LinkedIn 01/18/2010
 
Go on LinkedIn and look up some of your former (or current) co-workers, classmates, etc.

The comedic value of this site is off the charts.

I don't understand the hype around LinkedIn at all.  Yeah, it's "Facebook for business" and that sounds pretty special on some level I suppose, but it's still the online equivalent of over-inflated resumes floating around the HR department.  There is little authenticity on most profiles.  What's the point?

Idea:  Make a site where your coworkers write your bio for you and compete with LinkedIn.

Instead of being the guy who grew B2B relations in key competitive accounts while leveraging existing relationships on a multi-national basis, or whatever you claim on LinkedIn, you suddenly become the office resource for fantasy football who needs to brush his teeth.  Or the gal who spends four hours on E! Online every day and arranges a great happy hour.  


At least it's honest.

I understand that a site like this would never work.  "He-said, she-said" would take over and it would be impossible to decipher what someone actually brings to the table based on their Wikipedia-style profile that anyone can edit.  But trusting someone based solely on what they say about themselves is just as silly.

Yes, LinkedIn offers a reference page where your coworkers can talk you up and recommend you to potential employers, but come on.  Everyone plays the game.

Solution:  Get some Google insurance.  Buy your own firstnamelastname.com and develop your bio with easily verifiable facts (pic of your college degree, shaking hands with Obama, volunteer work, whatever) and job accomplishments.  Add your personal url to the contact portion of your resume.

If your job doesn't provide you with accomplishments you can verify easily, and most jobs don't ('leveraging existing relationships' or 'growing new business 30% in Q3' doesn't count) then quit. 

Or ask for more responsibility.  

This way, when potential employers, business partners, blind daters, whatever, search your name on Google, and they will, you control the results.  You stand out by not being just another LinkedIn profile and they get high-quality, customized information about you that LinkedIn can't provide.  Everybody wins.

Who needs LinkedIn?