How Important is LinkedIn for Your Career?

The short answer is VERY. Recruiters, collegues and potential connections are all using the LinkedIn site to recruit, network and to develop relationships. It is the best professional site around for exchanging information on career related topics and as a tool to help you build your brand.

Have you joined LinkedIn yet? It’s hard to imagine you haven’t, yet many of you have passed it up favoring Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. These other sites are fun and somewhat effective in building an audience, yet they don’t do much to help you in your job search or in your professional life.

You need to have a presence on LinkedIn that reflects where you are currently in your job and what value you offer a potential employer and future client. It is your online résumé and your bio needs to be exceptional.  It is a critical business tool and your file should always be updated with your current achievements and specific projects you are working on.

LinkedIn allows you to build your brand on one site where the world is watching. The site makes it easy to use and share. I have my LinkedIn link on my e-mail for a quick reference to my background. It is like sending your resume to everyone you touch and makes it easier for them to learn about who you are, quickly.

It is essential to make your profile here as good as you can. Make sure to tell a story about who you are and what you are doing, so that people notice you. Make sure your summary is well-written and you have a professional profile photo that reflects who you are. Don’t get cute with your photo, just post a great shot of you.

Head hunters and company recruiters all use LinkedIn to source people for jobs. It is becoming the number one place to find people, so don’t miss your opportunity by not having a professional summary or not even being on the site. In this highly competitive world we live in, you need to make sure you are represented and can be found on-line.

The time to look for work is when you are not looking! By keeping your LinkedIn profile current, you are ready to be presented whether actively or passively when the time comes to change jobs. There may be a perfect job out there just waiting for you that you have never considered, so make it easy for people to find you via LinkedIn.


full article : http://www.chicagonow.com/get-employed/2015/03/how-important-is-linkedin-for-your-career/