Mixing
LinkedIn invitations from people I don't know
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I frequently get invitations on LinkedIn from people whom I don't know. We often have several shared connections, but don't know each other personally.
I am more inclined to ignore invitations from people I don't know.
What should I take into account in such cases? What do I need to consider to decide whether to accept the invitations?
communication linkedin
edited Aug 12 '12 at 19:23
yoozer8
4,10442955
asked Aug 12 '12 at 17:51
superM
2,34421927
add a comment |Â
up vote
43
down vote
favorite
I frequently get invitations on LinkedIn from people whom I don't know. We often have several shared connections, but don't know each other personally.
I am more inclined to ignore invitations from people I don't know.
What should I take into account in such cases? What do I need to consider to decide whether to accept the invitations?
communication linkedin
edited Aug 12 '12 at 19:23
yoozer8
4,10442955
asked Aug 12 '12 at 17:51
superM
2,34421927
The only filter you need to apply is if these are people you really don't know, or just people you are having trouble remembering. I've received several clusters of invitations from people I'm sure I do not know. I believe there are spammers using fake linkedin invitations and/or real linkedin invitations for the purpose of gathering a network of addresses to spam or scam. In short, there is no conceivable benefit to you to pay any attention to these invitations.
– ddyer
Aug 12 '12 at 20:51
1
I usually respond to such invitations with a "How could be of help to each other?" line. If I receive no response or a vague one, I decline the invitation.
– drabsv
Aug 13 '12 at 20:41
add a comment |Â
up vote
43
down vote
favorite
up vote
43
down vote
favorite
I frequently get invitations on LinkedIn from people whom I don't know. We often have several shared connections, but don't know each other personally.
I am more inclined to ignore invitations from people I don't know.
What should I take into account in such cases? What do I need to consider to decide whether to accept the invitations?
communication linkedin
edited Aug 12 '12 at 19:23
yoozer8
4,10442955
asked Aug 12 '12 at 17:51
superM
2,34421927
I frequently get invitations on LinkedIn from people whom I don't know. We often have several shared connections, but don't know each other personally.
I am more inclined to ignore invitations from people I don't know.
What should I take into account in such cases? What do I need to consider to decide whether to accept the invitations?
communication linkedin
edited Aug 12 '12 at 19:23
yoozer8
4,10442955
asked Aug 12 '12 at 17:51
superM
2,34421927
edited Aug 12 '12 at 19:23
yoozer8
4,10442955
edited Aug 12 '12 at 19:23
yoozer8
4,10442955
edited Aug 12 '12 at 19:23
yoozer8
4,10442955
4,10442955
asked Aug 12 '12 at 17:51
superM
2,34421927
asked Aug 12 '12 at 17:51
superM
2,34421927
asked Aug 12 '12 at 17:51
superM
2,34421927
2,34421927
The only filter you need to apply is if these are people you really don't know, or just people you are having trouble remembering. I've received several clusters of invitations from people I'm sure I do not know. I believe there are spammers using fake linkedin invitations and/or real linkedin invitations for the purpose of gathering a network of addresses to spam or scam. In short, there is no conceivable benefit to you to pay any attention to these invitations.
– ddyer
Aug 12 '12 at 20:51
1
I usually respond to such invitations with a "How could be of help to each other?" line. If I receive no response or a vague one, I decline the invitation.
– drabsv
Aug 13 '12 at 20:41
add a comment |Â
The only filter you need to apply is if these are people you really don't know, or just people you are having trouble remembering. I've received several clusters of invitations from people I'm sure I do not know. I believe there are spammers using fake linkedin invitations and/or real linkedin invitations for the purpose of gathering a network of addresses to spam or scam. In short, there is no conceivable benefit to you to pay any attention to these invitations.
– ddyer
Aug 12 '12 at 20:51
1
I usually respond to such invitations with a "How could be of help to each other?" line. If I receive no response or a vague one, I decline the invitation.
– drabsv
Aug 13 '12 at 20:41
The only filter you need to apply is if these are people you really don't know, or just people you are having trouble remembering. I've received several clusters of invitations from people I'm sure I do not know. I believe there are spammers using fake linkedin invitations and/or real linkedin invitations for the purpose of gathering a network of addresses to spam or scam. In short, there is no conceivable benefit to you to pay any attention to these invitations.
– ddyer
Aug 12 '12 at 20:51
The only filter you need to apply is if these are people you really don't know, or just people you are having trouble remembering. I've received several clusters of invitations from people I'm sure I do not know. I believe there are spammers using fake linkedin invitations and/or real linkedin invitations for the purpose of gathering a network of addresses to spam or scam. In short, there is no conceivable benefit to you to pay any attention to these invitations.
– ddyer
Aug 12 '12 at 20:51
1
1
I usually respond to such invitations with a "How could be of help to each other?" line. If I receive no response or a vague one, I decline the invitation.
– drabsv
Aug 13 '12 at 20:41
I usually respond to such invitations with a "How could be of help to each other?" line. If I receive no response or a vague one, I decline the invitation.
– drabsv
Aug 13 '12 at 20:41
add a comment |Â
6 Answers
6
active
oldest
votes
up vote
52
down vote
It depends on how you plan to use LinkedIn.
Do you plan to use LinkedIn to keep track of past and present coworkers? (i.e. Keep track of their education history, job history, accomplishments, etc.)
