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tjic

I've got a fairly extensive list of contacts, and I've put them all into linked in ...

...and I never use it for anything.

Obviously some people have figured out how to use LI for their benefit, but I haven't.

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Those "some people" are generally recruiters.

I have a friend in (software/consulting) sales who uses it a lot.

Same here. Found some business this way, so it's been worth it.

I agree. Would anyone care to share how they DO benefit from LinkedIn?

Two of my biggest use of LinkedIn right now:

1. Request for introductions. If there's anyone I want to get connected with, first place I go to is LinkedIn and see if he is friends with any of my friends. If a friend of mine knows him, I will ask my friend to send a personal intro.

2. Look for outside experts. Yesterday I was looking to connect with some iPhone game devs. I posted a discussion on 2 LinkedIn groups (GameDevs, and Social Game Devs), and I have received over 10 messages already.

It's a really powerful tool to create professional relationships.

Currently use it to find those hiring(seeking work now) and then find them on Facebook and message them there. Ppl use facebook everyday and supposedly recruiters and HR people are perusing social networks to help with their hiring decision, so I'm using such too to highlight myself from the crowd.

I use LinkedIn to gather info only, then find them on Facebook; they reply awesome, if not move onto the next one! I did subscribe once to LinkedIn and let them continue to charge my card. Though once i tried to cancel it i ended up in web consumer cancelation purgatory; they let u in but make insanely difficult to leave. All web services do this - ick. Have a dislike for LinkedIn and all that pull such crap!

When I was looking for a job I'd find a potential job, then used LinkedIn to find who at that company I had some possible connection to. That was incredibly valuable.

It's an easy way to find recommendations for professionals like accountants and attorneys. When someone is connected to or, better yet, recommended by someone you know, it's basically what you would get with a verbal recommendation while eliminating the hassle.

1. I have introduced people to each other, often via requests. Just recently I used it to pass on a request from a former colleague inviting another former colleague (at different companies) to speak at a conference.

2. I have got at least one job where the hiring manager found me on LinkedIn

3. It's my rolodex

There are other uses. It's not a high touch service, but definitely very useful.

I use it as a personal resume archive. LinkedIn has a feature where your work and school experience will download as a nice PDF, but I really just use it to archive my work. Then, when I'm preparing a resume, I cherry pick the most relevant parts and edit them to fit 1 page. I also provide it to employers so they can take a look at other work (and more importantly, recommendations) I have done (or received).

See this http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=754608

I've used it to keep in touch with former co-workers after they've moved on or been layed-off. :-(

I started using it actually after a few of my friends have got jobs by using linkedin to contact former co-workers to see if their current workplace has anything available.

I've never used it myself, but I have gotten job offers from LinkedIn

The funny thing is that I do used Xing, the European competitor to LinkedIn, and even though I have more contacts in LinkedIn, I really don't use it.

In Germany when I go to business events almost everybody hits up the people whose business cards they were handed within a day or so; in the US I've tried the same to discover that a large percentage of the people that I meet at founders' meetups aren't on LinkedIn.

The first use case makes a lot of sense for me -- if nothing else, it's an easy way to convert a business card to a vCard and have contact info track the person in question over time.

I use it as my resume since I gathered a couple of recommendation from my old colleagues, and I also receive letters from recruiters from time to time.

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