LinkedIn wants to pair you with someone special. No, not like that.
To find a mentor, swipe right.
Sort of. LinkedIn's newest feature lets users look through potential connections to find a mentor or someone they'd like to mentee. The matchmaking option is an easy way for LinkedIn connections to match their skills to someone who could use them, or to find someone with a resume they'd like to emulate.
LinkedIn users tell the site or app what kind of advice they're looking for and any other preferences in who they'd like to meet, like location or industry. LinkedIn will then recommend members whose interests and work experiences suggest that they'd be able to help.
The person who'd be the mentor has to express interest, too. Once they match, the two LinkedIn members can message each other.
Although it sounds like a dating app, you don't actually swipe. Instead you press "accept" or "pass" on whoever LinkedIn recommends. LinkedIn imagines the feature being used for specific situations where members need advice, like while negotiating salary, searching for a job, or figuring out what the ideal next role would be.
It's not that different from connecting with someone on LinkedIn normally. Theoretically, you could message anyone and ask for career advice. But the matchmaking feature based on mutual interests makes this part of LinkedIn more like mentorship Tinder than adding a new connection.
LinkedIn calls it a "lightweight way" to connect with other users that "works well with the informal, casual nature of today's changing workforce."
The feature is being tested now for users in San Francisco and Australia, and it's expected to roll out to other members in the coming months.
Topics LinkedIn Social Media
Emma Hinchliffe is a business reporter at Mashable. Before joining Mashable, she covered business and metro news at the Houston Chronicle.