If 'Yes', then don't accept these LinkedIn invitations.
On the other hand, if you plan to use LinkedIn to network and find new jobs, then you should accept these invitations if the connections can be of some utility to you (i.e. the "inviter" has an accomplished past, or is a recruiter who can connect you with better employment in the future.)
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:20
Jim G.
11.8k105373
5
Precise and helpful +1 :)
– noob
Aug 13 '12 at 9:29
add a comment |Â
up vote
19
down vote
If you plan to use LinkedIn the way how they recommend themselves, a definitive reference for cases like that is provided at Linkedin Help Center -> Accepting or Declining Invitations:
What are my options when responding to invitations to connect?
We strongly recommend that you only accept invitations to connect from people you know. You can select who can send you invitations from the Email Preferences section on your Settings page.
Your options for responding to an invitation are...
Above sends a clear message about LinkedIn's own position on these matters.
This is not a strongly enforced rule however. LinkedIn Open Networkers (LIONs) are an example of an opposite approach:
...LinkedIn networking philosophy is based on a simple rule that says that a person should invite to connect only persons that they personally know (for instance, school colleagues, coworkers, business partners, service providers etc.). However, this limitation is viewed by some members of the LinkedIn community as overly restrictive. So some of them have adopted a policy of accepting invitations even from strangers. They circumvent some LinkedIn requirements (e.g. having to know a person's email address in order to send a linking invitation to them) by publicly posting their email addresses in their profiles, and stating that they openly accept invitations, thus becoming LinkedIn Open Networkers, or simply LIONs. The most LION's rule is that in no circumstance an invitation is to be replied by clicking the "I don't know X" (X being the name of the person that sent the invitation) or even worse, mark it as spam...
One is not bound to follow either of extreme approaches outlined above.
I for one decide whether to accept invitation on case by case basis.
In some cases, "Reply (don't accept yet)" option turns out really useful in helping to decide.
You sent me an invitation recently - why would you want to connect?
Bottom line is, this is the matter on how one intends to use their LinkedIn network.
answered Aug 12 '12 at 19:01
gnat
3,23373066
add a comment |Â
up vote
7
down vote
This is my usual process.
When I receive an invitation from a person that is personally unknown to me, I would accept their invitation and then start a dialogue with them. The dialogue is in the line of "I see from your profile that you are involve in the media industry as a script writer. How's that working out for you in France?"
I am thinking that if some effort has been made to create the invitation, then I should at least accept the invitation and to find out who he is and what he is about.
Now if the person is unresponsive, then I would just remove him from my list.
The bottom line is a connection is linkedin.com should not be just a passive statistic in your profile. By starting a dialogue with them, you have a much better experience with them.
answered Aug 13 '12 at 7:10
tehnyit
1,97511622
1
" if some effort has been made to create the invitation" Surely it's trivial to invite someone? What effort are you thinking of?
– Burhan Ali
Aug 17 '12 at 2:24
3
The effort comes from the establishing the link that between you and him. I think you have to specify how the two are linked together during the invitation process. However, it does become trivial if you lie about your connection and just choose any one of your previous positions. But that would be bad.
– tehnyit
Aug 17 '12 at 7:21
add a comment |Â
up vote
7
down vote
Let's see what happen depending on why you use LinkedIn.
- LinkedIn as a way to find business opportunities
In this case, you are more likely to be the one that sends invitation instead of being the one to receives them. You should accept a connection only if there is a potential business ahead, which is unlikely with cold invitations. Most of the time in this case you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to find a job
Except if the invitation is issued by a recruiters or someone from a company you target, you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to stay in touch with your network (via groups for instance)
Someone you don't know is not in your network, again you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to show the world that your have a large network and that you're "important" in your field
If you are important, people already know you. If you want to be seen as an important professional, at least make sure that you have high quality connections. Ignore most invitation, apply a strong filtering.
- You are a recruiter - full time
You can accept anyone. The more people you know, the more chance you have to find a suitable candidate for your client.
As a conclusion: most of the time it seems better to ignore invitations. Even from people you know. Note that in many cases, people ask for connections only for the purpose of sending messages. Make sure that there is a public way to contact you and you will avoid most of the cold invitations.
answered Aug 13 '12 at 12:33
Sylvain Peyronnet
870612
add a comment |Â
up vote
6
down vote
The first thing is to figure out if you are talking to a recruiter or someone from the company actually hiring. If it's someone from the company that's hiring I would definitely talk to them.
However if they are an independent recruiter or with an agency (or in some cases on contract for the company as a talent agent wit the company email but they are still basically a recruiter) then I treat these as the same as cold calls on your phone asking for just a few minutes of your time and oh - could I get a Word resume please (another sign that it's not the perfect job and you are just being added to a list - or worse being added to their internal client database for yes more... future calls) so my advice for those ones is yes, ignore them.
Time is short and opportunities abound in most software jobs right now so I would take advantage of that and spend your time more wisely. One thought is to spend this time learning and training to be more attractive to employers who, after all, are interested in your training, experience and qualifications, not your talks with recruiters.
It's hard to turn these contact down when you are actually seeking a job, so real discipline is required but it's the right thing to do IMHO. This is based on my own 'been there, done that' experiences over 25 years in the industry.
