Anybody on linkedin?

Help me understand linkedin. I'm on there and because of my job title lots of people want to link, which I typically accept, unless they are completely crazy or a sales drone. A few years ago they started with endorsements and they make no sense to me. People whom I barely know endorse me for things they couldn't possibly know.

I don't get it, what is the value of an endorsement?

 

An endorsement is somebody saying, "Hey, I can vouch for this guy in this skill. He isn't just making it up."

For example, I put problem solving as one of my skills and a teacher from high school comes and endorses it. I now have one endorsement and a potential employer knows that someone important agrees.

It's like having a bunch of little references to increase your credibility.

 

I am on it, don't use it much though It's a good way to make yourself look good. I think you have to look at a lot of postings with a grain of salt.

 

Unfortunately, like the OP said, you end up with endorsements for things that you don't even know anything (or very little) about. In my instance, you'd think I was a Share Point guru, when in truth, I barely know anything about it and have only done minimal work a long time ago with it's work flow engine.

 

Is the point of endorsements a way to put your name in front of a connection? I tried to find my endorsements from the past or the endorsements others have been given and I struck out. Admittedly, I don't have a lot of patience with clunky user interfaces, so I could have given up too quickly.

But, I did do my first endorsement. (yeah, I suck at social media ) My contact will get an email and may think I like them? Maybe LinkedIn is just grownup middle school. (and this just might be why I suck at social media )

 

The endorsements are useless.

I'm on it, but I really don't actually use it for much of anything, and only accept a connection from folks I know and respect IRL. The average Dot-Indian-recruiter that slams me with invites (happens weekly) gets ignored.

Handy for resume shopping though, on occasion.