LinkedIn--MySpace for Business

I set up a LinkedIn account about a year ago, after attending a conference and learning about the social networking--or more accurately--straight-ahead networking site. LinkedIn is clearly focused on the businessperson, with none of the bells and whistles (that is, it's a listing, not of work of art on its own) of the more socially oriented sites. It does provide, however, a terrific way to upload your resume, work history, photos, and other interests in straightforward and professional format.

So I set up a site, added a few links, and basically forgot about my account. Recently, I received a request to link that inspired me to update my site and create a few more professional links. Those have led to additional links and the chain is gradually growing--even with little conscious activity on my part.

It's fascinating to see the exploding degrees of separation in real time. While I only have 14 direct contacts in my list so far, here are the stats for two and three degrees of separation:

Direct connections: 14
2nd degree of separation (friends of friends): 700+
3rd degree: almost 67,000

It's truly astonishing how quickly this develops and how well it illustrates the principle of building circles of acquaintances. It's exponential and a great visual tool for students, even if they don't keep it actively growing.

The format is straightforward and a bit dry visually, but functions well in the professional environment for which it is intended.

Be sure to explore all of your institutional connections in developing your connections. You may be surprised by the number of people you know who are already on LinkedIn.