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:38
Michael Durrant
9,68122856
1
what if the one who invites is not a recruiter but a CEO at some company? Though I still don't know why he's sent an invitation
– superM
Aug 12 '12 at 19:41
1
well yeah that's true. I will update
– Michael Durrant
Aug 13 '12 at 0:25
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Since there are other questions that ask the opposite - when not to add someone on LinkedIn - and they've all been closed as duplicates of this very question, I'll add my 2 cents.
LinkedIn asks to add connections only if you already know the person. However, by doing so I think you lose a great part of the advantages given by LinkedIn, namely expanding your network. For this reason, I mostly accept invitations even from people I don't know, unless when there is a valid reason not to do so:
- profile is empty, looks fake, or something else is off (for instance the profile has a weird photo, or is full of spelling errors)
- profile is pseudo/anonymous (I remember one guy that asked to connect and that had put "JavaDeveloperBostonNewYork" as his name)
- profile is not an individual but a company
- the person works in a field different from mine and in a different country, so there's no way we could be useful to each other
On the other hand, I've happily refused a few connection requests from ex-colleagues or other people that I knew, because they were assholes/bullies/incompetent (most of the time these three qualities overlap) and I had nothing to gain to add them to my network.
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:48
Community♦
1
answered Jul 16 '16 at 23:11
Ouroboros
1,144516
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6 Answers
6
active
oldest
votes
6 Answers
6
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
52
down vote
It depends on how you plan to use LinkedIn.
Do you plan to use LinkedIn to keep track of past and present coworkers? (i.e. Keep track of their education history, job history, accomplishments, etc.)
If 'Yes', then don't accept these LinkedIn invitations.
On the other hand, if you plan to use LinkedIn to network and find new jobs, then you should accept these invitations if the connections can be of some utility to you (i.e. the "inviter" has an accomplished past, or is a recruiter who can connect you with better employment in the future.)
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:20
Jim G.
11.8k105373
5
Precise and helpful +1 :)
– noob
Aug 13 '12 at 9:29
add a comment |Â
up vote
52
down vote
It depends on how you plan to use LinkedIn.
Do you plan to use LinkedIn to keep track of past and present coworkers? (i.e. Keep track of their education history, job history, accomplishments, etc.)
If 'Yes', then don't accept these LinkedIn invitations.
On the other hand, if you plan to use LinkedIn to network and find new jobs, then you should accept these invitations if the connections can be of some utility to you (i.e. the "inviter" has an accomplished past, or is a recruiter who can connect you with better employment in the future.)
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:20
Jim G.
11.8k105373
5
Precise and helpful +1 :)
– noob
Aug 13 '12 at 9:29
add a comment |Â
up vote
52
down vote
up vote
52
down vote
It depends on how you plan to use LinkedIn.
Do you plan to use LinkedIn to keep track of past and present coworkers? (i.e. Keep track of their education history, job history, accomplishments, etc.)
If 'Yes', then don't accept these LinkedIn invitations.
On the other hand, if you plan to use LinkedIn to network and find new jobs, then you should accept these invitations if the connections can be of some utility to you (i.e. the "inviter" has an accomplished past, or is a recruiter who can connect you with better employment in the future.)
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:20
Jim G.
11.8k105373
It depends on how you plan to use LinkedIn.
Do you plan to use LinkedIn to keep track of past and present coworkers? (i.e. Keep track of their education history, job history, accomplishments, etc.)
If 'Yes', then don't accept these LinkedIn invitations.
On the other hand, if you plan to use LinkedIn to network and find new jobs, then you should accept these invitations if the connections can be of some utility to you (i.e. the "inviter" has an accomplished past, or is a recruiter who can connect you with better employment in the future.)
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:20
Jim G.
11.8k105373
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:20
Jim G.
11.8k105373
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:20
Jim G.
11.8k105373
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:20
Jim G.
11.8k105373
11.8k105373
5
Precise and helpful +1 :)
– noob
Aug 13 '12 at 9:29
add a comment |Â
5
Precise and helpful +1 :)
– noob
Aug 13 '12 at 9:29
5
5
Precise and helpful +1 :)
– noob
Aug 13 '12 at 9:29
Precise and helpful +1 :)
– noob
Aug 13 '12 at 9:29
add a comment |Â
up vote
19
down vote
If you plan to use LinkedIn the way how they recommend themselves, a definitive reference for cases like that is provided at Linkedin Help Center -> Accepting or Declining Invitations:
What are my options when responding to invitations to connect?
We strongly recommend that you only accept invitations to connect from people you know. You can select who can send you invitations from the Email Preferences section on your Settings page.
Your options for responding to an invitation are...
Above sends a clear message about LinkedIn's own position on these matters.
This is not a strongly enforced rule however. LinkedIn Open Networkers (LIONs) are an example of an opposite approach:
...LinkedIn networking philosophy is based on a simple rule that says that a person should invite to connect only persons that they personally know (for instance, school colleagues, coworkers, business partners, service providers etc.). However, this limitation is viewed by some members of the LinkedIn community as overly restrictive. So some of them have adopted a policy of accepting invitations even from strangers. They circumvent some LinkedIn requirements (e.g. having to know a person's email address in order to send a linking invitation to them) by publicly posting their email addresses in their profiles, and stating that they openly accept invitations, thus becoming LinkedIn Open Networkers, or simply LIONs. The most LION's rule is that in no circumstance an invitation is to be replied by clicking the "I don't know X" (X being the name of the person that sent the invitation) or even worse, mark it as spam...
