This is Not How You Do LinkedIn

I love LinkedIn. I really do. I’ve made friends there. I’ve found many new clients there. And, I’ve had some really fun, business-oriented discussions there. I’m happy to connect with any of you there.

But, today, when I checked my LinkedIn notifications, I found this.

I have never worked with this person. I’ve never even interacted with this person on LinkedIn–to the best of my knowledge. I may have liked a post, or made a comment, but I have no recollection of doing so.

This is not how you use LinkedIn. First of all, I can see one of my readers endorsing me for Creative Writing or a variety of HR topics that I’ve written or spoken about. But, 43 of them? Unlikely.

I can’t even think of 43 work-related skills. (I am really good at arriving at the post office just before a line forms, which if I could figure out how to market, I would because I’d be rich in no time.)

LinkedIn endorsements mean nothing because anyone can just endorse you for anything. Recommendations mean a bit more because the person actually knows you (theoretically) but because they aren’t confidential, they mean just about nothing.

Regardless of their lack of usefulness, don’t do this. Please don’t. It’s just a waste of everyone’s time, and I might make fun of you if you do.

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10 thoughts on “This is Not How You Do LinkedIn

  1. They’ve just trying to butter you up so they can connect and access your vast LinkedIn network? My, that is evil…

  2. My Linkedln account is very broad in networking. I do choose/request those whom I wish to follow and from there whether I want to connect past following. I am occasionally requested by people who claim to want to follow or connect with me but I research them fully before allowing them to be a contact. I get a big kick out of the “headhunters “ who claim my listed skills fit a certain job as that kind of headhunter never finds you a job unless you are willing to pay a percentage of your first years income. I don’t work well with someone who considers me a statistic. I advise everyone to be extremely selective about how and whom you network with. On a positive note, I have kept in touch with old co-workers via the site, with whom I have had more than just passing work friendship.

  3. Dear Evil — Now you’ve gone and done it. You’ve thrown rocks at all of the sterling, helpful, effective advice we get about LinkedIn Algorithms, about how endorsements really are real because they’re from people who know us, about how recommendations will lift us to the stratosphere of LinkedInism, and have probably put numerous real, credible, trustworthy, careful, legitimate “recruiters” out of business with your careless, biased, unsubstantiated comments. No wonder you go by the title of Evil. No wonder…. PS – as soon as I post this, I’ll be endorsing you for your skills of evilness, nefariousness, and rock-throwing.

  4. Am I the only one who had to resist the urge to endorse her after reading this? 🙂

  5. I looked at the LinkedIn post of one of my former co-workers. She had some glowing recommendations by co-workers I knew and by others whom I did not know. Having worked with her for about 7 years, I would say that the recommendations by our co-workers seemed “over the top.” I knew her strengths and weaknesses. I wonder whether she also gave these co-workers glowing recommendations on their LinkedIn pages. I recommend that you DO NOT believe everything you read on LinkedIn. I had an account but never used it much. I also received requests from people I did not know.

  6. They are looking for you to wndorse them in return. I only endorse the performance of those I can speak to.

  7. Your judgement seems to be the issue
    Maybe reaching out to the individual would have been more valuable than publicly expressing your disgust about it.

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