I joined the LinkedIn network to connect with colleagues, teachers I worked with from other schools and others I had worked with, including former pupils who now have careers of their own. Since my early years of teaching, I have tried to show current pupils that there are often careers in physics/science generally, often linked to what they are studying in my classes.
Some of my most memorable experiences have been with Oracle, the Educational Development Trust and The Goldsmiths’ Company.
I can perfectly understand that LinkedIn is a very useful service to discover new job opportunities, but I am still astonished at the number of recruitment agents who have connected with me in the hope of getting me to move to a new job.
Should I need to look for another job, my first site will still probably be the TES. I guess that relatively few teachers use LinkedIn so there are fewer of people like me who meet the agents’ criteria, so I get disproportionately more offers. In other sectors, outside education, I guess there is a more competitive edge, where employers, recruiters and employees/candidates are all looking to seek/find each other. I do not want to “humble brag” but as a physics teacher, I am aware that there seem to be many vacant positions, irrespective of the calibre of the candidates.
I would recommend that many more colleagues join the network, to increase the sharing of ideas, suitable job opportunities and connection requests!