One is not bound to follow either of extreme approaches outlined above.
I for one decide whether to accept invitation on case by case basis.
In some cases, "Reply (don't accept yet)" option turns out really useful in helping to decide.
You sent me an invitation recently - why would you want to connect?
Bottom line is, this is the matter on how one intends to use their LinkedIn network.
answered Aug 12 '12 at 19:01
gnat
3,23373066
add a comment |Â
up vote
19
down vote
If you plan to use LinkedIn the way how they recommend themselves, a definitive reference for cases like that is provided at Linkedin Help Center -> Accepting or Declining Invitations:
What are my options when responding to invitations to connect?
We strongly recommend that you only accept invitations to connect from people you know. You can select who can send you invitations from the Email Preferences section on your Settings page.
Your options for responding to an invitation are...
Above sends a clear message about LinkedIn's own position on these matters.
This is not a strongly enforced rule however. LinkedIn Open Networkers (LIONs) are an example of an opposite approach:
...LinkedIn networking philosophy is based on a simple rule that says that a person should invite to connect only persons that they personally know (for instance, school colleagues, coworkers, business partners, service providers etc.). However, this limitation is viewed by some members of the LinkedIn community as overly restrictive. So some of them have adopted a policy of accepting invitations even from strangers. They circumvent some LinkedIn requirements (e.g. having to know a person's email address in order to send a linking invitation to them) by publicly posting their email addresses in their profiles, and stating that they openly accept invitations, thus becoming LinkedIn Open Networkers, or simply LIONs. The most LION's rule is that in no circumstance an invitation is to be replied by clicking the "I don't know X" (X being the name of the person that sent the invitation) or even worse, mark it as spam...
One is not bound to follow either of extreme approaches outlined above.
I for one decide whether to accept invitation on case by case basis.
In some cases, "Reply (don't accept yet)" option turns out really useful in helping to decide.
You sent me an invitation recently - why would you want to connect?
Bottom line is, this is the matter on how one intends to use their LinkedIn network.
answered Aug 12 '12 at 19:01
gnat
3,23373066
add a comment |Â
up vote
19
down vote
up vote
19
down vote
If you plan to use LinkedIn the way how they recommend themselves, a definitive reference for cases like that is provided at Linkedin Help Center -> Accepting or Declining Invitations:
What are my options when responding to invitations to connect?
We strongly recommend that you only accept invitations to connect from people you know. You can select who can send you invitations from the Email Preferences section on your Settings page.
Your options for responding to an invitation are...
Above sends a clear message about LinkedIn's own position on these matters.
This is not a strongly enforced rule however. LinkedIn Open Networkers (LIONs) are an example of an opposite approach:
...LinkedIn networking philosophy is based on a simple rule that says that a person should invite to connect only persons that they personally know (for instance, school colleagues, coworkers, business partners, service providers etc.). However, this limitation is viewed by some members of the LinkedIn community as overly restrictive. So some of them have adopted a policy of accepting invitations even from strangers. They circumvent some LinkedIn requirements (e.g. having to know a person's email address in order to send a linking invitation to them) by publicly posting their email addresses in their profiles, and stating that they openly accept invitations, thus becoming LinkedIn Open Networkers, or simply LIONs. The most LION's rule is that in no circumstance an invitation is to be replied by clicking the "I don't know X" (X being the name of the person that sent the invitation) or even worse, mark it as spam...
One is not bound to follow either of extreme approaches outlined above.
I for one decide whether to accept invitation on case by case basis.
In some cases, "Reply (don't accept yet)" option turns out really useful in helping to decide.
You sent me an invitation recently - why would you want to connect?
Bottom line is, this is the matter on how one intends to use their LinkedIn network.
answered Aug 12 '12 at 19:01
gnat
3,23373066
If you plan to use LinkedIn the way how they recommend themselves, a definitive reference for cases like that is provided at Linkedin Help Center -> Accepting or Declining Invitations:
What are my options when responding to invitations to connect?
We strongly recommend that you only accept invitations to connect from people you know. You can select who can send you invitations from the Email Preferences section on your Settings page.
Your options for responding to an invitation are...
Above sends a clear message about LinkedIn's own position on these matters.
This is not a strongly enforced rule however. LinkedIn Open Networkers (LIONs) are an example of an opposite approach:
...LinkedIn networking philosophy is based on a simple rule that says that a person should invite to connect only persons that they personally know (for instance, school colleagues, coworkers, business partners, service providers etc.). However, this limitation is viewed by some members of the LinkedIn community as overly restrictive. So some of them have adopted a policy of accepting invitations even from strangers. They circumvent some LinkedIn requirements (e.g. having to know a person's email address in order to send a linking invitation to them) by publicly posting their email addresses in their profiles, and stating that they openly accept invitations, thus becoming LinkedIn Open Networkers, or simply LIONs. The most LION's rule is that in no circumstance an invitation is to be replied by clicking the "I don't know X" (X being the name of the person that sent the invitation) or even worse, mark it as spam...
One is not bound to follow either of extreme approaches outlined above.
I for one decide whether to accept invitation on case by case basis.
In some cases, "Reply (don't accept yet)" option turns out really useful in helping to decide.
