Getting Started with the New MemberLink

MemberLink has been re-built to provide you with a richer user experience. This document outlines how MemberLink offers you improved opportunities to explain in greater detail your areas of specialism, enjoy greater confidence in the skills available from your MSI counterparts, and participate in LinkedIn integrated practice groups.

Benefits of integration with LinkedIn

Recognising the importance of LinkedIn's network of 130 million professionals (and growing fast) and its use by many MSI members, we have integrated MemberLink with LinkedIn. Connecting your LinkedIn account to your MemberLink account provides the following benefits:

Single sign-on  

When you login to MemberLink in the usual way (using your MemberLink username and password) you will be prompted to connect your LinkedIn account (see image below). We encourage members to allow this connection to take place. 

At this point you will see a LinkedIn pop-up asking you to enter your LinkedIn details (see image below).

Once this has been completed, you will not need to do it again and you will also be able to use the 'Login with LinkedIn' button in future (see image below).

Import information from your LinkedIn profile

Many of you will be more likely to keep your LinkedIn profile up to date than your MemberLink profile. By connecting your LinkedIn and MemberLink accounts, you will be able to import specific information from your LinkedIn profile: your photo, headline profile and summary. This ensures consistent presentation of your profiles and saves 're-inventing the wheel'.

Take part in LinkedIn practice groups

If you have connected your LinkedIn account to MemberLink, then you will see on your MemberLink dashboard suggestions regarding groups you could join that match your areas of specialism as well as the latest updates from these groups. If you haven't connected your accounts, you will only see 3 random group suggestions (see image below).

To join a group, click the 'Join group' link - there may be a short delay before you have access to the group as your request may need to be approved.

Improved profiles & the MSI Academy designation

As well as import information from your LinkedIn profiles, you can also select from a detailed taxonomy a maximum of 20 areas of expertise that will be added to your profile. To allow other users of the site to assess your suitability to serve their needs, you are asked to categorise each area of practice according to the amount of time you spend working in that area; the choices available are: Most days, Frequently, Occasionally, Rarely.

Based on your selections, MemberLink will create a profile for you and ensure that you rank correctly in any searches.

Members who spend a specific (determined by MSI) amount of time working in a particular technical area will be designated as members of the 'MSI Academy' and will rank ahead of other members. We ask all members to act in the spirit of our worldwide membership and categorise themselves fairly and honestly.

Better search capabilities

Along with a better taxonomy for carrying out more in-depth searches, the Advanced Search tool will allow you to specify a region for your search. Search results will show a snippet of each user's profile (see image above) and will allow you to view a graph of each user's practice by percentage share.

Technical assistance

If you have questions or need support using MemberLink, please contact the marketing team at the Secretariat in London.