One more thing to worry about?
LinkedIn recently added a feature to help users see how their profile ranks compared to their network and their colleagues (see the Who’s viewed your profile menu (accessible from your profile page) to see your views, recent viewers, and a historical timeline of your profile views.) Though it’s been there a few days, the panic didn’t really start until LinkedIn sent out promotional emails about this feature “see how you rank in profile views compared to your connections.” Clicking on the link brings up your results.
First of all notice that it says “where you rank for profile views among your connections.” If you have a lot of connections, particularly if they include a lot of people who are active on LinkedIn, you may “rank” on the low side. Don’t feel like a failure! You may have a small network of people who are not very active and rank very high. Don’t brag too much just yet! LinkedIn wants you to get more engaged/more active on their site. That’s a good thing for you as well as for them.
What does it mean? What’s a good number?
It’s like being on a weight loss diet – don’t panic when you first get on the scale – it’s just a measurement / a starting point. You should note your starting point and then take action to get that scale moving in the direction you want. Don’t weigh yourself daily! Set a goal and then plan on measuring at a regular time – once a week might be right for some people and once a month might be better for others. Don’t compare yourself with others. Everyone is different. Am I talking about dieting or LinkedIn? Both!
So, for your connections and your ranking. Take some measurements. I suggest:
- # of connections total
- # of new connections added (in the past week/month – your choice)
- How you rank compared to your connections
Then set a goal for yourself for those same measurements. And also set a date. By the summer you’ll be both bikini-ready and have wonderful opportunities coming to you through your connections on LinkedIn!
