3 reasons you need a LinkedIn account when you’re starting out in your career
May 29, 2017
I’ve spoken to a lot of recent grads and young professionals who don’t have a LinkedIn account and don’t see the need for one. With Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter, why bother signing up for yet another social networking site? LinkedIn is the largest professional networking tool in the world and if you haven’t already, there are three reasons you need to sign up:
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Employers will Google you - Like everything else, if we want to find out more about something or someone, we google it. Would you rather have a potential employer come across Facebook photos of your latest drunken escapades or a professional online CV that you’ve created about yourself? LinkedIn profiles usually rank higher than other information in search engines so it’s a great way to manage what employers read about you first.
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Get networking - You know what they say - ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’. Connect with old friends, family friends, past co-workers, acquaintances and recruiters you’ve met. The more the merrier I say. You never know who will post about looking for someone for a role that may not be advertised elsewhere. There are also dedicated LinkedIn job boards where you can apply directly for roles.
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Share your knowledge - LinkedIn is the perfect place to keep up with industry news and research. Liking and sharing articles will show employers that you have a genuine interest in keeping up-to-date with the latest information and also demonstrates your expertise. There are also groups you can join to post questions and interact with others in your industry.
So regardless of where you’re at in your career, if you haven’t set yourself up on LinkedIn, now’s the time. I’d recommend at the very least setting up a basic profile with a photo of yourself, your qualifications and job history. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more you can do on LinkedIn to enhance your personal brand and develop your career. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or are interested in a one-on-one session so we can create the best LinkedIn profile for you.