LinkedIn has over 500 million active users word-wide. It has been constantly working to strengthen itself in new areas like content and education and concentrate in adding new users from emerging markets.
It has evolved into a social network for working people where ideas are exchanged and employment is sought.
Today, the company is set to roll out a new service which is aiming to enhance the most basic purpose of the network, finding a job.
Many a times, the biggest hurdle in landing a job is the lack of proper guidance. The new service is all set to rectify that shortcoming with its matchmaking skills. The system helps to match potential mentors and people who are looking for guidance and mentoring in any specific areas.
As put forth by Hari Srinivasan, Head of Identity Products at LinkedIn, the service which was started with a small test a month ago, is totally free and will be first available to users based in San Francisco and Australia.
Contents
How Will It Work?
It will work a bit like Tinder. People who come forward and indicate their interest in receiving mentoring will be given a list of hand-selected mentors. They can then match to their desired mentor from the list according to their requirements.
At the background, Mentors will be given options about their preferences. They can choose whom to mentor between their first and second-degree networks, their region or their former school or workplace for example.
Srinivasan also said that gradually, everyone will have the option to be a mentor if they choose so.
For those who are looking to seek advice and feedback from their potential mentors, LinkedIn will give them their own potential parameters to narrow down the list as per their preferences. Just like mentors can choose whom to mentor, they can choose their mentors based on the same parameters.
On paper, the choices for both Mentors and Mentees is potentially the whole 500 million user base of LinkedIn.
Once the contact is initiated, it can continue for as long as either side is committed. Either of the side can end contact at any time, no questions asked.
What it means for LinkedIn users in India?
This service from LinkedIn opens up the world-wide expertise for Indian job seekers.
Once you indicate your willingness to be mentored, LinkedIn will offer you a list of potential mentors which is not restricted by any geographical boundaries, depending on the parameters you have set.
Now the onus is on you to take the bull by the horns and use it your advantage.
How does LinkedIn benefit in all this?
LinkedIn is looking to ease itself in to a gap in the career market. Some of the benefits are is obvious. This Mentoring Service will be an additional point of engagement for its users. It will give a whole new twist to the way people are already using LinkedIn to find employment.
It is a free service and it will surely find takers in the existing user base and might entice new users with its promise of personalised career guidance.
LinkedIn has started this new service after extensive research among its users. The research found that 9 out of 10 people from the senior rank of users said that they wanted to give back.
They had received timely help on their way up and now they want to do the same for others.
Are there any potential drawbacks?
As with all things there are two sides to everything. Here the question begs to be answered; How much help is too much? Mentors are offering their help for free. How will LinkedIn assure their long-term engagement to this service?
It might have to introduce other elements to this service in order to encourage more usage, like payments or credits for premium features.
For now, the service is free and limited in its scope. This will keep the expectations and exploitations in check.
This service is being rolled out in a phased manner and will reach India shortly.
What are your thoughts on this? Will you use the Mentoring services offered by LinkedIn? Or will you be offering your services as a Mentor?
Let us know your opinion in comments below.