Have you started thinking more seriously about your profile at LinkedIn since all the pundits and newsgroups have dubbed it the internet social media place to be seen? I am sure you have. Just make sure to know who you are dealing with and why.
When a person starts getting serious about using LinkedIn for career, discipline, or industry information, they automatically start to seek out user groups that offer a place to comfortably converse with like-minded individuals.
Each of these little community places are set up with the perception that they are a group for the purpose of open communication. Certainly it is often that these groups are just that – honest, comfortable, and professional networks to interact with birds of a feather.
All too often they are not.
What I suggest you do before entering a group is to look at the owner ship of the group. If this is a group about a specific software that users discuss and the group is owner by a recruiting firm, maybe not an honest group.
This technique that headhunters employ is like putting nets on a stream then driving the fish into the waiting trap. They have you enjoy a group, and they collect your data, the data of your contacts, and other groups you are in for their own purpose.
Their purpose has very little to do with the name of the group.
The next time you are considering joining a group, just take a quick look at who owns the group. If you feel they have your best interests in mind with the creation then use this very valuable network.
If not, there are plenty of groups out there.