Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

http://www.406northlane.com/blog/2014/02/talk-about-an-unprofessional-linkedin-response/

by bhartzer • 12 years ago

46 78 12 years ago

livejamie• 12 years ago

I feel bad for this lady: http://i.imgur.com/reEDRLx.png

exelius2• 12 years ago

Anyone who has an MBA and puts it in their title is asking for it. I mean really, who does that? Not anyone with an MBA from anywhere worthwhile...

mildtrepidation2• 12 years ago

That's phenomenally backwards...

dec0dedab0de• 12 years ago

Am I the only one who never heard of a job bank before?

nsxwolf• 12 years ago

I've never heard of one either, but it sounds like someone needs to start a competing one in that town...

gatehouse• 12 years ago

Yeah I'm a little confused now too. If the operator of the job bank isn't interested in connecting with job seekers, then what is the point of it? Is it somewhere you send your unfilled jobs for safekeeping -- so that they won't be taken by uppity youngsters -- because that seems to be how she's running it.

mikeleeorg2• 12 years ago

Looks like someone just did:

https://twitter.com/OtherNEOJobBank

So far, it appears to be just a Twitter account that shares local job listings, but perhaps they are working on a formal email list and website too.

mattyohe• 12 years ago

Link is down, cache: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:75RHpg6...

MrZongle213• 12 years ago

Much ado about nothing. The individual who was on the receiving end of the LinkedIn request is right, even if her response to the 20-something went overboard.

If she had stopped at "Your invite to connect is inappropriate, beneficial only to you, and tacky" we wouldn't have even known about it. While that would have been a brusque response, it was still correct.

I hate cold calls, because every single one (for me) involves somebody trying to get something out of me without anything substantive in return. My experience may be atypical, and I acknowledge that not every cold call is like that.

But this one reeks of "let me try to leech onto your network". The 20-something got backhanded, and has run crying to the social mob so that that mean, mean lady will get punished.

Both parties could have handled this better. Unfortunately, the instigator of this whole affair has simply been rewarded for her clumsy and clueless actions by a) getting attention and b) ensuring that the person who hurt her feelings has been tarred and feathered.

comrh• 12 years ago

Just ignore the request and move on though. Certainly less energy than spewing an angry message.

shadesandcolour• 12 years ago

The recipient of this email responded in the comments of the post, and she sounds pretty genuine. People have preached LinkedIn to us 20-somethings since we started the job hunt junior year of university. This woman literally offers her network as a service to people, is it really that out of hand to assume that asking her to connect on LinkedIn would be a big deal. After all, she had just applied to be a part of this job board.

Now, I think that the actual message of the response is fine. If you don't connect with people you don't know, that's fine. You can say as much, but going off a rant is just a waste of bits.

buckbova2• 12 years ago

Both parties could have handled this better.

Bullshit. Kelly was a complete a-hole and deserves everything she gets. There were 100 different ways to handle this without insults.

I don't even treat telemarketers this rudely.

MrZongle213• 12 years ago

"And deserves everything she gets"

Yes, let's ruin a woman's livelihood over a bloody LinkedIn exchange because somebody's feelings were hurt.

shock-value6• 12 years ago

Looks like this isn't the popular opinion on HN right now, but I fully agree.

shock-value6• 12 years ago

The requester was cordial, if persistent. The response was condescending, rude, insensitive... and the pejoratives are essentially unending. Even "Your invite to connect is inappropriate, beneficial only to you, and tacky", is egregiously presumptuous. I really hope that's not your attitude towards people doing what they can to find a job, MrZongle.

MrZongle213• 12 years ago

By default, I don't have a problem with anybody trying to find a job...especially in this economy. Networking can be a powerful tool, and I can respect that.

But let's not lose sight of what a LinkedIn connection also entails: it means that all of your other connections are now visible to each other, and to some people that may imply a degree of exclusivity. To some, LinkedIn is not a contact-free-for-all like Facebook, where one can be "friended" casually.

A LinkedIn connection isn't like walking into a business and cold-calling on an owner or manager. It's the equivalent of walking in and demanding to see their address book of contacts.

Others in this thread have indicated that the best response would have been to ignore the request. I agree. But some people don't work like that, which is why I referenced a truncated response perhaps would have been ok.

Yes, the response was rude and insensitive....and so is the entire world outside of the comfy confines of white-collar America. The requestor made certain assumptions she should not have, and her follow-up approach to the situation seems to imply a sense of entitlement.

SDGT• 12 years ago

The individual who was on the receiving end of the LinkedIn request is right

Yeah... No.

