I’m delighted to read your response to the fellow who tried to hit on you. It happens a lot and I know of another lady who had a hit on her as well and it upset her because she was on a job search and did not expect such behavior. I simply disconnect from people who behave in a crude manner and block them. There are people out there who would love to pick your brains for free and the most professional way to handle it is to tell them upfront that it is a paid service, even if you get a response similar to the one that led me to write this post. You’ll be more peaceful. Hopefully you will have other better experiences on LinkedIn.

I immediately disconnect from the person if our first interaction is a sales pitch, Roslyn, so I understand what you are saying. Have you checked out the Groups yet? There may be one that is a match for your business and ladies searching for exquisite jewelry.

My pleasure Delia! When one considers the number of fake profiles and the consequences of allowing unknown people into our network, a bit of caution is advisable. On the flip side, the person inviting us also knows that we have integrity and are serious about our network.

I agree that when I was active I used to get tons of invitations from strangers so it was quite some work to weed them through.

Thanks for these thorough post and advice, Vatsala.

Where oh where are the women who LOVE jewelry and have to buy when they see the perfect one?

If that happens, Kimberly, send a message to them asking them how you know each other. You can do it without accepting the invite. Also visit their profile to see if you can find a common connection or activity that might jog your memory before sending the message asking for clarification.

You can connect with 3rd level connections via their profile page and even personalize it, Beverley. Your experience has highlighted something I discovered a long time back, that others are not so discerning in connecting and don’t get to know the other person well and this comes out if someone wants an introduction. It doesn’t reflect well on the person who is requested to make the introduction, does it?

Absolutely Tamuria. The rules apply even on Facebook where we are responsible for our own and our friends privacy. The way I look at it, if I wouldn’t interact with the person in real life, then there is something that I need to consider for an online interaction. There are fake profiles even on Facebook and Twitter!