LinkedIn Connection uhm... insert s(word) here...

So, I am looking at Company JJ these days and trying to work up the courage to ask someone in my network to drop my resume into the queue. I'd unsuccessfully applied there before last spring.  Now, there are even more jobs.  However, last go around I only got one phone screen (positive result, but the hiring manager wasn't interested) out of four applications.  Having someone submit your resume really helps.  I'm paying for LinkedIn Prime (again) to be able to do this kind of search, so I put in my search for connections to people currently working at Company JJ. 

The results come back with 666 (Yes.  Truly.  No joke)  people working at Company JJ for which I have a 2nd connection.  For those who might not know what a "2nd connection" is, that's is someone I'm connected to through a direct friend connection (1st level) I have on my LinkedIn account.  666 2nd connections represents over 25 pages of individuals I'd have to individually click on to see if I recognize a contact I'd feel comfortable enough to ask to submit my resume, or bring it to the attention of someone. 

Wow.  I'm used to 1 or 2, maybe 8 or 10, but it's like everyone I know has a connection to Company JJ... or really?  Here's what happened to my LinkedIn account and how I became a LinkedIn Slut.

My LinkedIn connections grew "organically" for years, so I had about 150-160 people I knew.  I never reached out to people, except to maybe three or four over the years - just to reconnect with friends I missed b/c they left The tt because of lay-off or burnout.  When it was time for me to move on from the tt, I did what I saw others do, and began to put out connection requests to people I knew.  Cool.  That's normal. 

Turns out I really only worked with the same people over a lot of years.  My numbers were in the mid-300s, but I'm shy.  I hesitated to connect with the directors, veeps, etc. of my past, because, well... I'm shy that way.  It's all part of that "I hate job hunting" parcel I have to get over.  Whatever...

But then I'm out and about and making connections through various networking events, conventions, and meetups.  Then there are the recruiters.  Then there's the magical thinking of "the more people in your network, the more 'productive' you look" shit you'll find in the readings online.  And lest we forget, LinkedIn's "magical" 500+ tag on your profile will make you look thinner as well. 

Well, I'm here to say that now I do believe I'll be unconnecting from some of these connections.  Because, really, I can never go ask these people for a favor.  Also, as I'm approaching the 500 mark, I find I don't really want to go over that number.  I don't want to be a 500+ member.  Why?

Why is having a bunch of strangers look at the posts you forward to the list about whatever you post to your LinkedIn account worth having?  I can't say that any of my LinkedIn connections have gotten my resume forwarded, or set me up.  I don't see these people as having much to contribute beyond me hitting that "500+" mark. 

Now, that is not to say that I'll be getting rid of all recruiters.  I've found some of them really do have very good information they post to my LinkedIn stream - including jobs.  But I look at wading through these 25 pages of 2nd connections and I'm only up to page 12 when I decide to do this blog entry - because, well, it's more interesting and less anxiety raising.  Because, yes, out of the first 120 or so 2nd connections, I count 13 of these Second Connections with First Connections I'd even consider pinging to drop my resume.  This is gonna take all day.

Back to LinkedIn...