LinkedIn Corp (NYSE:LNKD) is testing a new free service to allow members to find potential mentors and mentees, according to a report from Fast Company.
The service, which will be free for all members, is being offered to a limited number of users. By the end of the summer, all LinkedIn users will be able to use this service, according to the report.
There will be a dedicated spot on your profile called “your dashboard,” which is private and can be accessed on desktop or mobile. This will display the “career advice hub” where you can sign up to be a mentor or a mentee.
The first screen is a basic overview of the function and its value for both those giving and getting advice. From there, you are instructed to provide specifics on who you’d like to talk to with parameters such as region, industry, school, etc. The next screen gives you an option to refine preferences by type of advice such as entrepreneurship, job search, career growth, etc.
Hari Srinivasan, director of product management at LinkedIn Corp (NYSE:LNKD), told Fast Company that the company wants people to talk to others within their companies to get career advice. “As people spend less and less time at a company, it’s hard to find people you need to talk to,” he mentioned.
Meanwhile, shares of LinkedIn Corp (NYSE:LNKD) are down nearly 13% so far this year. During the last 12 months, the stock has gained 2.9%.