when people respeond to you, its proper linkedin ettique to participate back in discussions and make your presenece known. Think about how appreciative you were when people answered your survey! :)
ReplyDeleteNice job! I have the same mindset about Linkedin, trying to learn how to use it for the maximum benefit is difficult. I feel like there aren't as many people on the site as other social media sites but I see that there is a lot of potential for me on the site once I get the hang of it. It is good to know that someone has a real life example of how the site has helped them.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I am not as excited about it because I am not familiar to the layout. Another thing that discourages me is that none of my previous employers are using LinkedIn. Since most business that I have worked for are already well established, they have no need to further their businesses. Also they are not exactly tech savvy and are not to familiar with sites like LinkedIn. However, when looking for newer companies or business in today's business world, LinkedIn is a great tool.
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