Why LinkedIn Is A Must-Have For Professionals
It seems as though the world of letters and paper documents is quickly disappearing from sight. Nowadays, employers often don't even ask for paper copies of resumes. Instead, they ask for a digital copy, or as of late, will just ask to view your LinkedIn profile. With the ever-increasing influx of social media networks, you may think that LinkedIn is just another form of an online profile. However if you're a professional, or any aspiring entrepreneur for that matter, LinkedIn is a must. Read on for more information about why LinkedIn could be highly beneficial for you and your business.
The world is turning farther away from face-to-face interaction in favour of communicating online. Although this conveys many negative notions, there are also ways to use this new online world to your advantage. LinkedIn is one of them. Profiles are extremely easy to create, and continue to be user-friendly. LinkedIn is essentially an online resume, with a comprehensive platform of other professional resources. In addition to listing your work experience, you can list what causes you're passionate about, volunteer organizations you're involved with, and interests you have outside of the workplace. This is valuable knowledge to an employer, who may not find out these interesting things about you on a standard, one-page paper resume. Although employers will generally hire you based on your work experience, they often turn to what makes you stand out from the crowd, and these are all things you can include on your LinkedIn page.
Aside from being a valuable asset in the hiring process, LinkedIn offers many opportunities for connections among other professionals. You can connect with old classmates, current business associates, or just other business people you admire. LinkedIn offers a "Skills" section, in which you can list the key talents and services you have acquired through your various experiences. Your connections can then "endorse" these skills, and build your reputation through their verification of your business traits. The more endorsements you receive, the more impressive you look to people who view your profile. Building connections is also a valuable way of contacting potential future business associates, as well as staying up-to-date on what your peers are doing. You'll get notifications of any new jobs or ventures your connections take on, and can endorse their skills as you see fit.
LinkedIn is essentially a more productive version of Facebook, but for the business-oriented person. Your home page shows you the activities of your connections, while also highlighting articles on current business topics. Like Facebook, you can like, comment, and share any information you find interesting, as well as keep in the know about what topics are "hot" in the business world. In addition to following connections you know, you can also follow famous business people to view their activity and advice. Even celebrities like actors and singers have LinkedIn profiles, as they are often involved in many secondary businesses and charitable organizations.
Even if you're not a fan of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the like, LinkedIn is a must-have social platform for the modern business professional. It can help you create and maintain connections, and be a quick and on-the-go way of staying in touch with the current market. So create a profile, make connections, and choose an appropriate photo that best represents you.
