One of the decisions I made early on in online networking was to become an “open networker” on LinkedIn. For those of you not familiar with the term, becoming an open networker is where you join a group and are added to a list of people who are open to connecting up with people. Other networkers can use this list to make contact with you. Three years on after becoming an open networker I have thousands of connections. Now I kind of regret it.
Most people I know who are not owners of businesses or in some sort of sales, consulting or marketing role, join LinkedIn reluctantly; or because they’ve been invited to connect. I remember about five years ago I started to receive invites and would think: “OK, one day, remind me why I need to again.” Then I joined, and had the world’s worst profile for about a year or so. I’d just hit accept if anyone invited me and leave it at that. Judging by the profiles I’ve seen lately, I’m thinking that makes me pretty similar to most people when they start on LinkedIn.