You sent me an invitation recently - why would you want to connect?
Bottom line is, this is the matter on how one intends to use their LinkedIn network.
answered Aug 12 '12 at 19:01
gnat
3,23373066
answered Aug 12 '12 at 19:01
gnat
3,23373066
answered Aug 12 '12 at 19:01
gnat
3,23373066
answered Aug 12 '12 at 19:01
gnat
3,23373066
3,23373066
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
7
down vote
This is my usual process.
When I receive an invitation from a person that is personally unknown to me, I would accept their invitation and then start a dialogue with them. The dialogue is in the line of "I see from your profile that you are involve in the media industry as a script writer. How's that working out for you in France?"
I am thinking that if some effort has been made to create the invitation, then I should at least accept the invitation and to find out who he is and what he is about.
Now if the person is unresponsive, then I would just remove him from my list.
The bottom line is a connection is linkedin.com should not be just a passive statistic in your profile. By starting a dialogue with them, you have a much better experience with them.
answered Aug 13 '12 at 7:10
tehnyit
1,97511622
1
" if some effort has been made to create the invitation" Surely it's trivial to invite someone? What effort are you thinking of?
– Burhan Ali
Aug 17 '12 at 2:24
3
The effort comes from the establishing the link that between you and him. I think you have to specify how the two are linked together during the invitation process. However, it does become trivial if you lie about your connection and just choose any one of your previous positions. But that would be bad.
– tehnyit
Aug 17 '12 at 7:21
add a comment |Â
up vote
7
down vote
This is my usual process.
When I receive an invitation from a person that is personally unknown to me, I would accept their invitation and then start a dialogue with them. The dialogue is in the line of "I see from your profile that you are involve in the media industry as a script writer. How's that working out for you in France?"
I am thinking that if some effort has been made to create the invitation, then I should at least accept the invitation and to find out who he is and what he is about.
Now if the person is unresponsive, then I would just remove him from my list.
The bottom line is a connection is linkedin.com should not be just a passive statistic in your profile. By starting a dialogue with them, you have a much better experience with them.
answered Aug 13 '12 at 7:10
tehnyit
1,97511622
1
" if some effort has been made to create the invitation" Surely it's trivial to invite someone? What effort are you thinking of?
– Burhan Ali
Aug 17 '12 at 2:24
3
The effort comes from the establishing the link that between you and him. I think you have to specify how the two are linked together during the invitation process. However, it does become trivial if you lie about your connection and just choose any one of your previous positions. But that would be bad.
– tehnyit
Aug 17 '12 at 7:21
add a comment |Â
up vote
7
down vote
up vote
7
down vote
This is my usual process.
When I receive an invitation from a person that is personally unknown to me, I would accept their invitation and then start a dialogue with them. The dialogue is in the line of "I see from your profile that you are involve in the media industry as a script writer. How's that working out for you in France?"
I am thinking that if some effort has been made to create the invitation, then I should at least accept the invitation and to find out who he is and what he is about.
Now if the person is unresponsive, then I would just remove him from my list.
The bottom line is a connection is linkedin.com should not be just a passive statistic in your profile. By starting a dialogue with them, you have a much better experience with them.
answered Aug 13 '12 at 7:10
tehnyit
1,97511622
This is my usual process.
When I receive an invitation from a person that is personally unknown to me, I would accept their invitation and then start a dialogue with them. The dialogue is in the line of "I see from your profile that you are involve in the media industry as a script writer. How's that working out for you in France?"
I am thinking that if some effort has been made to create the invitation, then I should at least accept the invitation and to find out who he is and what he is about.
Now if the person is unresponsive, then I would just remove him from my list.
The bottom line is a connection is linkedin.com should not be just a passive statistic in your profile. By starting a dialogue with them, you have a much better experience with them.
answered Aug 13 '12 at 7:10
tehnyit
1,97511622
edited Aug 13 '12 at 8:50
answered Aug 13 '12 at 7:10
tehnyit
1,97511622
answered Aug 13 '12 at 7:10
tehnyit
1,97511622
answered Aug 13 '12 at 7:10
tehnyit
1,97511622
1,97511622
1
" if some effort has been made to create the invitation" Surely it's trivial to invite someone? What effort are you thinking of?
– Burhan Ali
Aug 17 '12 at 2:24
3
The effort comes from the establishing the link that between you and him. I think you have to specify how the two are linked together during the invitation process. However, it does become trivial if you lie about your connection and just choose any one of your previous positions. But that would be bad.
– tehnyit
Aug 17 '12 at 7:21
add a comment |Â
1
" if some effort has been made to create the invitation" Surely it's trivial to invite someone? What effort are you thinking of?
– Burhan Ali
Aug 17 '12 at 2:24
3
The effort comes from the establishing the link that between you and him. I think you have to specify how the two are linked together during the invitation process. However, it does become trivial if you lie about your connection and just choose any one of your previous positions. But that would be bad.
– tehnyit
Aug 17 '12 at 7:21
1
1
" if some effort has been made to create the invitation" Surely it's trivial to invite someone? What effort are you thinking of?
– Burhan Ali
Aug 17 '12 at 2:24
" if some effort has been made to create the invitation" Surely it's trivial to invite someone? What effort are you thinking of?
