Why do we need a LinkedIn profile at times when there are job search platforms, company websites and professional events? If you are actively developing your career, and even more – if you are looking for a job, it is definitely worth using LinkedIn. Why? In this article, we explore the benefits of this powerful tool.
1. Business Communication Only
Most likely, among your LinkedIn contacts will not be your former classmates or random acquaintances, but rather colleagues and HR-s of different companies. Even statuses here are not marital but related to the professional sphere and job search. LinkedIn took the best of many sites. For example, the opportunity to meet other people and share news is from Facebook, and a chance to post your resume and track vacancies – from job search sites.
LinkedIn is a time-saver – you won’t see posts about someone’s pets in the feed. The site is a space for building your career and brand, finding partners and clients. People come to LinkedIn on business. Thus, there is no content clutter and irrelevant news. By subscribing to the right companies, you can be aware of trends in a minimum amount of time.
LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman once said that the goal wasn’t to keep users on the website for as long as possible. The point is to do everything needed in a few minutes and then continue the working day.
2. You Will Be Noticed
Of course, if you want the recruiter to pay attention to your job application, it is not enough just to create a profile. It is crucial to be seen in the search – for this, follow two rules.
First, fulfill your profile. Let there be an appropriate photo, your achievements, publications, projects, references as well as key skills. Your career path should be clear.
Interesting to know, LinkedIn has a profile performance score, which is measured as a percentage from 0 to 100. If it is high – then your profile will appear in search more often. In fact, recruiters and employers look for candidates, using certain keywords. The better your profile is completed, the more likely they are to visit your page.
Secondly, networking does matter. It is better to have contacts made up of people from your field and hiring managers. If you have let’s say 500 contacts or even more, your profile can be considered successful, and you will be more visible to potential employers.
No doubt, it is a serious task to craft a winning resume since the writing business requires time and effort. More and more candidates turn to the linkedin resume service on Skillhub to receive help from experienced specialists. With their assistance, job seekers’ accomplishments are showcased in the best possible way.
Once your profile is ready, here are some steps to get more interviews:
- Let users know that you are open to new opportunities and offers (“open to work” status);
- Actively join groups to search for vacancies;
- Email hiring managers directly.
3. If You Don’t Want Your Colleagues to Know
On LinkedIn, you can apply without fear that your current employer finds out about it. The fact that you react to vacancies is confidential, according to LinkedIn policy.
4. Socializing Is Easier
Don’t be afraid to establish contacts with everyone you are interested in. Also, it is better to mention who you are and why you think that your contact will be useful to the addressee.
When trying to get to know representatives of a particular company, it is probably not a good idea to send a request to its’ SEO at once. If you are to be under the leadership of the department head, it is better to write to them, telling them about yourself and how you can be useful to the company.
However, situations may differ. Anyway, career advice experts recommend finding someone who decides on hiring an employee and contacting them.
5. Excellent Algorithms
By clicking on “Jobs” in the menu, you will see jobs you might be interested in. LinkedIn algorithms create this list based on your profile data and open offers from employers. Reviewing those might uncover a couple of interesting opportunities.
It also makes sense to subscribe to the pages of companies that you wish to work for. There you can see the list of employees, corporate news, press releases, and most importantly, job advertisements.
6. Similar Structure of All Profiles
The composition of the profile structure is the same for all users. It is easy to transfer your CV to LinkedIn after you analyze how the CVs of other applicants from your career field look like. With a paid version, you can see skills that are suitable for different jobs and compare yourself with other job seekers.
7. References
Sometimes the line “References available upon request” appears in the resumes. On LinkedIn, it’s much easier: references from your former executives, partners and customers are available on your profile. So, there’s no need to send them to recruiters as a separate file.
What’s more, on LinkedIn, your experiences are more trustworthy to recruiters as your profile is viewed by people who truly know you.
8. The Reputation of An Expert
Even when you have a job you adore, you never stop studying or gaining new experience, right? And LinkedIn helps with highlighting your successes. Update your profile – write about finished courses, extraordinary projects and challenges.
All these activities are beneficial for you (after all, if you are an expert, you may receive a job offer with a better salary) and your company (as you are improving its image).
9. LinkedIn Learning
One of the advantages of the premium version is the learning function. This is where you can brush up on your industry-related skills (from Photoshop and data analysis to project management software).
LinkedIn Learning gives you access to specialized content. Here, you can invest in your career and choose from over 16,900 courses, dozens of which are added every week.
To Sum It Up
More and more applicants from various fields find a job through social platforms. Ignoring LinkedIn, you simply miss out on many career opportunities. Be sure to share publications, participate in group discussions, highlight your qualifications – then perhaps the work will find you quicker than you think.
With LinkedIn, any job seeker’s dream becomes a reality. Recruiters are constantly looking for the most suitable candidates, so with a well-written profile, you will surely receive more enticing offers.
Nicola Holder