The Logic (and Etiquette) of LinkedIn

Remember that old saying we always used to hear? "It's not what you know, it's who you know." Folks would often say that (probably our mothers and fathers!) when referring to someone who'd seemingly landed in a job because they had an inside connection.

These says, thanks to social media, we could potentially know everyone. Relatively speaking, of course. What I mean is with the advent of LinkedIn, we have chances to connect with many of the contacts of our contacts. We have the chance to reach out, with a keystroke, to a wide range of folks in our industry and those aligned with it.

But is it really appropriate to click a link to connect with someone whom you don't really know? I mean, it's essentially like saying "Hey, Fred. It's me, Richard. We both know so-and-so. Hey, since we have that contact in common, would you get me a job at your place?!"

That's what had me a little perplexed about LinkedIn. People I didn't know - in fields I wasn't familiar with - wanting to make a connection. Should I accept?

It turns out that maybe I should. And, it's not so bad to reach out and ask to connect with folks you may not know.

What about those endorsements, though? Does it really make a difference if Fred Smith endorsed me on LinkedIn because he perceives I know something about email blasts?

We asked Kevin Brozovich, the principal at Kalamazoo-based HRM Innovations, Inc. about it. Hear what he had to say by clicking the player below.

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