Did you know that LinkedIn, the professional social network platform (as people like to call it), has been around for longer than the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat?
What used to be just an online resume and networking site has now turned out to be one of the most important sources for your personal branding on the Internet.
In my experience, a LinkedIn account has proved to be a game-changer for me. I too, like others, was a bit skeptical while joining the platform, but as a college-going and a job-seeking student, I feel I now have a platform that one can rely on when it comes to progressing with my professional aspirations. Find out why:
You can tap into the innumerable job opportunities
Why is LinkedIn important for job seekers? You’ll find a couple of reasons in this list, but let’s start with the most important one:
You can search its robust job board and even apply to those jobs directly through the networking platform.
On LinkedIn, you can search for jobs using specific keywords and locations. Keywords can range from “Accountancy”, “Consulting” to as simple as “Internship”.
Even if you’re not actively seeking employment, you can set job alerts based on your professional interests to stay in the loop by receiving regular e-mails.
If you are already working someplace and are connected with co-workers and managers, turn on your “I’m interested” button, which will let recruiters know you’re open to hearing about new opportunities.
LinkedIn will hide this open invitation from people at your current company.
Also Read: Best Companies To Sit For Placements If You Are A B.Com Honours Student In DU
Build your professional network
Even if you are not a job/internship seeking student yet, you will surely be one sometime in the future. So building your network is crucial.
Try and add people from different companies which are from the field that interests you. Proper engagement is also crucial so that you are in constant touch with potential employers.
No one would randomly offer you a job/internship just because you are connected with them on LinkedIn. Hence engagement is key.
Start by adding your classmates, friends and different people you personally know. When you have a good number of connections, you can start adding representatives of different companies.
Get recommendations and referrals
You can expand your network and profile by telling your friends to refer you when it comes to various skills like leadership skills, communication, etc. This makes your LinkedIn profile look way better.
Also, different people from the same field as you can refer you to a particular job/internship which will give you a significant advantage when the time comes to apply for a job.
Observe your connections
People on LinkedIn are posting tons of stuff ranging from life lessons, CV building tips, different career advice which would give you clarity for your own career path.
Apart from that people are posting different opportunities for courses you can do, seminars you can attend and other important tips which will give you the necessary growth.
You’ll see your connections by watching their career paths which can make you decide on one of your own. This helps you better understand the market situations and options.
Talking to some people on LinkedIn might just give you great insights which you would benefit with, and somebody might be your constant mentor in the future.
Prepare for interviews
Interviews are always nerve-wracking but by having an account on LinkedIn, you can conduct your own research into the company, and the employer, so that you can go into your interview feeling as prepared as possible.
So I had an interview a while back, which was successful, partially because of LinkedIn. I had already followed the company and some employees which gave me details about their previous work experiences, more in-depth knowledge about what the company does and other important points that I can’t get someplace else.
Corporates check you out as well
Certain companies require you to have a LinkedIn account and it’s often taken as a bad note when company representatives see that you don’t have a profile on the job seeking platform.
Like you observe certain company representatives before interviews they might do the same. And mind you: your LinkedIn profile is the first stage of your interview that you might need to pass.
Apart from this, make sure that your profile is up to date regularly.
If you were wondering how important LinkedIn could actually be, then hopefully this article convinced you it’s one of the most professional tools you have in your hand.
Plus it’s free, and it only takes about 30 minutes to create a profile. So why not?
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: LinkedIn, Forbes, TopResume
Find the blogger at @AarooshJairath
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