Are You LinkedIn?

A friend recently asked me why I was on Linkedin, I politely replied to him that the future of Online recruitment is online, and if you aren't Online you are not utilising your networking abilities. As the Social Networking site, reached its 100 million members last month this article will be dedicated to provide an overview of what it is and why you should be on there. 

LinkedIn has been touted as breaking the networking revolution. Its a social networking platform for professionals but its more than an opportunity to just network. There are opportunities if you are looking for employment for example where recruiters will only post job advertisements through LinkedIn. So without this notification, you may miss out on a once in a lifetime career opportunity. 

Its a common norm for professionals for all the major firms to be on LinkedIn, yet students looking for work should be seeking to use LinkedIn to the best of their abilities. Its rich information provides not only details about people but also about the companies you may want to work for in the future. The opportunity to follow companies, not only shows you are interested in what they do, but shows the employer you are interested in what they do and maybe sometime in the future find a suitable vacancy for you.

But there is so much more.

Groups gives professionals opportunities to pitch ideas, share contact information and even gain new clients. This rich source of information is highly valued in a fast moving pace of life where people are time poor and money rich. Just one short paragraph about who you are, what  you do and why you on LinkedIn on a number of LinkedIn groups will allow you to get recognised not only for new clients but maybe even for future job opportunities. 

Not only this but students, often get misrepresented in this hyper dependent market. You may have a Facebook profile, with your recent 'drunken antics' or share some really funny posts. LinkedIn is so much more than Facebook, its an opportunity to be professional, an opportunity to promote yourself to employers, an opportunity to be noticed. 

Yet, you need to be careful, if you are on LinkedIn already, great, but you need to listen, respond and engage with other professionals wisely. Its also difficult to know who to believe on sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. There could be people out there pretending to be people who are not who they say they are. More importantly students and soon to be graduates are prime targets for these 'scams' just because something is genuine on-line doesn't mean it is genuine in real life.

If you haven't heard of LinkedIn or just want to get yourself out there then check out this helpful article 'Facebook, Linkedin and Recruitment'


Update: 05 April 2011


An amazing info-graphic that shows just what people are doing on LinkedIn and some truly amazing insights into the world of professional networking. 

http://blog.linkedin.com/2011/03/22/linkedin-100-million/

Why we shouldn't be entering foreign politics

As news comes through that US, UK, and French air forces are standing by to fire on Libyan defences it strikes a cord that foreign countries should do not get involved with foreign politics.

The news of Libyan news story has become sort what of a background story as the minute by minute details of the Japanese Nuclear Power Plant has taken centre stage. The Libyan news story however is now though dominating the front page news stories of all the morning papers.

Let me just refresh your mind about what has happened and how we have got into this sticky situation and the reason for such dramatic forces.

• February 15th 2011: A series of protests begin and a small uprising against the Colonel Gaddafi regime. 
• February 15th - March 16th - Continued uprising against the Colonel Gaddafi regime, civilians are reported dead. 
• March 17 March - A UN security council announces that a Ceasefire is to be announced in Libya following violent demonstrations between protesters.
• March 17th March - A ceasefire agreed by the Libyan military, appears to be ineffective and deemed to be a lie to the UN security council. 
• March 18th - 19th March - A no fly-zone agreement is reached. A meeting in Paris announce that Military action is need to protect the Libyan government attacking its own people. On the night of the 19th March, US, UK and French airships and air forces bombard Libyan army defences to weaken there attacks on the people of Libya. 

The mission called Odyssey Dawn, in my opinion is purely a demonstration of power from coalition nations, a sheer arrogance to flex their muscles. An opportunity to test out some of the most scientific weaponry. Tomahawk missiles all 100 are being fired as we speak from  sea forces in the Mediterranean sea, the cost of a single missile £300,000 . Weren't we meant to be saving money? What happened to those proposed preplanned cuts?

We shouldn't be involved in foreign politics (Full Stop) the coalition has now set a benchmark or a precedent in foreign politics involvement. Why don't we go in and attack North Korea or Bahrain over their government tactics? We probably won't because we know the full scale of the armoury and the major threat it could pose and cause further civilian wars, but it poses a question why should we get involved in the first place in foreign politics. 


We need talk, not to force to solve this situation in Libya. It appears the UN and Coalition forces have lost patient too early and too soon in my opinion.  I have feeling this latest mission is not going to end nicely and isn't going to end any time soon.

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Update: 22 March 2011
As if we aren't all really stretched already Francis Tusa, editor of the newsletter Defence Analysis looks at how much this little war in Libya is costing us and reveals just how the MOD (Ministry of Defence) are footing the bill?

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The Japanese Earthquake of 2011

As the UK arises to another day, spare a thought for the 100,000's of Japanese civilians who have lost their homes, their friends and most importantly their families.

The earthquake and resultant tsunami that battered the eastern coastline of Japan has engulfed many peoples sacred memories of where towns once stood, now stand in fragmented ruins. As many of us will look on in hope and disbelieve, we realise that we are helpless to defend against god's powerful nature.

I don't think anyone could of imagined that on the 11th March 2011 at approximately 2 pm Japanese time, waves of up to 10ft would clatter into buildings, remove houses from their foundations, trees from their roots and eventually leave nothing behind in its path for destruction.

As we await further news bulletins, that bring us up to the minute news on these disasters, we sometimes forget to spare a thought for individuals who have lost everything and the immense struggles they must now go back to returning back to reality and some without their loved ones.

This truly destructive act of nature that has been broadcast on television networks, over the internet and through our social networks has really shown that as an entity, as a world, we cannot and may never be able to control the force that nature brings. No matter how intelligent our scientists are, nor the instruments that measure such disasters, are only salvage that exists is hope.

So next time you awake in your bed or start another day at work, spare a thought for 100,000's of civilians living for another night, with no food, no water, little electricity and think how lucky you are to be alive.

Battered & Bruised: Even the most powerful nation in the world struggles to come to terms with the effects of such a major disaster.