Online Social Networking is all the rage these days. Being in the technology industry, I feel an obligation to keep up with major technology trends. So, I’ve jumped in by taking LinkedIn and Facebook for an extended test drive.
LinkedIn is who you are
LinkedIn is a resume board. It lets you post an enhanced resume and to selectively share it with your friends and the public. Beyond the standard resume items, you can post recommendations to others’ resume and vice versa. It’s a combination of resume and recommendation letters in a clean package. You can see my LinkedIn profile here.
LinkedIn connects you with your colleagues. It enables you to establish connections with your business associates. You can use this to meet other people through their network. I’ve never used this feature, but I can see how that could be handy in business situations where you are looking to get a "foot in the door". Beyond making new connections, I have not found much utility in these connections.
Facebook is what you do
Facebook is "lifecasting." Your profile is very limited — no extended resume like LinkedIn. Instead, Facebook lets you post comments, pictures, videos, links to websites, etc. As you post these items, it shows up on your "news feed." So, your presence in Facebook less about who you claim yourself to be and more about what you post. Your behavior defines your persona.
Facebook is personal. Your items are only available to your friends. So, it’s a safe way to share personal information. I think it’s a great way to share photos with your friends. I’m hesitant to use Facebook for business use because it’s so personal.
Facebook gets you reconnected. In my short time using Facebook, I’ve reconnected with a bunch of college and high school friends I’ve not spoken with in 20 years. We just drifted away from each other. Facebook made it easy to find these friends, connect with them, and then stay connected. It’s amazing in that respect.
Facebook is entertaining. Unlike LinkedIn, I find it entertaining to log into Facebook. On the main page, I can see what my friends have been up to — I see a consolidated listing of all my friends’ postings. And most items allow for comments making it more interactive and fun.
For example, my friend Tom posted a video of his son doing some tricks on his skateboard. I clicked the link and was able to see the video. Then I posted a comment complementing his son on the tricks and Tom on the videography. Tom got an email right away and responded to my comment with one of his own.
Facebook is hard to navigate. Good luck trying to find anything that’s not on the main feed. I find the user interface confusing and it’s even hard to find the stuff that I’ve posted.
Facebook is an applications platform. There are a million little applications that you can add to your Facebook account. To me, most have little value. For example, there’s a "pieces of flair" application that enables you to post virtual buttons on your own and others virtual corkboard. Big deal. And I think you have to share your personal information with the application provider, which I don’t like. But lots of people like these little apps and find it to be a fun way to stay connected. I should be more open-minded about these applications. But as of today, I don’t get it.
Facebook vs. LinkedIn: which to choose?
Both are social networks, but there’s no need to choose between the two. Each is unique and complements the other. Definitely post your resume on LinkedIn to connect with your business colleagues and use Facebook to stay connected with your close friends.