In January 2020, the Unites States COVID-19 pandemic started rapidly spreading throughout our country. Everyone’s life was impacted, one way or another. Unemployment skyrocketed, which why more people than ever need to know more about using LinkedIn.
If you’re not on LinkedIn yet, what are you waiting for? If you are on LinkedIn but don’t use it often, this information will help too.
7 reasons why you should be on LinkedIn:
- Because that’s where people are. LinkedIn is the number one social network for professionals — and, arguably, the most important website for job seekers — with more than 650 million members worldwide. Not only are people you know already on the site (friends, family, co-workers, colleagues), but so are people you should get to know — recruiters, hiring managers, and your future co-workers.
- Dig your well before you get thirsty. To be prepared for the future. You should build your network before you need it, and joining LinkedIn now gives you time to build your network of connections. You don’t want to wait until you’re actively looking for a job. Instead, start building relationships now through LinkedIn.
- To strengthen your offline network. LinkedIn helps you keep track of people you know in real life, what they are doing, where they work now, and who they know. Remember to congratulate them on LinkedIn when they post about a promotion or new project. Build stronger relationships through LinkedIn, even with the people you know.
- To reconnect with former co-workers. Sometimes it’s hard to stay in touch with the people you used to work with — making it difficult to find them when you need them (say, to use as a reference in your job search). LinkedIn allows you to search for contacts by employer, so anyone who listed that company in their profile can potentially 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. A great way to do this is to write articles using LinkedIn Publishing. Anytime you post articles or a status update, these updates will be available in your profile, so people looking for you can see that you are actively engaged in this online community.
- To be found as a passive candidate. Having a robust LinkedIn profile — filled with your accomplishments and strong job-related keywords — will lead prospective employers to you, even if you are not actively looking for a job. Recruiters especially are always searching on LinkedIn to find candidates to match their search assignments.
- Your presence on LinkedIn can help you be found elsewhere online. It’s common practice for hiring managers and recruiters to “Google” job candidates, and your LinkedIn profile will likely appear high up in their Google search results. A strong LinkedIn profile can enhance your candidacy for a job, especially if you have a robust network of contacts and at least a few recommendations. You can supplement your profile information with your certifications, languages you speak, honors, awards, and professional portfolio. Please have a professional-looking headshot, which means you are professionally dressed, not taking a selfie, looking your best, and smiling!
Since 2011, Ellen Steverson of StartingBlock Career Services has partnered with clients across the US and beyond. Ellen offers confidential, career writing, and coaching services. She has written resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and cover letters for executives to US Presidential Appointees, as well as engineers, managers, rising leaders, and college graduates. Ellen has written more than 1,000 resumes and has coached hundreds of people on job search, interviewing, and business strategies
