Just wondered what others experience with the LinkedIn network is like. I've been a member for a while and have a good number of connections, but other than using it to gen up on people before meeting them I hadn't really seen any concrete benefit. In the past 3 months though I've picked up 2 completely new customers through referrals and connections. I'm now wondering if the Premium membership and a little more profile management might be worthwhile.

Any experienced and or Premium users able to comment?

I'm really curious about this. From what I can see it really depends on what you do. My mate writes iphone software. He's got lots of connections with recruitment agents & updates his profile when a job finishes. He'll then get lots of calls and usually walks quickly into more work. The difference is his skill is in demand and he's already made the contacts.

I've been using LinkedIn for a number of years so far. And although I've not bothered with anything more than the free memebership it has directly or indirectly lead to almost all of my work in the last few years.

Wouldn't be without it (I'm in professional audio).

I've had a few contacts offering contract work, but unfortunately I'm not in the position to take advantage of them. I do mainly use it to stay in touch with ex workmates, those people I'm not friendly enough to put on Facebook but still might prove useful in a future life.

Linkedin has been the gateway for an unbelievable amount of spam for me. No benefits at all.

It's Facebook for work.

Only benefit I've ever had was from recruitment consultants.

All I get is bloody employment agencies touting for work for folk on their books...

I do believe its more geared up for the self employed, but having viewed my managers profile, put me off signing up
as hers is just a pack of lies, to make her look good , and I hope one days she gets linked in with another company, and they will find out what a self glorification muppet she really is, we can only hope!

a bit like one of the previous managers who left my place, to work for another airline who wear orange.
this idiot was so full of s**t you would not believe, and lasted two whole weeks with the orange wearer's

my place refused him back, oh how we laughed

steve