– Burhan Ali
Aug 17 '12 at 2:24
3
3
The effort comes from the establishing the link that between you and him. I think you have to specify how the two are linked together during the invitation process. However, it does become trivial if you lie about your connection and just choose any one of your previous positions. But that would be bad.
– tehnyit
Aug 17 '12 at 7:21
The effort comes from the establishing the link that between you and him. I think you have to specify how the two are linked together during the invitation process. However, it does become trivial if you lie about your connection and just choose any one of your previous positions. But that would be bad.
– tehnyit
Aug 17 '12 at 7:21
add a comment |Â
up vote
7
down vote
Let's see what happen depending on why you use LinkedIn.
- LinkedIn as a way to find business opportunities
In this case, you are more likely to be the one that sends invitation instead of being the one to receives them. You should accept a connection only if there is a potential business ahead, which is unlikely with cold invitations. Most of the time in this case you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to find a job
Except if the invitation is issued by a recruiters or someone from a company you target, you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to stay in touch with your network (via groups for instance)
Someone you don't know is not in your network, again you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to show the world that your have a large network and that you're "important" in your field
If you are important, people already know you. If you want to be seen as an important professional, at least make sure that you have high quality connections. Ignore most invitation, apply a strong filtering.
- You are a recruiter - full time
You can accept anyone. The more people you know, the more chance you have to find a suitable candidate for your client.
As a conclusion: most of the time it seems better to ignore invitations. Even from people you know. Note that in many cases, people ask for connections only for the purpose of sending messages. Make sure that there is a public way to contact you and you will avoid most of the cold invitations.
answered Aug 13 '12 at 12:33
Sylvain Peyronnet
870612
add a comment |Â
up vote
7
down vote
Let's see what happen depending on why you use LinkedIn.
- LinkedIn as a way to find business opportunities
In this case, you are more likely to be the one that sends invitation instead of being the one to receives them. You should accept a connection only if there is a potential business ahead, which is unlikely with cold invitations. Most of the time in this case you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to find a job
Except if the invitation is issued by a recruiters or someone from a company you target, you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to stay in touch with your network (via groups for instance)
Someone you don't know is not in your network, again you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to show the world that your have a large network and that you're "important" in your field
If you are important, people already know you. If you want to be seen as an important professional, at least make sure that you have high quality connections. Ignore most invitation, apply a strong filtering.
- You are a recruiter - full time
You can accept anyone. The more people you know, the more chance you have to find a suitable candidate for your client.
As a conclusion: most of the time it seems better to ignore invitations. Even from people you know. Note that in many cases, people ask for connections only for the purpose of sending messages. Make sure that there is a public way to contact you and you will avoid most of the cold invitations.
answered Aug 13 '12 at 12:33
Sylvain Peyronnet
870612
add a comment |Â
up vote
7
down vote
up vote
7
down vote
Let's see what happen depending on why you use LinkedIn.
- LinkedIn as a way to find business opportunities
In this case, you are more likely to be the one that sends invitation instead of being the one to receives them. You should accept a connection only if there is a potential business ahead, which is unlikely with cold invitations. Most of the time in this case you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to find a job
Except if the invitation is issued by a recruiters or someone from a company you target, you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to stay in touch with your network (via groups for instance)
Someone you don't know is not in your network, again you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to show the world that your have a large network and that you're "important" in your field
If you are important, people already know you. If you want to be seen as an important professional, at least make sure that you have high quality connections. Ignore most invitation, apply a strong filtering.
- You are a recruiter - full time
You can accept anyone. The more people you know, the more chance you have to find a suitable candidate for your client.
As a conclusion: most of the time it seems better to ignore invitations. Even from people you know. Note that in many cases, people ask for connections only for the purpose of sending messages. Make sure that there is a public way to contact you and you will avoid most of the cold invitations.
answered Aug 13 '12 at 12:33
Sylvain Peyronnet
870612
Let's see what happen depending on why you use LinkedIn.
- LinkedIn as a way to find business opportunities
In this case, you are more likely to be the one that sends invitation instead of being the one to receives them. You should accept a connection only if there is a potential business ahead, which is unlikely with cold invitations. Most of the time in this case you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to find a job
Except if the invitation is issued by a recruiters or someone from a company you target, you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to stay in touch with your network (via groups for instance)
Someone you don't know is not in your network, again you should ignore the invitation.
- LinkedIn as a way to show the world that your have a large network and that you're "important" in your field
If you are important, people already know you. If you want to be seen as an important professional, at least make sure that you have high quality connections. Ignore most invitation, apply a strong filtering.
- You are a recruiter - full time
You can accept anyone. The more people you know, the more chance you have to find a suitable candidate for your client.
As a conclusion: most of the time it seems better to ignore invitations. Even from people you know. Note that in many cases, people ask for connections only for the purpose of sending messages. Make sure that there is a public way to contact you and you will avoid most of the cold invitations.
answered Aug 13 '12 at 12:33
Sylvain Peyronnet
870612
answered Aug 13 '12 at 12:33
Sylvain Peyronnet
870612
answered Aug 13 '12 at 12:33
Sylvain Peyronnet
870612
answered Aug 13 '12 at 12:33
Sylvain Peyronnet
870612
870612
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
6
down vote
The first thing is to figure out if you are talking to a recruiter or someone from the company actually hiring. If it's someone from the company that's hiring I would definitely talk to them.
