Do you have a Facebook account? Do you follow hundreds of Instagram accounts and have stories posted on your WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Instagram account all the time?
LinkedIn is an ideal place to network with other professionals, colleagues from the same company, bosses, and CEOs of your favorite companies on the internet and even potential employers in the future are accessible. You can look for jobs in different countries and at top companies in your area. As soon as you complete your profile, you will be approached more as your account is now active on LinkedIn.
My favorite activity on LinkedIn is reading articles posted regularly which help me enhance my skills. I have even joined some very constructive groups where they talk about common career mistakes and post in order to educate about the latest market trends. Why? Because knowing your job is not enough you need to keep yourself updated.
- More than 90% of recruiters and hiring managers are active on LinkedIn.
As a matter of fact, some research found that around 97% of recruiters use LinkedIn in order to find the right candidates. Therefore, LinkedIn becomes an undeniable and unescapable platform for job seekers and everyone looking to change their career.
- You can no longer get a job the old-fashioned way.
A fact revealed by the Federal Reserve of Bank of San Francisco, approximately 75% of job seekers who were looking for jobs in the last ninety days were not actively applying on LinkedIn. As a matter of fact, if a candidate is referred by a family member or a friend who is working for that company, this is by far the best way to land a job. But, what if you do not have any connections? That’s where LinkedIn comes into play, you can connect with HR and the CEO of the company too. How convenient!
- You can build trust with it – which is crucial to your job search.
These days, hiring managers cling to LinkedIn to look for verification of the candidate. Having a LinkedIn profile does not only ease your job search. It also serves as your professional proof that you indeed exist and are available. Seeing your colleagues, old schoolmates, managers and recommendations on LinkedIn make you look trustworthy and believable.
- LinkedIn is the first thing that will appear when potential employers Google your name.
According to the Huffington Post, if you apply for a job, there is an 80% chance that potential hiring managers will Google your name. It’s better to have your LinkedIn profile show on the top result than your less professional accounts such as Instagram and Tumblr. Another reason to create a profile worth clicking is by constantly updating it.
- You can collect endorsements and recommendations with it.
Having a LinkedIn profile does not only allow you to be spotted by thousands of prospective employers, it also lets you be endorsed for skills and recommendations from your bosses and colleagues – which is a strong back up to your resume.
- It is your ultimate personal branding tool.
Here, you can apply the phrase, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” You can tailor your LinkedIn Profile to build an online presence that targets the clients and opportunities you want, not what you already have. You should be your own brand, every single day and your favorite project which is a work in progress that goes on your profile too.
- It helps if you spy on the companies you want to work for.
Another advantage of LinkedIn is that you can follow companies you want to work for. It shows open positions of the company and lists any former and recent employees whom you want to connect with. Spending time on any other social media site is ultimately a waste of time as you are not getting anything in return like you get with LinkedIn.
- You will benefit from extended connections.
Even if you already have a job, you still need a LinkedIn profile. Think of it as your emergency professional fund. You will thank me soon when times get rough. Plus, this will serve as your chance of getting in touch with someone working in your target company.
Conclusion
I recently got Cox Contour and had been testing and exploring its services which are exactly how I found LinkedIn. We all need to understand the nature of social media marketing and how it works. For the corporate and professional world, where you find headhunters seeking potential employees – LinkedIn is a place to be ambitious and career oriented. I have summarized all the significant points above in order to make every reader understand the importance of an active account on LinkedIn.