Don't run a fucking job board and pimp it through LinkedIn if you don't want attention. The request could have just been ignored, and it did NOT deserve this vitriol.

corresation2• 12 years ago

If she had stopped at "Your invite to connect is inappropriate, beneficial only to you, and tacky" we wouldn't have even known about it.

Do you actually use LinkedIn? You seem to be assigning a connection with some sort of profound meaning that it simply doesn't have. Indeed, if you follow LinkedIn's standard user flow, it will generate connection invites for anyone who you've ever corresponded with and saved as a contact on your email platform. If you get invites that you don't want to reciprocate, you ignore them.

And isn't it glorious irony that someone in the business of networking complains about someone trying to network?

Add that LinkedIn allows you to restrict who can even send you invites (which this woman didn't use), and who can see your connections (which is apparently the grave concern here).

Sorry, this woman was obviously having a very bad day, with a strange hint that they may feel threatened by youth, and decided to explode on a stranger -- in a very inappropriate and tacky way. There is nothing "right" about their action.

MrZongle213• 12 years ago

Yes, to answer your question, I do use LinkedIn. But I am picky about who I network with, because I feel that my connections also reflect upon me. If I wanted to do otherwise, I'd use Facebook.

The response from the woman in question went too far, and it isn't too hard to draw the conclusion that she probably shouldn't be in a job involving networking if she has that reaction.... but it doesn't change the fact that the connection requestor was looking to get something for nothing, and her subsequent activity to mob-shame the other is equally disgusting.

nperez• 12 years ago

I don't see what the big deal is. Maybe it's a generation gap? I'm in my 20s as well and it's never a big deal to send a request to someone on a social networking site.

I understand how it would be inappropriate if I tried to connect with Larry Page or something, but he isn't running a job database intended to help me.

I'm really put off by the attitude that some people have toward professional networking. I hope that if I ever become highly respected for my work, young people aren't afraid to reach out to me. If don't have time to help them or respond, I wont, but I'll never tell anyone "Never e-mail me again! How dare you, inexperienced little peasant, attempt to further your career by reaching out to a massively successful senior professional like myself!".

mindcrime3• 12 years ago

I'm really put off by the attitude that some people have toward professional networking. I hope that if I ever become highly respected for my work, young people aren't afraid to reach out to me.

Same here. I'm a big believer in the idea that pretty much everybody has "something to offer" and that we can all learn from everybody else. I accept almost all the LI connections I receive, with only a few exceptions (blatant SPAM, obvious fake profiles, etc.)

Being in my 40's and having worked in my field for sometime, I actually enjoy opportunities to "give back" a bit and help younger people. I wish everybody took that kind of approach, but what can ya do?

loteck2• 12 years ago

The 20-something got backhanded

Yep, and this should never happen in a professional setting when your job is dealing with the public.

10feet2• 12 years ago

The funny thing is, to me the 20 something does come of feeling entitled, after posting this personal message everywhere because she did not get here way.

Now obviously the original lady was a rude, but so what? Somehow being rude to someone is grounds for public evisceration these days? Of course being publicly humiliated is way worse than being rude to someone.

shock-value6• 12 years ago

All that happened is that her own words got posted publicly. Any humiliation that occurred was solely of her own doing.

kenrikm• 12 years ago

Site is Down Cached Version: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?output=search&s...

russelluresti• 12 years ago

First, you're ignoring the fact that the woman specifically runs a listserv for people looking for work. That's what the woman DOES. She helps people find jobs (supposedly). If what you do is help people find jobs, do not be surprised when people without jobs come looking to you for help with finding a job. It's like running a soup kitchen and going "What's with all these homeless people asking me for food?!"

Second, what is it with people and the "almighty linkedin connections" thing? Do you or anyone else really think your "960+ connections" are some kind of treasure hoard that needs to be guarded by Smaug and kept safe from the undeserving? Protip: they're not.

The issue here is that the woman's response was petty. She could have just denied the connection on linkedin and then made sure the requester provided all the required information to join the mailing list. Instead, she just blanket denies her from the mailing list with the intent of never letting her join because she had the audacity to ask for a linkedin connection.

And, yes, people who are too full of themselves and hyped up on their own "importance" deserve to be knocked down a peg, which is what happened to this woman. Especially considering that this isn't the first time she's sent this kind of response back to someone.

Without public exposure, she would have never been taught a lesson she desperately needed to learn - that you can't just shit on people because you think you're more important than them.

MrZongle213• 12 years ago

First, you're ignoring the fact that the woman specifically runs a listserv for people looking for work. That's what the woman DOES.

