Last night, LinkedIn (NYSE:$LNKD) CEO Jeff Weiner posted a link to an announcement via TechCrunch. What did it say? Well, the professional social network will be launching a new service that pairs LinkedIn users with mentors.
According to the announcement, the new service will match prospective mentors to people on the site who might be looking for guidance in a specific area or field. LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft (NASDAQ:$MSFT), is hoping to make the process of connecting professionals with mentors much easier. It also aims to help people make difficult choices, such as changing careers.
Essentially, LinkedIn’s new service is going to be extremely similar to online dating app Tinder. In fact, LinkedIn already hand-selected a list of mentors who will appear in a Tinder-style list for those interested in.
Just like when you swipe through individual’s profiles on Tinder, mentors will be able to swipe through candidates, choosing who they would like to work with, whether it be someone from their network, home region, or former school. As reported by TechCrunch, becoming a mentor will be open to everyone over time.
On the other side of the equation, after a mentee makes its known that they are interested in receiving advice or feedback on a subject, LinkedIn will provide them with a list of potential mentors. You will be able to narrow down the search if you have a preference of who you would like your mentor to be (ie: in your region, from your former school, etc.)
Again, we go back to the service being similar to Tinder. After a mentor and mentee match, they will be able to message one another, with each side having the power to cut communication off at any point in time.
LinkedIn started to test the Tinder-like mentorship service in July, and it will be available first to users in Australia and San Francisco. Like Tinder, the new service will be free of charge.
Featured Image: depositphotos/wolterke