However if they are an independent recruiter or with an agency (or in some cases on contract for the company as a talent agent wit the company email but they are still basically a recruiter) then I treat these as the same as cold calls on your phone asking for just a few minutes of your time and oh - could I get a Word resume please (another sign that it's not the perfect job and you are just being added to a list - or worse being added to their internal client database for yes more... future calls) so my advice for those ones is yes, ignore them.
Time is short and opportunities abound in most software jobs right now so I would take advantage of that and spend your time more wisely. One thought is to spend this time learning and training to be more attractive to employers who, after all, are interested in your training, experience and qualifications, not your talks with recruiters.
It's hard to turn these contact down when you are actually seeking a job, so real discipline is required but it's the right thing to do IMHO. This is based on my own 'been there, done that' experiences over 25 years in the industry.
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:38
Michael Durrant
9,68122856
1
what if the one who invites is not a recruiter but a CEO at some company? Though I still don't know why he's sent an invitation
– superM
Aug 12 '12 at 19:41
1
well yeah that's true. I will update
– Michael Durrant
Aug 13 '12 at 0:25
add a comment |Â
up vote
6
down vote
The first thing is to figure out if you are talking to a recruiter or someone from the company actually hiring. If it's someone from the company that's hiring I would definitely talk to them.
However if they are an independent recruiter or with an agency (or in some cases on contract for the company as a talent agent wit the company email but they are still basically a recruiter) then I treat these as the same as cold calls on your phone asking for just a few minutes of your time and oh - could I get a Word resume please (another sign that it's not the perfect job and you are just being added to a list - or worse being added to their internal client database for yes more... future calls) so my advice for those ones is yes, ignore them.
Time is short and opportunities abound in most software jobs right now so I would take advantage of that and spend your time more wisely. One thought is to spend this time learning and training to be more attractive to employers who, after all, are interested in your training, experience and qualifications, not your talks with recruiters.
It's hard to turn these contact down when you are actually seeking a job, so real discipline is required but it's the right thing to do IMHO. This is based on my own 'been there, done that' experiences over 25 years in the industry.
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:38
Michael Durrant
9,68122856
1
what if the one who invites is not a recruiter but a CEO at some company? Though I still don't know why he's sent an invitation
– superM
Aug 12 '12 at 19:41
1
well yeah that's true. I will update
– Michael Durrant
Aug 13 '12 at 0:25
add a comment |Â
up vote
6
down vote
up vote
6
down vote
The first thing is to figure out if you are talking to a recruiter or someone from the company actually hiring. If it's someone from the company that's hiring I would definitely talk to them.
However if they are an independent recruiter or with an agency (or in some cases on contract for the company as a talent agent wit the company email but they are still basically a recruiter) then I treat these as the same as cold calls on your phone asking for just a few minutes of your time and oh - could I get a Word resume please (another sign that it's not the perfect job and you are just being added to a list - or worse being added to their internal client database for yes more... future calls) so my advice for those ones is yes, ignore them.
Time is short and opportunities abound in most software jobs right now so I would take advantage of that and spend your time more wisely. One thought is to spend this time learning and training to be more attractive to employers who, after all, are interested in your training, experience and qualifications, not your talks with recruiters.
It's hard to turn these contact down when you are actually seeking a job, so real discipline is required but it's the right thing to do IMHO. This is based on my own 'been there, done that' experiences over 25 years in the industry.
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:38
Michael Durrant
9,68122856
The first thing is to figure out if you are talking to a recruiter or someone from the company actually hiring. If it's someone from the company that's hiring I would definitely talk to them.
However if they are an independent recruiter or with an agency (or in some cases on contract for the company as a talent agent wit the company email but they are still basically a recruiter) then I treat these as the same as cold calls on your phone asking for just a few minutes of your time and oh - could I get a Word resume please (another sign that it's not the perfect job and you are just being added to a list - or worse being added to their internal client database for yes more... future calls) so my advice for those ones is yes, ignore them.
Time is short and opportunities abound in most software jobs right now so I would take advantage of that and spend your time more wisely. One thought is to spend this time learning and training to be more attractive to employers who, after all, are interested in your training, experience and qualifications, not your talks with recruiters.
It's hard to turn these contact down when you are actually seeking a job, so real discipline is required but it's the right thing to do IMHO. This is based on my own 'been there, done that' experiences over 25 years in the industry.
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:38
Michael Durrant
9,68122856
edited Aug 13 '12 at 0:28
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:38
Michael Durrant
9,68122856
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:38
Michael Durrant
9,68122856
answered Aug 12 '12 at 18:38
Michael Durrant
9,68122856
9,68122856
1
what if the one who invites is not a recruiter but a CEO at some company? Though I still don't know why he's sent an invitation
– superM
Aug 12 '12 at 19:41
1
well yeah that's true. I will update
– Michael Durrant
Aug 13 '12 at 0:25
add a comment |Â
1
what if the one who invites is not a recruiter but a CEO at some company? Though I still don't know why he's sent an invitation
– superM
Aug 12 '12 at 19:41
1
well yeah that's true. I will update
– Michael Durrant
Aug 13 '12 at 0:25
1
1
what if the one who invites is not a recruiter but a CEO at some company? Though I still don't know why he's sent an invitation
– superM
Aug 12 '12 at 19:41
what if the one who invites is not a recruiter but a CEO at some company? Though I still don't know why he's sent an invitation
– superM
Aug 12 '12 at 19:41
1
1
well yeah that's true. I will update
– Michael Durrant
Aug 13 '12 at 0:25
well yeah that's true. I will update
– Michael Durrant
Aug 13 '12 at 0:25
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Since there are other questions that ask the opposite - when not to add someone on LinkedIn - and they've all been closed as duplicates of this very question, I'll add my 2 cents.
