LinkedIn Groups: Are you in?
LinkedIn Groups: Are you In?
by Vince Cyboran, Ed.D.
There are a variety of reasons to join LinkedIn, such as networking, job hunting, or keeping up with colleagues from former jobs. But some people also use it for learning, and by that, I mean informal and incidental learning. Much like subscribing to trade publications—think Chief Learning Officer—you can browse the posts of fellow group members and read in detail the ones that catch your eye. LinkedIn groups offer advantages over trade publications. The chief one is participating in online conversations about a topic.
To access potential groups, simply click Groups from the Interests menu.
Then click Discover. Based upon your profile, you will be presented with a list of possible groups you might want to explore and join.
Some groups are completely open to all newcomers. Others require approval from a moderator. And some groups are ‘Invitation Only.’
After you’ve joined groups, each time you access LinkedIn and click Groups, you will be presented with a listing of your most active groups. This provides with a quick means of determining where you might want to focus your energies. For example, here are my most active groups for today.
If you are new to the field of Training & Development, you might want to spend time reading and absorbing new information before jumping in with quick responses to queries or sharing your opinion on topics. And, of course, you may find yourself expanding your professional network as you discuss topics with your fellow group members.
Questions:
- If you are a member of LinkedIn groups associated with T&D or OD, which would you recommend to someone who is new to the field?
- What have you learned recently from a group?
RU Training @ Roosevelt University in Chicago 
Knovva Academy not only provides learning prospects but also a certificate to encourage students’ participation in such productive programs. https://www.knovva.com/
I have been a member of LinkedIn since 2009. The best advice I got about groups was that you could use groups to message some that was not a first level connection. At this time I am a member of 31 groups.
The groups I joined as a newbie to T&D are:
1. Chicagoland Learning Leaders
2. Trainers Network
3. Organization Development Professional Group
4. Learning, Education, and Training Professionals Group
5. Training Magazine
The group I follow the most is, “Effective and Fun Training Techniques”. The most recent thing I learned in this group was the importance making sure that training departments are aiding in the transformation of their companies.
Thanks for posting about this important topic! I have joined several groups just to find out more about the T&D field as I complete my studies in the MATD program. I hope that if I get my feet wet now, the transition to the field will be easier. I am currently in some of the ATD groups and a couple of coaching groups I found in another class.
Vince,
Thanks for the post. I am on linkedin but was unaware of this function of the site. This could be very helpful. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Vince, thank you for the post. As a baby boomer who is close to retirement, LinkedIn was not something that I was interested in. I created a profile a year ago to get extra credit in one of my T&D courses. Lately however, I discovered that there is a lot more information there than seeking job opportunities. I’m enjoying exploring LinkedIn options and joining various groups. The first group I joined was the ATD.
Great article and thanks for posting! I am a fan of LinkedIn and check it out almost daily. It is not only a great way to network with others in your profession but I have learned a great deal from reading the many articles that are posted. I follow a number of HR professionals because they often post great articles on interviewing skills, tips, and how to answer those bizarre questions that can be thrown your way. I am also a member of several groups in training and development, organizational development and several nursing groups. These groups are very helpful in keeping up with new topics or trends in your area of interest and can also be very helpful in networking.
I recommend the group Association for Talent Development (ATD) for those new to the training and development field. Recently I learned how to leverage LinkedIn to improve account based sales from a post on this group. I also learned that looking up profiles of those who you will be interviewing with can help you to make an connection and prepare questions for the interviewer that will help you make an impact.
Hi Vince, this subject is on time for me. I have been on LinkedIn for a while but have not been fully engaged with all of the features of it. This is why I am glad that I can answer the two questions that you posted.
If you are a member of LinkedIn groups associated with T&D or OD, which would you recommend to someone who is new to the field? I would recommend the ATD Group to start out with. This group provide so much information that will increase the new and old in this field with new updates in the field, what’s currently happening. It has provided me with some much new knowledge within the last 30 days that I am on information overload. Each new discussion take you to a different aspect of the industry. It just continues to let me know that I have so much more to learn.
What have you learned recently from a group? The ATD group just recently posted a discussion on 7 useful change management exercises by Jeroen De Flander he is a strategy execution thought leader. I am still going through the materials that he provided on how to have a successful change management implementation. This information is so valuable to me at this time since our company is going through something similar and I was just added to a Change Leadership Network committee because of my background. There is so much knowledge to gain from being in this group. I am more in the observer role so far I this group and once I feel confident I will actually join the discussion with my 2 cents 🙂
Thank you so much for this information. It is very valuable!
Thank you so much for posting this! I love love love Linkedin. But I’m finding out even with it being out there, I come across so many people that do not know much about it or the benefits of having a profile and joining the many groups. I have found it to be a great tool to meet other professionals in my working and education fields to network with. You never know who you’ll meet that can enlighten you or help you with finding the next career opportunity. When I’m looking for a job, that’s the first place I search in. I dropped a certain social website about 3 years ago because I was too busy with school and work and didn’t need that distraction and I can honestly say I don’t miss it. Linkedin has filled that somewhat of a void of connecting with people because now I connect with people that I can relate to and keep up on what’s going on in the world that will impact me professionally and personally. And if I want to talk to a friend or cousin, I’ll call them.
Also, thank you for posting the groups you’re a part of. I’ll be looking them up and joining shortly! 🙂
All the best,
Wafa
Thank you for this information because I just looked into LinkedIn because I am currently looking for employment. But I can definitely check out a training and development group to ask questions and see which direction the group can lead me to in this field.
Thank you so much for this article. I didn’t think of LinkedIn in this way. Being part of the Training and Development program, this has got to be the coolest and the smartest way to meet people with similar interest. What an awesome way to increase your knowledge.
Thanks again,
Denise Brown-Fletcher
I never really thought about using LinkedIn in this way. Admittedly, I’m not too much of a fan of LinkedIn, but you’ve made me want to check it out again and look at it from a new perspective. Thanks for the info!
Patty Costley
I’m glad you found this useful, Patty. Good luck!