I belong to a website called XING. It's supposed to bring business / professional people together. Unfortunately, I really don't understand how it's supposed to help.

Does anyone else belong to XING? What has been your experience so far?

Thanks!

Here's the website: https://www.xing.com/

I know a number of people who are members and IMHO it seems to be a facebook for professionals. All the people I know do with it is keep in touch with schoolmates. I have so far resisted the temptation

Hi,

I use XING, Linkedin and Facebook. However, I divide up contacts based on the different systems. I don't have business contacts on Facebook. Xing is very useful if you are based in Switzerland, especially when you want to change jobs as most jobs come through having the right connections and network. Xing and Linkedin allow to keep in contact with old business colleagues or professional contacts without needing to keep a contact list that I would have to keep updating when people change jobs or phones.

Also Xing holds social events, I have been to the one in Basel and indirectly that led to me getting my current job by reconnecting with old business contact. Naturally, if you go to these events it helps if you speak german.

I find it very useful but you get out of it...what you put into it.

Have fun

Martin

I use Xing for networking. I agree that you will typically only get out what you put in, but IMHO there is some potential there for making some beneficial contacts in the long run.

For those who missed it, LinkedIn is discussed here.

I joined up on Xing a few years ago, but it doesn't appear to cover my line of work very well (although if I am mistaken, I would be happy to change my mind). So far, LinkedIn has proven more useful.

For all of these proffesional networks, as others have already said, there may be some long term benefits. So don't expect to get something out of it straight away. These things are definitely slow-burning processes so if you want to make use of them, set yourself up there when you can, rather than when you think you really need to.

Never been to one of these events (even though I get all the mail for events in Basel and Lörrach). Might have to give it a shot one day.

__________________
I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!

he there, I use Xing for several years now.

it is good to keep in touch with old business collegues and do some networking. If you are premium Member than it is also good to find new contacts / clients etc etc. Thats how I am using it at the moment to find new partners and clients and I think its the best platform for Business Development

I started off with XING, but must admit that I like the format of LinkedIn much more, plus the fact that XING doesn't seem to be known too well outside the german speaking world. LinkedIn is also the way forward because it doesn't cost anything to send a message in there.

Xing is quite popular in Middle Eastern countries as well.

Very much agree with you. I have XING since 2005 and it hasn't got much use for it seems it has so little you can do as a non premium user. LinkedIn seems to be more functional and the network coverage seems to be better

I concur. I am on LinkedIn and Xing. So far I have had a lot more business networking and job inquiries from LinkedIn.

I use LinkedIn only as have had a good experience with getting work and staying in touch with people, as well as meeting new ones. I will try XING now.

I've been on XING and LinkedIn for several years. For European coverage, I prefer it to LinkedIn - I also get along better with the Xing user interface. I'm always hunting with LinkedIn somehow (...and I'm a web designer/software engineer).

To be fair, I have a premium membership with XING and think it wouldn't be as useful without it. LinkedIn hasn't yet convinced me to ante up. In my opinion, Xing is more Europe-based. LinkedIn is more U.S. based.

Both of them are too far-flung for me however, which is why we launched the Zug International Business Forum for people in Central Switzerland (www.ZIBF.biz) at the beginning of this year. It's a bit like XING but very regional (Zug/Schwyz/Lucerne with some members from Greater Zurich).

D.

XING is the LinkedIn for the German-speaking world. At least that's how it looks like to me.

...and yet it has a full English User Interface and plenty of English-speaking members and activity groups. The company behind it *is* based in Hamburg, but they have members all over the world (Europe, Middle-East are better-represented than the U.S. in my opinion).

I personally think either xing or linkedin is a way exposing too much personal information. Some people set identity check which is not very secured anyway and some people just set as public viewing. Maybe I'm old fashioned. Im just not very comfortable about the fact that my work experience and personal background being read by everyone on internet. Internet is fearful sometimes because it's connected, it's linked, and you are tracked down.

I am on Xing, and I have gotten job interviews in a down economy
from it.

It is not all that bad IMHO!

Well ... I use both Xing and Linkedin, along with other networking platforms, and find the following, for whatever it's worth. ... As some of you know, I run a networking event every month (Venture Cocktail). Virtually all of my European/Swiss contacts get an invite using my Xing list. I find the "create event" feature to be very good. I can check on who's coming, who may come, and who said no thanks. Plus everyone can see the list. (May be something you are interested in, by the way!) Lots of folks have made valuable contacts and valuable friends over the years. (www.venturecocktail.com).

I personally find the Xing format as well as the pull to be much more European... Linkedin seems to attract more of the American crowd. The other thing is Linkedin gives you more for free...

So ... if you can handle both, I would use both for a while over here. Mostly because of the Euro factor.

Just my two cents.

Good Luck!

-EP