LinkedIn asks to add connections only if you already know the person. However, by doing so I think you lose a great part of the advantages given by LinkedIn, namely expanding your network. For this reason, I mostly accept invitations even from people I don't know, unless when there is a valid reason not to do so:
- profile is empty, looks fake, or something else is off (for instance the profile has a weird photo, or is full of spelling errors)
- profile is pseudo/anonymous (I remember one guy that asked to connect and that had put "JavaDeveloperBostonNewYork" as his name)
- profile is not an individual but a company
- the person works in a field different from mine and in a different country, so there's no way we could be useful to each other
On the other hand, I've happily refused a few connection requests from ex-colleagues or other people that I knew, because they were assholes/bullies/incompetent (most of the time these three qualities overlap) and I had nothing to gain to add them to my network.
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:48
Community♦
1
answered Jul 16 '16 at 23:11
Ouroboros
1,144516
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Since there are other questions that ask the opposite - when not to add someone on LinkedIn - and they've all been closed as duplicates of this very question, I'll add my 2 cents.
LinkedIn asks to add connections only if you already know the person. However, by doing so I think you lose a great part of the advantages given by LinkedIn, namely expanding your network. For this reason, I mostly accept invitations even from people I don't know, unless when there is a valid reason not to do so:
- profile is empty, looks fake, or something else is off (for instance the profile has a weird photo, or is full of spelling errors)
- profile is pseudo/anonymous (I remember one guy that asked to connect and that had put "JavaDeveloperBostonNewYork" as his name)
- profile is not an individual but a company
- the person works in a field different from mine and in a different country, so there's no way we could be useful to each other
On the other hand, I've happily refused a few connection requests from ex-colleagues or other people that I knew, because they were assholes/bullies/incompetent (most of the time these three qualities overlap) and I had nothing to gain to add them to my network.
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:48
Community♦
1
answered Jul 16 '16 at 23:11
Ouroboros
1,144516
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
Since there are other questions that ask the opposite - when not to add someone on LinkedIn - and they've all been closed as duplicates of this very question, I'll add my 2 cents.
LinkedIn asks to add connections only if you already know the person. However, by doing so I think you lose a great part of the advantages given by LinkedIn, namely expanding your network. For this reason, I mostly accept invitations even from people I don't know, unless when there is a valid reason not to do so:
- profile is empty, looks fake, or something else is off (for instance the profile has a weird photo, or is full of spelling errors)
- profile is pseudo/anonymous (I remember one guy that asked to connect and that had put "JavaDeveloperBostonNewYork" as his name)
- profile is not an individual but a company
- the person works in a field different from mine and in a different country, so there's no way we could be useful to each other
On the other hand, I've happily refused a few connection requests from ex-colleagues or other people that I knew, because they were assholes/bullies/incompetent (most of the time these three qualities overlap) and I had nothing to gain to add them to my network.
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:48
Community♦
1
answered Jul 16 '16 at 23:11
Ouroboros
1,144516
Since there are other questions that ask the opposite - when not to add someone on LinkedIn - and they've all been closed as duplicates of this very question, I'll add my 2 cents.
LinkedIn asks to add connections only if you already know the person. However, by doing so I think you lose a great part of the advantages given by LinkedIn, namely expanding your network. For this reason, I mostly accept invitations even from people I don't know, unless when there is a valid reason not to do so:
- profile is empty, looks fake, or something else is off (for instance the profile has a weird photo, or is full of spelling errors)
- profile is pseudo/anonymous (I remember one guy that asked to connect and that had put "JavaDeveloperBostonNewYork" as his name)
- profile is not an individual but a company
- the person works in a field different from mine and in a different country, so there's no way we could be useful to each other
On the other hand, I've happily refused a few connection requests from ex-colleagues or other people that I knew, because they were assholes/bullies/incompetent (most of the time these three qualities overlap) and I had nothing to gain to add them to my network.
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:48
Community♦
1
answered Jul 16 '16 at 23:11
Ouroboros
1,144516
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:48
Community♦
1
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:48
Community♦
1
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:48
Community♦
1
1
answered Jul 16 '16 at 23:11
Ouroboros
1,144516
answered Jul 16 '16 at 23:11
Ouroboros
1,144516
answered Jul 16 '16 at 23:11
Ouroboros
1,144516
1,144516
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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The only filter you need to apply is if these are people you really don't know, or just people you are having trouble remembering. I've received several clusters of invitations from people I'm sure I do not know. I believe there are spammers using fake linkedin invitations and/or real linkedin invitations for the purpose of gathering a network of addresses to spam or scam. In short, there is no conceivable benefit to you to pay any attention to these invitations.
– ddyer
Aug 12 '12 at 20:51
1
I usually respond to such invitations with a "How could be of help to each other?" line. If I receive no response or a vague one, I decline the invitation.
– drabsv
Aug 13 '12 at 20:41