A Look at LinkedIn
BUS 352
May 27th, 2013
A Look at LinkedIn
In using the internet for a variety of activities, it provides an open dialogue that allows people from all over the world to connect with one another in an easy/fast manner. As technology is constantly evolving, many opportunities open up that allows the ability to connect and work with another with little to no effort. As businesses (more specifically individuals within various industries) are connecting with counterparts in areas they would not have been able to before; the importance of networking comes into play.
The need for establishing and maintaining professional network contacts is one of ...view middle of the document...
LinkedIn also provides businesses and/or corporate recruiters the ability to seek new employees. As stated by Zula et al (38) “Through the use of social media sites firms can now perform preliminary screenings of potential employees and look into the activities of current employees. The benefits of this method can provide useful information for the firm as a source of proficient and intelligent potential employee's along with a way to gauge the character of the employee.†By utilizing established industry contact, recruiters can obtain an informal review of prospective job candidates from trusted industry sources. Another benefit is that LinkedIn also available as an app through IPhone and Android platforms; keeping members in the loop with current job listings as well as up to date career information.
LinkedIn has rapidly grown since its initial due to the increased popularity of social networking but also because it also fills the void for professional online networking. While there are numerous benefits of LinkedIn, some criticism does exist. As stated by Ford & Lim (51) “some fear that the younger generation will grow up relying solely on impersonal, Internet relationships, potentially replacing good, old-fashioned personal conversation and hand-shaking.†Many individuals are still accustomed to face to face contact/negotiations; so the use of LinkedIn may hinder the building of professional relationships. Also as further stated by Ford & Lim (51) “many LinkedIn connections are made with people you know from a pre-professional time of life. It may be that your college reputation is not the same as your current, working professional reputation.†So a word of...