With over 500 million members in more than 200 countries, LinkedIn is now the most comprehensive professional networking social media platform globally. LinkedIn users can showcase their profile, including educational background, work experience, and businesses to access opportunities and professional networks worldwide. Nowadays, recruiters and employers use LinkedIn to recruit or contract employees. Yet, many people still underestimate the importance of having a LinkedIn profile in their job search. In this article, you will learn seven important reasons why you should join LinkedIn.
1. To showcase your knowledge and expertise
Unlike a typical CV with limited space to showcase your knowledge and expertise, a LinkedIn profile allows you to give details of your education, research, and work experiences. One can easily list their schools and companies, providing more evidence to the employers and recruiters. In addition, you can add more evidence to your work experiences by sharing articles, pictures, and videos on your profile.
2. Gives exposure to hiring managers and recruiters
By establishing an online presence on LinkedIn, recruiters and managers can access your profile in seconds. Through your online profile on LinkedIn, you can create an online presence on search engines, such that potential recruiters can easily access your profile by just googling your name to assess if you are fit for their available roles. This is why you should constantly update your LinkedIn profile and ensure that it matches your CV or resume content.
3. LinkedIn is a great job site
Nowadays, many recruiters prefer using LinkedIn as their specific job site. Every day, millions of jobs are posted on LinkedIn. Applicants can easily apply for jobs using LinkedIn easy apply, without necessarily going through the traditional cover letter and CV application system. In just a few minutes, one can apply for several job postings.
4. Can be used as a research tool
With a LinkedIn profile, you can use the tools available on the site to search for potential recruiters, companies, business partners, project supervisors, and even the best schools to study a particular subject. LinkedIn also has millions of educative articles, which you can easily access by just a simple search on the site.
5. Provides social proof for your skills and talents
LinkedIn allows one to showcase professional skills and even get endorsements and recommendations from their connections who know them personally and professionally. Whenever you get an endorsement for a skill, the recommendation is displayed on your profile such that your contacts and potential recruiters are able to see it. Again, these recommendations are simple compared to the traditional recommendations in the form of letters.
6. You can follow companies and organizations of your interest
By following the works and updates of companies and organizations whose work you are interested in, you can benefit from their daily updates in the form of news, articles, or even job postings. You can also build networks with people working with organizations and companies that you wish to work for.
7. You can join LinkedIn Groups
Like other social media platforms, LinkedIn allows group formations, such that you can join a group of similar professional interests. Through the groups, you can expand their network from people in your same field. Also, the discussions, articles, and job postings shared on the groups are of great benefit. To fully benefit from the group, you need to involve yourself in the discussions, ask questions, share articles and academic or professional progress with your group members.
LinkedIn is a professionally beneficial social media platform, and everyone should have a LinkedIn profile. It is important to optimize your profile to source opportunities effectively. LinkedIn is completely free. Sign up on LinkedIn today and get involved in forums, join groups, and meet like-minded individuals like yourself.