Are men really better at social networking?
Are you a woman? Do you use social networking sites like LinkedIn? If so, you might be part of a growing minority.
According to a recent survey conducted by LinkedIn, it seems that while most professionals know how valuable the professional networking site is when it comes to finding a job, many women still aren't “getting” LinkedIn.
LinkedIn's study compared the usage habits of both men and women on its site and compiled an extensive report. They found that on average, men are doing better at making connections and furthering their careers through social networking.
The site's study suggests that women are more reluctant to network out of a fear of being pushy or overly “schmoozey”. I am not sure that I would agree with their findings. Building a social network is all about connecting with people and building relationships before you need them, but what I don't understand is how they would measure what “effective networking” is.
As I looked into their criteria further, it seems that they measure successful networking by the percentage of one-way connections that men have versus the ones women have. Next, they look at the ratio of men to women on the site.
The thing is, out of all of the social networking sites, women seem to be joining LinkedIn in fewer numbers, even though they dominate other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Here is a graphic of how the genders stack up across the world of social media:
As you can see, the LinkedIn is the only site where the majority is male. In an attempt to make their study a little easier to understand, LinkedIn has put together this nice infographic. Take a look:
My issue with the study is that comparing the way that men network with the way that women network is like comparing apples and oranges. Women in general tend to focus more on building actual relationships with others and care less about collecting business cards. Men are typically more straightforward when it comes to networking and are more direct with each other about the process. When women try to imitate this type of behavior, they are often seen as pushy.
Networking is important for any professional, and using sites like LinkedIn can certainly help further a career. They key is to network in a way that feels authentic to you, regardless of gender. And, for the ladies reading this, if you haven't gotten the hang of LinkedIn yet, get back on the site and get networking. If there is a shortage of professional women there, there are bound to be more opportunities.
Do you use LinkedIn? Do you think that men are better at networking? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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