LinkedIn Etiquette….

LinkedIn, the mecca of professional networking.. how many of you believe so?…raise your hands ….. hee hee hee  …ok not being cheeky.

Let us be serious now, this is a serious post. So yes, let us talk about etiquettes especially for LinkedIn. I have picked up this topic today because professionals are not realizing the benefits of this portal, so rather than using this medium to seek mentors from the huge database of senior professionals or looking to learn from the vast number of articles being posted. They are either sending resumes to all and sundry a la carpet bombing, thereby effectively turning off people and getting blocked for spamming or ignored. The result is that they are disappointed and feel that this site/ portal is ineffective, which may not be the case in reality.

Thanking a person for acceptance of an invite is a good habit and can build up relationships but sending a templatized message like “How have you been” is the biggest turnoff and this I am sharing from experience. On an average day, I receive 15-20 messages from new connections who send me “Hi Sumi, It’s great connecting with you. How have you been”. Trust me it is the greatest turn-off. Can’t you add a line to personalize the message? Can’t you introduce yourself?. Can’t you add a line to show the reason why you wanted to connect???? Think about it.

A generic message shows a lack of seriousness or interest. It means you have randomly sent invites to everyone that you could find hoping for the maximum acceptance which is pretty demeaning to a leader or a senior professional. You would lose the opportunity to connect with the person, learn from his/ her experience, or seek guidance for your career….isn’t this why you wanted to connect and build your network in the first place?

Sometimes, a templatized message is sent without even realising the meaning behind it. I get messages which say, “It’s been sometime since we connected”, huh! I just accepted your request, were we connected in our earlier life? .  Anyway, I am sure you understand the point I am making.

Another thing that I have noticed which is largely done by Asians but now all nationalities have joined the bandwagon, is sending a random message saying, “Hey, do you work with xyz company?”, “Hi, are you working as abc?”, no not really, I just love posting inaccurate information..  Gosh !!! Really!!!!..are you doubting my credentials?  .. this is complete nonsense. If you have read a profile then do not ask obvious questions and if you have not, first read it and then interact with a fellow professional.

How you send your first message determines how the professional relationship will evolve.

A randomly sent message will not help you build your network … but wasn’t that what you were trying to do in the first place?

Also, every leader cannot get you a job so please abstain from sending resumes at a drop of a hat. If you are looking for guidance or a reference to get into a specific company… seek that guidance by putting across your questions.

A randomly sent resume will either get ignored or go into the trash so why send it?

Career progression is important and do leverage your professional network for it but before doing so put some thought behind it.

Take the initiative to go through the website of the company that you want to work for, create your resume in the career section, search for opportunities in the jobs listed, and then if you find something suitable, reach out to your network for a reference. Do your homework, it shows your professional attitude and keenness to work.

Sending a link to a job posting in a message and saying “I want to work here, endorse me”, will not get you even a response. With all due respect, is anyone working in your dream company obligated to refer you just because he/she accepted your invite?…think about it.

Use this professional network wisely. It will help you grow professionally in attitude and aptitude only if you can leverage it properly.

In general, people respond to DM’s if they consider it to be genuine. I try to respond to the maximum dm’s/ in-mails that I can but lately even I have stopped responding to DM’s which have just a link sent or ask random questions verifying the information written in my profile. I have guided multiple people on how to seek help in their job search and avoid carpet bombing. Some do appreciate while some start being abusive….ouch!, I was just trying to help…

So, my advice to freshers and job seekers is to think before sending a message to a fellow professional. Spend a few minutes on their profile and ascertain what information are you seeking. If looking for advice or guidance, spell out the ask by giving a context to it. Random asks may not elicit a response.

Trust me, a thought-through genuine outreach will get you a response and maybe even a call/session with a fellow/ senior professional.

So, do leverage this medium for expanding your network both vertically and horizontally. A physical meet up or a job offer or even a mentoring session would surely be an outcome only if the outreach is targeted and contextualised.

So, all the very best in your pursuit of augmenting your professional network but do make a conscious effort to think what is it that you are seeking from your connections and who among them would be best positioned to help you do so…

 

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