Recruiters and hiring managers use LinkedIn to search for candidates. So, if you don’t have a presence on the site, you won’t come up during searches. Having a LinkedIn account also means that you can use the site to research companies, interviewers, recruiters, and hiring managers, which is helpful before submitting applications and showing up to interviews.
The Benefits of Creating a LinkedIn Account
- It’s free. There is a paid option that offers additional benefits, but the basic free version offers plenty of features. One caveat: While it’s financially free to create and maintain an account, these tasks do take up your time (another cost).
- Resourceful people use LinkedIn. Recruiters and hiring managers will often look up a candidate on LinkedIn after receiving a job application or resume.
- It’s another way to access job postings. You can search for job posts on the site. Plus, often people post job opportunities that may be more under the radar.
- It may be part of the application process. More and more companies have moved to standardized online applications, and it is more common than ever to see a LinkedIn section near the resume upload tool, where you can upload your LinkedIn profile right next to your CV. If it is well crafted, this is a huge advantage since potential hiring managers will not only be viewing your resume but your LinkedIn profile as well.
- It’s an easy, modern way to maintain connections that may be helpful in your career. That person you met at a conference five years ago may very well wind up working at your dream company, or that colleague from your very first job may know a hiring manager you’re eager to contact. With just a quick message you can reconnect and pursue a new lead.
- It’s a good way to research companies. During the application and interview process, researching companies is an important step. LinkedIn can help you do that. Plus, you can also look up people you’ll be interviewing with on the platform, which can help you prep for your conversation.
- It can help build up your professional brand. People can provide endorsements and recommendations, which helps give recruiters and anyone else looking at your profile a sense of your experience and talents. In general, you can think of your LinkedIn profile as a good way to develop and build your brand. Often, a person’s LinkedIn profile page is one of the top results if someone searches a person’s name online.
Source: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/