Since the big announcement that Microsoft purchased LinkedIn – there’s been much talk about the value of the deal. Over paid? Great deal? If I’d had the foresight to purchase stock in either, maybe I’d care more.
What I really want to know, as a LinkedIn and Microsoft user, is what this alliance will mean for me!
I certainly agree with the sentiments of Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella – who told The Wall Street Journal, “It’s really the coming together of the professional cloud and the professional network.”
WE THE USERS…
In the workplace, we users we go back and forth between productivity software (MS Word, Excel, etc,), Communications and Calendar software (Outlook, Gmail, Skype), digital assistants like Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana, and to our professional social networks or platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn.
Merging these in any way may eliminate toggling and offer time savings . . . hooray!
Here are some other scenarios that may be a reality in the short-term future courtesy of this high-profile acquisition:
#1 Phone Call/Interview Prep Time Savings
Imagine a world where you don’t have to search for someone’s LinkedIn profile in order to get some scoop as part of phone call or interview prep?
Going through the list of names and trying to narrow down if you have the right person or not could be a thing of the past if Microsoft can integrate your contacts from Outlook and Skype with LinkedIn data.
#2 Job and Network Targeting Made Easy
Today’s job search targeting and networking often include using LinkedIn to identify companies of interest, people who work there and possible connections.
Imagine letting Microsoft’s Digital Assistant Cortana do the work for you? You could ask her
“Give me a list of Recruiters in the Pharma Sales Industry that are connected to one of my second connections?”
The possibilities are endless with regards to searches around job postings, skill sets, etc.!
#3 Professional Profiles Published Everywhere
Today one must set up an account on every site from Skype to LinkedIn. Given that professional branding ideally remains consistent across all platforms, imagine the ease of setting up an account once and having it populate across all?
While many might cringe at the idea of their professional profile being available across multiple platforms, gone may be the days of worrying about updating your profile in countless locations.
A NEW WORLD?
If LinkedIn and Microsoft pairing makes the world of job searching and network building a little less painful – then count me in!