LinkedIn Series, Part I: Why You Should Get One

By Allyson S Chew on November 9, 2012

 

 

 

As a college student in the Social Era, having a LinkedIn profile is no longer an option, but a must. LinkedIn is a professional social networking site. Used correctly, it can become one of the most powerful job search and networking tools of the decade, and perhaps this generation.

Founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and officially launched in 2003, the site is home to 175 million professionals in over 200 countries as of August 2012. LinkedIn has become the world’s premier professional social network within 10 years. But LinkedIn has also delved into creating and fostering relationships between employers and potential employees. With all Fortune 500 companies represented and over 2 million companies with company profiles, LinkedIn is used and trusted by many top tier employers to find potential employees to fill positions ranging from internships, to entry level positions, and management.

Aside from connecting with professionals and potential employers, benefits of having a LinkedIn include:

Manage Professional Profile: As Lindsey Pollack, a LinkedIn spokesperson states in the FoxBusiness.com article “Why You Should Have a LinkedIn Profile” written by Dr. Woody, “recruiters will Google you,” and LinkedIn is a great way to put forth your best face. Also, LinkedIn profiles rank highly in Google searches, so your profile will be one of the first sites an employer will see. Fun fact: If your profile is 100% complete, LinkedIn boosts your search engine optimization. This means your LinkedIn profile will be the first item in a Google search for your name.

Organize Professional Relationships: LinkedIn keeps your professional life, and personal life separate. Many students attend various conferences, intern, and hold other job positions throughout their college career. LinkedIn is a great way to keep in contact with networking contacts, past employers, and alumni without friending them on Facebook.

Job Searching: One aspect of LinkedIn many users don’t take advantage of is the ability to search for jobs. On the LinkedIn dashboard is a tab titled “Jobs” with a drop-down menu that includes links to “Find Jobs” and “Students and Recent Grads.” When using these tools, you can find jobs posted on LinkedIn from any of the 2 million companies that are on LinkedIn. You can also search for job openings within your field and apply, following a link on the job description page. Though most postings are for jobs,  internships are also advertised, so be aware of these when searching for summer internships.

Access to Industry Professionals: A new feature called “Influencer Program” was recently released on October 2, 2012. Dubbing the top 150 professionals ”Thought Leaders”, the program gives LinkedIn users access to Thought Leaders’  thoughts, updates, and advice about business, news, and how to get ahead. These Thought Leaders range from our presidential candidates, Mitt Romney and Barak Obama, to Arianna Huffington , President and Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post and Clara Shih, CEO of Hearsay Social and author of The Facebook Era. Most Thought Leaders are CEOs of well known companies and industry leaders. Akin to Twitter with a “Follow” button, you can get updates and short articles written by the Thought Leaders you follow on your home page.

Online Resume: Your LinkedIn profile is like an online resume. You can list your past and present positions, which is a great way to show employers where you have worked in the past, even if it doesn’t fit on your paper resume. And another plus: you don’t forget what you’ve accomplished at your previous places of employment.

Make Interviews Go Smoothly: You can check out your interviewer’s profile before your interview. Knowing what school they went to, past positions, and interests may spark an easy talking point when meeting besides, “I’m fine, thank you. How are you?”

These are just some of the ways LinkedIn can make your life easier when finding jobs, connecting with industry professionals, and keeping up-to-date with news in various business sectors. So, if you don’t have a LinkedIn account, get one!

 

 

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