You're right I'm ignoring it. Because I don't take issue with how she responded, but rather with the "sticks and stones may break my bones, but if you hurt my feelings when you reject my request, I WILL DESTROY YOU IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION" approach the requestor went with, and how that approach has been supported by the bloodthirsty mob.

Second, what is it with people and the "almighty linkedin connections" thing?

It's their choice, is it not?

incision2• 12 years ago

"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - Generally attributed to Malcolm S. Forbes.

MrZongle213• 12 years ago

Were he alive today, Forbes would be condemned as a corrupt 1%er for his extravagant lifestyle and wealth.

mcphage• 12 years ago

Much ado about nothing. The individual who was on the receiving end of the LinkedIn request is right, even if her response to the 20-something went overboard. If she had stopped at "Your invite to connect is inappropriate, beneficial only to you, and tacky" we wouldn't have even known about it.

Perhaps, but we're hearing about this because she very much didn't stop there.

MrZongle213• 12 years ago

Perhaps, but we're hearing about this because she very much didn't stop there.

Yes, but let's not forget: we're also hearing about this because the offended party decided to make a spectacle out of this, with the sole intention of hurting the other.

Both parties are in the wrong, but I take issue with how the Internet mob is clamoring for blood after being intentionally riled up over hurting somebody's feelings.

You'd think it's on par with oil spills, drone strikes and Constitutional violations.

loteck2• 12 years ago

Summary of this tempest:

Girl applies to join a "job bank" email group in Cleveland, in order to find a job. Girl feels like it's also a smart idea to connect with the operator of the email group on LinkedIn.

Operator absolutely eviscerates girl for requesting the LinkedIn connection. Girl spreads operator's rude response around the internet. Operator is now sad, and has apologized.

mildtrepidation2• 12 years ago

This is not a summary. It's an explanation that lacks a great deal of important context. If you're considering taking this at face value, go read the actual content of this exchange: You'll see very quickly why an apology was warranted, and how incredibly shallow it was.

icedchai2• 12 years ago

Sounds like a "senior professional" is taking LinkedIn a little too seriously...

vbrendel• 12 years ago

She's clearly serious about this. From her blog:

* 6. LinkedIn. Please do NOT shop through LinkedIn for all the important sounding senior practitioners in town, and ask them to connect. It comes across as bush league, it shows poor judgment, and you are ignoring the fundamental rule of connections – reciprocity. Networking is conducted between individuals who have met or worked with each other, and who can provide equal levels of help to each other. If I would be only the 5th connection you have on LinkedIn, and I’m bringing 800+ connections to the table, what you would get is the ability to harvest my contacts for job leads, and I get – absolutely nothing of use or interest out of accepting your invite.

These types of wishful connection requests come across as self-serving and tacky. Of course, if you’ve been an intern for someone, please ask them to connect. Every professional I know bends over backwards to help their interns, give them recommendations, etc. However, if the only way you met a business leader was because they came to class to speak, please hold off on the presumptuous urge to ask them to connect with you. Right now, your LinkedIn connections should be classmates, professors and the people you worked for at internships or part-time jobs.

Reply

mjolk• 12 years ago

It's just linkedin, don't take it so seriously. It's just a website.

Reply

duskwuff• 12 years ago

I feel like there's something to this, but they're still missing the point a bit. The concept of LinkedIn connections is fundamentally supposed to be that they represent that these people know each other. It shouldn't be motivated by reciprocal "help", but it certainly shouldn't be indiscriminate either!

Reply

ingsoc792• 12 years ago

Typical Millennial response. You hurt my feelings so I'm going to shame you on social media!

Good luck to anyone willing to step in the legal & PR minefield of employing this girl.

Reply

icedchai2• 12 years ago

Oh no, not social media!!! Please, don't post on twitter!!!

Reply

Noted3• 12 years ago

Typical non-millennial response to not know how to tactfully deal with declining connection requests? I fail to see how this "Senior Professional"'s response doesn't warrant the reaction she's received when she runs a job board.

Reply

JakeStone• 12 years ago

Yeah... I'm not a Millenial, and I might have been tempted to forward the response with a "WTF?" preceding it to a few select friends.

Seriously, I've received a few LinkedIn requests from obvious scam accounts or some kids I that I never met, but we have a connection or two in common. The scammers I ignore.

The earnest strangers, I tend to tell, "Hi! Thanks for the connection request, but I think LinkedIn works best for me when the connections are people I've actually worked with in one form or another."

This job bank woman stepped way over the line as far as I can see.

Reply

MrZongle213• 12 years ago

Gen X-er here. The downvoting your post is receiving makes me think that there might be some truth to it.

