5 Good Reasons to Have a LinkedIn Profile

Although only launched in 2003, LinkedIn has now become the premier networking tool for professionals. A powerful LinkedIn profile is essential not only for those looking for work but even for those who have a job and are not even thinking about a change in role just now.

There are at least 5 good reasons why you should have a LinkedIn profile:

1. Recruiters and Hiring Managers are on LinkedIn.

Research has indicated that between 94% and 97% of all recruiters use LinkedIn either to find a candidate or check the background of an applicant. Yet a 2014 Jobvite study found only 36% of job seekers were on LinkedIn. The inference is obvious – if the people recruiting are on LinkedIn, you should be too.

2. Many Jobs are No Longer Advertised the Old-Fashioned Way:

According to a survey quoted in the Wall Street Journal, 75% of people who had landed new jobs in the past 3 months were not looking, or actively applying for new roles. Whilst some of these people were referred by family or friends, the vast majority of them were found through LinkedIn. Employers looking for new or undiscovered talent are using LinkedIn to unearth people already performing in other companies and industries and reaching out to them with new career opportunities. Not having a LinkedIn profile may mean you missing such opportunities yourself.

3. Its what Employers See when they Google You

80% of Employers will Google an applicant before they decide to invite them for an Interview. For most candidates, their LinkedIn profile will appear near the top of the results page in the search engine, rather than Facebook, Instagram or other less professional, social media platforms.

A good LinkedIn profile should complement your CV, because it can offer a fuller picture of who you are, provide a more detailed employment history, and showcase, publications, personal projects, volunteer work, and other stuff that interests you.

4. Accumulate References

LinkedIn allows friends and colleagues to endorse and recommend you. Accumulating these can be as powerful as endorsement as to you worth and value to a potential employer as a formal reference.

5. Personal Branding

A well-written LinkedIn profile can be a powerful personal branding tool, encouraging people to engage and network with you. This could be current or future employers, clients, suppliers or industry leaders.  This network can be very useful to you down the line, even if you are currently not planning or wanting to make a career move.

Using the services of a professional writing company to create or re-write your LinkedIn profile such as $ {brand } can be valuable because they have knowledge of the market, the search engine keywords that enable employers to find you, and can create a professional profile that makes you stand out from the crowd.

Having a well-written LinkedIn Profile should be a must for any professional, both for those in work and those seeking a new job. Otherwise you are neglecting a powerful personal marketing tool and cutting yourself off from major opportunities that could change your life!