LinkedIn - Going Deeper with Groups

I have spent the last day thinking about LinkedIn and what other uses it could have in Education. In the course of exploring it further I have discovered Groups, which I feel has untold potential for Education for both students and faculty.

Although the most obvious benefit of Groups is searching for contacts and jobs, I feel that this is not in fact the most important. The most important benefit is from using the discussion boards which are a part of every group in LinkedIn. This allows students and faculty to discuss relevant topics with like minded peers and professionals from every corner of the globe. A wide range of industry related, professional topics are covered within these discussion boards and forums. Even if students do not post to the discussion, they will be able to read about what those in the industry are saying and what the important professional topics are in their chosen area. As they become more confident students should be encouraged to join in the discussions thus building up a presence on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn imposes a limit of 50 groups of which you can be a member, after which you will need to leave one group in order to join another. Therefore it is important to be discriminating in which groups to join. This encourages students to think carefully about the importance and usefulness of the groups they join. This is an important skill which can be transferred to their chosen career.

LinkedIn Answers is also something which could be extremely useful to students. This gives them the ability to both ask and answer questions in their chosen field. This allows them to develop a professional approach and to find expert answers in areas where they feel they need extra input. It also allows them to network with colleagues and get known in their chosen field. However, there is a caveat to this. Students should be advised to use it wisely and to think about what they are posting in this area. LinkedIn is a professional social networking site and should be used appropriately.