I was slow to join, but finally did when I began consulting...
I was slow to join Linked In, but finally did when I began consulting because the potential for finding future contract work seemed real.
I have never made a penny based on someone finding me on Linked In. I have connected with past associates that eventually led to real job opportunity and income.
If the premium (fee based) membership appealed to more than my curiosity about who has been looking at my profile, I might spend the money. But "who is stalking you" is all I remember from their sales promotions. In practice I've detected that contacting people is being restricted more and more, supposedly motivated by privacy concerns. But amazingly, these restrictions could be lifted by joining the premium membership. Money is the true motivation for creating restrictions. When the restrictions are increased enough to make communications impossible, then I will need to decide to pay or quit.
The endorsements are a joke. I have asked no one for an endorsements and don't display my "unsolicited" endorsements and I refuse to reciprocate endorsements. I laughed when I saw some members "Experience" now shows endorsements rather than employment history. Talk about a meaningless smoke screen.
While I feel that Linked In can provide some value in that I might reap what I have sown, the harvest is getting choked off by more and more weeds.
