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Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

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Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#51

Post by russelluresti »

MrZongle2 wrote: post #6

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) i…

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.

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#53

Post by corresation »

MrZongle2 wrote: post #39
corresation wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 co…

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 t…

If a job board exists in a forest, and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?

This woman apparently has influence and persuasion because of her membership. By trying to connect, this young woman was saying "you are important and I want to connect with you". That is a two way street, and it is not fair to say "something for nothing".

As to the public shaming, we are all accountable for our words and actions, particularly when we engage in discriminatory behaviors (the whole bitter "your generation" bit). There is nothing disgusting about this so-called public shaming (note that it was in result of someone engaging in ageism and then basically declaring the person shut out, celebrating their monopoly).

The Job Board operator could have simply hid their connections if they really feel a great burden for a connection invite, and their grievous fear that everyone was trying to usurp their network (again, we come to the "Feeling threatened" bit) would be allayed.

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#54

Post by shock-value »

MrZongle2 wrote: post #27
shock-value wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

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 Facebo…

Whether you are aware of what a LinkedIn connection supposedly entails or not doesn't change the fact that her email (described as "venomous" in another article, and I don't disagree) was extremely unprofessional and just frankly out of place.

But why should we assume that everyone is aware of how supposedly "exclusive" a LinkedIn connection is? I for one was not. (I stopped using LinkedIn shortly after their security mishaps a few years back.) If the requester only had a few contacts it's reasonable to assume she was new to the site and did not realize this either. That's no reason to have such an acerbic response shot back at her.

> Yes, the response was rude and insensitive....and so is the entire world

I for one don't tolerate rudeness or insensitivity in either my personal or business life (on either my part or that of others). I guess that's just me.

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#55

Post by incision »

MrZongle2 wrote: post #6

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) i…

"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.

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#56

Post by Noted »

MrZongle2 wrote: post #47
c23gooey wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a security setting in LinkedIn to hide your contacts from everyone but yourself...

Yes, but it it an all-or-nothing affair? If I've got several hundred connections, do I want to hide them all from my other contacts? Some may see that being a bit more exclusive in connecting may be the best solution.

The better solution is that you can change the settings about who can send you connection requests since this "senior professional" feels that they're such an affront when received from strangers

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#57

Post by JakeStone »

ingsoc79 wrote: post #19

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.

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.

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#59

Post by shock-value »

10feet wrote: post #31
MrZongle2 wrote: post #6

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) i…

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.

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

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#60

Post by adl »

asdfologist wrote: post #30

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…

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