You’ve heard it before. Social media is the place to get your name recognized. If you are trying to network, looking for a job, or want to keep in touch with people you know than you should be on LinkedIn. Here are seven reasons why you should be on LinkedIn.
- That’s where the people are – LinkedIn is the number one social network for professionals. It is also one of the most important websites for jobseekers – with more than 347 million members worldwide. Not only are people you already know on the site, but so are people you should get to know-recruiters, hiring managers, and your future co-workers.
- You can build your network before you need it – Joining LinkedIn now gives you time to build your network connections.
- You will strengthen your offline network – LinkedIn helps you keep track of people you know “in real life.” You can keep up on what these people are doing, where they work now, and who they know.
- Reconnect can with former co-workers – Sometimes it’s hard to stay in touch with people you used to work with, making it difficult to get references. LinkedIn allows you to search contacts by employer, so anyone listed in that company in their profile will be found in the search.
- You can establish yourself as an expert – One of the ways to be seen as a thought leader in your industry is to increase your visibility. Actively participate in Groups related to your job. Write articles for LinkedIn’s Publishing platform. Anytime you post in Groups or post articles, these updates will be available in your profile, so people looking for you will see that you are actively engaged.
- You may become a Passive Candidate – Having a robust profile which is filled with our accomplishments, and strong keywords-will lead prospective employers to you, even if you are not actively looking for a job.
- Your presence on LinkedIn will help you be “found” elsewhere online – It’s common practice for recruiters and hiring managers to “Google” job candidates. An individual on LinkedIn with a solid network of contacts, recommendations, and a profile that lists certifications, presentations, honors, awards, and your professional portfolio will show up high on a Google search.
