How Important Is LinkedIn For Your Career?

Linkedin is the #1 source of quality hires. This fact alone is enough to start a LinkedIn account isn't it? This social media now has 700+ millions of active users, both in the US and beyond. Therefore, it's not surprising that when in need of new employees, hiring managers check this platform for professionals with needed qualifications. 

Given these trends, it's high time that you started to use LinkedIn or updated the old account. However, to fully benefit all advantages this social media has to offer, you need to have a complete, effectively written LinkedIn profile. If you're not sure how to create yours in the right way, the experts of ResumePerk.com are here to assist. We have completed hundreds of LinkedIn profiles for professionals across all industries, helping them land the desired jobs. We offer direct contact with your resume writer, delivery within 24 hours, and free rewrites until you're satisfied. 

5 major reasons why is LinkedIn important for your job search 

The majority of organizations and recruitment agencies are using it 

55 million companies are already on LinkedIn. Recruiters use it to browse potential hires and call it as the most reliable source of quality hires. You don't even have to be an active job-seeker to get noticed - if your professional skills and credential match the company's needs, they are likely to connect with you and invite for an interview. You may use the good old job board to browse jobs, but talking to an HR person of the company directly via LinkedIn is much more effective. 

To be noticed, though, you will need a complete, all-star profile with a captivating summary, comprehensive work history, related skillset and hundreds of people in your network. Below, we will recommend how to enhance your profile. 

An active LinkedIn profile builds credibility 

Formally, having a LinkedIn profile is not a must when, say, you apply through a job board using a resume. Many people don't use it. Yet, if you don't have a profile (or it's half-empty, with ten contacts and no posts), this could actually harm you. Employer will for sure look up to you on different social media platforms, and such a secrecy can turn them off. 

If your profile is active and complete, employers will see you as a real person whose experience is validated by other professionals and connections. And if the profile speaks to the need of a company, you are more likely to get an interview and an offer. 

LinkedIn social media can promote your personal brand 

If you're a senior-level professional, a consultant or a C-level manager, you know the importance of personal branding for career. LinkedIn profile is the perfect tool to create the right image with the public and to promote your accomplishments and values. Having a business site helps as well, but LinkedIn offers some unique features. A complete profile is indexed by Google, so the potential employers or customers can find you through the search engines. 

Increase the number of connections by 500+, ask people in your network to endorse your qualifications and leave comments about your work. Also, don't forget to share articles, professional news and analytics. A well-drafted profile can get you hired in no time! 

Stay updated with the news, company details and the dream job postings 

LinkedIn works just like any social media network, meaning that you can subscribe for companies and follow their news and updates. In this way, you will see a fresh position that has just opened, an internship and other opportunities for your career. Similarly, you can connect with key players and opinion leaders. 

Apart from learning early about the lucrative jobs and reading the facts you can discuss during the interview, being informed will help you in the long run. When you know where the industry is headed, you can learn new skills proactively or even make a career transition in favor of more in-demand, better paying position. 

Networking is the king 

It's very convenient to use LinkedIn profile to stay in touch with people from college, former coworkers and supervisers, and friends. But effective networking goes much further, especially when you search for a new job. To increase the opportunity of getting noticed, establish connections with recruiters, hiring managers and people you've met on industry events. You never know when connecting to someone online will lead to wonderful opportunities. Moreover, if you apply for careers through LinkedIn, hiring managers will be more likely to consider you if you have common contacts. Avoid sending requests to many users you don't know personally, though, as this can lead to blocking your profile.

7 tips to draft LinkedIn profile effectively

If you are completing the profile on your own, use these tips and advice from our professional resume writers: 

1. Fill out the profile completely. If you complete all fields, LinkedIn will give you an 'all-star' status, which will help you rank higher in search results. And this means more profile views and more offers from companies. 

2. Upload the appropriate picture. No need to put on a business suit if you don't typically wear it to the office. Dress casually yet professionally and have a friendly expression to look approachable to hiring managers. 

3. Use keywords. Keywords are used in resumes to pass ATS screening, but they also help recruiters find you online via LinkedIn. 

4. Make at least 100 connections. This is easy to achieve if you connect with former alumni, your friends and people you've worked with or crossed professional paths otherwise. As we mentioned above, the hiring manager is more likely to connect the friend of a friend than a complete stranger. 

5. Write a catchy header. The profile title is meant to quickly advertise your strengths for a job, so keeping the company and job title isn't the best idea. Say, if you're a software engineer, you can write "UX\UI Developer | Front-End Specialist | Seeking full-time opportunity"

6. Start using this social media actively. It's not enough to sign up, fill out the profile and call it a day. To fully experience all benefits, you need to use it as actively, as you're using Facebook, for example. Share helpful posts with your connection, be active in discussions and groups and comment on profiles of other people. 

7. Edit the profile text before publishing. LinkedIn page is meant to present you to professional community, so the text should be polished. Use an online spell checker or ask a friend to proofread it for you so that your profile makes the right impression in every aspect. 

Enhance your job search with a professionally written resume 

LinkedIn is on the rise, but the traditional resumes are as important as always. And having a resume that looks unique and is result-oriented helps you attract more attention from companies. The consultants of ResumePerk.com can assist with the creation of a brand-new resume in line with your current career goals and help you beat the competition. Keywording, custom formatting, and unlimited edits are included in every resume package. 

It has been proven that professionally done resumes generate more interview calls, help qualified candidates find a job faster and negotiate more money. Our loyalty program offers every new customer a 20% off their first order - contact us to get your code.