But in fairness to the Millennials, my generation also has more than its fair share of thin-skined entitlement children. As is the case with the Baby Boomers.

You could make the case that the offensive response in question might reflect her sense of entitlement.

Reply

darkarmani3• 12 years ago

Typical Millennial response. You hurt my feelings so I'm going to shame you on social media!

I'm not sure you understand how shame or social mediaworks. You can't shame someone unless they've actually done something shameful. Things don't go viral unless there is something there.

Reply

ingsoc792• 12 years ago

Not sure how a rude LinkedIn message qualifies as "shameful," but a deluge of nasty anonymous messages is surely a proportionate response!

Reply

jnevill• 12 years ago

So... people actually use linkedin? I was under the assumption, after years and years of emails from linkedin, that it's really just a crowd-sourced spam generator. Is that not the case? mind.blown(<really big number>)

Reply

mindcrime3• 12 years ago

Um, yeah... LinkedIn is an amazingly useful tool in many ways. Yes, being on there can result in the occasional incoming spam message, but a lot of us find the value far outweighs that minor detriment.

Reply

Anderkent• 12 years ago

Occasional spam message? I have yet to get a linked-in notification that's not spam. "Hi, I noticed you ask to connect to people who you've worked with before, but I'm a recruiter so I don't give a shit."

Reply

asdfologist2• 12 years ago

As much as Blazek acted completely out of line, I applaud her for making a real apology:

"I sincerely apologize for the harsh words and unprofessional, unwarranted actions in my response to you... I should have lent a hand, as well as hope, and I failed at that. You and many others, both strangers and colleagues, have reminded me that my personal journey in humility and gentleness is far from complete. I wish you all the best in your job search. Respectfully, Kelly Blazek," [0]

It's not one of those lame "I'm sorry if you were offended" or "I used the wrong choice of words" non-apologies, which are all too common these days.

[0] http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/02/kelly_bl...

Reply

scott_s3• 12 years ago

Almost. I hate any variant of the phrasing "I apologize." It still serves to distance yourself from the apology. An apology is a thing. You can say that another person apologizes. But "I apologize" is not, in itself, an apology. An apology is saying "I am sorry."

The reason I care is that I think it takes more humility to say the simple words "I am sorry" than "I apologize." Saying "I am sorry" is an admission of feeling. Saying "I apologize" is trying to narrate at event that did not actually happen.

Reply

asdfologist2• 12 years ago

I think you're taking the words too literally. Colloquially they mean pretty much the same thing, though "I apologize" has a more formal tone.

Reply

adl• 12 years ago

Funny how she only apologized after it went viral, It seems it's not the first time she sends emails like that.

Reply

incision2• 12 years ago

"...if I shared my 960+ LinkedIn connections with you - a total stranger who has nothing to offer me."

It never occurred to me that someone could have so much self-worth tied up in their LinkedIn connection list.

Funny thing is, it's actually reassuring that this is notable enough to go viral and universally decried.

Just swap jobseeking for technology help, 960 connections for 27,000 posts and you're looking at one of millions of noob scorchings that have been taking place since BBS. Being smug, needlessly nasty and aggressively dismissive isn't just ignored in these circles - it's often applauded.

Reply

MrZongle213• 12 years ago

Funny thing is, it's actually reassuring that this is notable enough to go viral and universally decried.

I believe the opposite.

Before online social networking trivialized human relationships, rude behavior in a private exchange would have resulted in the recipient of the rudeness evaluating the other as an a-hole and might share the story with a few friends.

Now it's a front-page story. It is a perfect example of how thin-skinned and polarized our society has become.

Reply

mikeleeorg2• 12 years ago

I've always taken an approach of "always be respectful to everyone" - not just to be a kind person, but also because you never know when someone may reciprocate that kindness.

In some cases, mere acquaintances have turned around to introduce me to job candidates, customers, business partners, etc.

This approach works in the social world too, in terms of dating ;-)

Reply

chrishoog• 12 years ago

Link is down - here's to file: http://imgur.com/gallery/71sQ92K

Reply

mathattack• 12 years ago

The excessiveness of the response suggests that the writer has some kind of mental health issues. If you're in the "help people get jobs" business, this is exactly the type of connection that you should want.

Reply

mrjatx• 12 years ago

Wow. I'm "Senior Level" and I absolutely love speaking with people who are interested in entering my field. I even teach classes and hold relevant meetups.

I expected the comments about her reply to be exaggerated, but they aren't. At all. That was absolutely disgusting to read.

Reply

Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

Related Stories