Best and Worst Websites #2
LinkedIn: Bad
Creating an online identity and developing a broad professional network are absolutely necessary in the computer industry. LinkedIn is the best tool I know of for this goal, but it is chore to use. Getting started with a user profile is an arduous task, as the page not only requires basic personal information, but also work experience and educational history to make you attractive to employers. Then comes the real work of connecting to people who know you and might endorse you for a skill or write a personal recommendation. All of this requires active participation not just on your part, but also from the people you connect with. I understand that the objective is to build a network of mutually beneficial contacts, but it often feels so cumbersome.
The overall layout of the site, with its newsfeed, connections, and messaging, is similar enough to other social networks that it seems intuitive. However, the site is heavy with advertisements and pushes to sign up for the paid premium service. In addition, there seems to be a lot of spammers and scammers out to get the personal information of job seekers. Browsing jobs and companies is difficult without entering specific search terms or following companies and industries. Privacy is a hassle because browsing user profiles sends an alert to the users you've viewed, unless disabled, which then disables your ability to see your profile views. It makes it feel intrusive to view others' profiles.
Probably the biggest problem with LinkedIn is that people tend to see it as a requirement to finding a job, so they're not actively engaged. Because the service works like a social network, the quality suffers if its users are not creating content. Posting on LinkedIn is like writing a resume, and that's rarely an enjoyable experience.
Creating an online identity and developing a broad professional network are absolutely necessary in the computer industry. LinkedIn is the best tool I know of for this goal, but it is chore to use. Getting started with a user profile is an arduous task, as the page not only requires basic personal information, but also work experience and educational history to make you attractive to employers. Then comes the real work of connecting to people who know you and might endorse you for a skill or write a personal recommendation. All of this requires active participation not just on your part, but also from the people you connect with. I understand that the objective is to build a network of mutually beneficial contacts, but it often feels so cumbersome.
The overall layout of the site, with its newsfeed, connections, and messaging, is similar enough to other social networks that it seems intuitive. However, the site is heavy with advertisements and pushes to sign up for the paid premium service. In addition, there seems to be a lot of spammers and scammers out to get the personal information of job seekers. Browsing jobs and companies is difficult without entering specific search terms or following companies and industries. Privacy is a hassle because browsing user profiles sends an alert to the users you've viewed, unless disabled, which then disables your ability to see your profile views. It makes it feel intrusive to view others' profiles.
Probably the biggest problem with LinkedIn is that people tend to see it as a requirement to finding a job, so they're not actively engaged. Because the service works like a social network, the quality suffers if its users are not creating content. Posting on LinkedIn is like writing a resume, and that's rarely an enjoyable experience.
posted by Nick at 7:43 PM
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