How To Get a Recommendation Cascade on LinkedIn

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I’m a LinkedIn junkie, as you well know, so the fact I’m writing on it probably won’t surprise you.  But as always, I’m finding some new way to use it which I want to share.

What I want to share is what I call the LinkedIn Recommendation Cascade.

You want LinkedIn References.  You want your skills and expertise endorsed.  The best way to do that is to recommend others – which you have been doing regularly, right?  Recommend them for what they’re good at, they’ll do the same.

Assuming you haven’t been tapping into the collective LinkedIn wisdom out there, here’s what you do.

  1. Make sure you’re on LinkedIn.  If you’re not, then I am ashamed of you and you bring dishonor to the legion of people who can have in-depth analysis of Jungian symbolism in Naruto.
  2. Make sure your profile is complete, and the “Skills and Experience” section is very important.  List your skills and experience honestly, but be sure to be complete about it (they give you a lot of space).
  3. Make sure you’re linking up with people you’ve worked with.  I figure you’ve been doing this before, but I’ll encourage you.
  4. Make sure you give out as many recommendations as reasonable and as deserved to people.  I also go out of my way to do it 3-6 months after I start working with people.
  5. Make sure that you ALSO endorse people’s skills – a relatively recent feature added to LinkedIn.  you can endorse people for skills on their profile, and LinkedIn will often ‘bug” you to endorse people.  So go for it!

When you do this, other people will return the favor to you.  In fact, if someone owes you a recommendation, recommending them is not only appropriate, it’s a nice, socially acceptable nudge.

I’m finding that the Skills and Experience recommendations are becoming a big thing on LinkedIn since they’re so easy to do.  Make sure that you use those for those who deserve the recommendation, because it’s more specific and easier for people to return the favor.

Give it a try on your LinkedIn Profile.  Which is all set and up to date . . .

. . . right?

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

What Vending Machines Mean For Progeeks And Their Careers

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Last week I had my in-depth examination of where I think Coinstar is going, and why they could move into food.  Not a geeky thing on the top, but very pro geek when you look at target audiences and the technology that will be employed.  So, I want to expand on this theory, specifically . . .

If there’s an onslaught of automated vending, what does it mean for we professional geeks?  What does it mean for our careers, beyond, you know, easily accessible coffee.

First, let me explain my pursuit of this in the first place:

  • As noted, I see Coinstar validating vending systems, often unusual ones, with their current plans.
  • There are a lot of vending devices out there.  Be it Shop24, or the bizarre electronic vending machines here in Silicon Valley (really, want to get a DS?  An iPod?), it seems vending machines are slowly becoming more and more common.
  • Vending machines, done right, offer benefits to the consumer: fast, automated service, known stock, constant availability, the potential for useful geographic access, and technical integration.
  • Vending machines, done right, offer benefits to the provider: predictability, 24/7 access, integration with existing technical systems, less human interface.
  • Japan, which is infamous for having vending machines for everything, may show potential for success of increased automation.
  • There is a cultural acceptance of technology that seems to only be increasing.
  • Changes in people’s living due to gas prices, de-suburbanization, etc. could be taken advantage of by companies providing automation.  Or in short, throw the machines where demographics mean you can make money and where you can take advantage of the changes.
  • Machines can be deployed in many ways.  They can be permanent, experimental, even temporary.  They can be mobile – imagine strapping a bunch of vending machines onto a truck and driving that thing around to where it’s needed.
  • Timeshifting.  As sad as it is, some people don’t want to take the time to cook, go to an Apple store, or whatever.  Vending machines provide that.

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Why I’m Keep An Eye on Coinstar

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I’m keeping an eye on Coinstar because they seem to know where the money is.

Yes, it’s a lame joke that is, and I admit this, based on those green kiosks you see everywhere.  You know the ones, where you dump in that big pile of change you’ve accumulated and get a receipt of some kind (or even convert it to cards).  They’re everywhere it seems (especially out here in Silicon Valley), with that big Coinstar logo.

Not that geeky?  Well remember Coinstar is just part of Coinstar Incorporated.

Coinstar Inc.doesn’t just do those prominent Mean Green Machines though.  They do cards, e-payment kiosks, and so forth as part of their brand.  Neat stuff, sure, but you see it everywhere, right?

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