5 Reasons to Have a LinkedIn Profile While Job Searching

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Social media has become a big part of the career-building process. Almost all job search activity now happens online, with much of the action expanding from websites like Indeed or Monster to places like Facebook, Twitter and, of course, LinkedIn.

This last hub represents the main beachhead for the social-media takeover of the job-search process. You can use Facebook and Twitter to network, but LinkedIn’s explicit mission centers around careers and career building.

A LinkedIn profile has become part of the basic tool set for looking for a job. Still need some convincing? Here are five key reasons why having a LinkedIn profile helps your job search:

An Easy Way to Send Your Resume to People

The process of sending resumes can become cumbersome. You’re tempted to tweak it each time for particular employers, slowing down the process. There are all the attachments, which you can forget or can become difficult if the company is using some hard-to-follow online application process.

However, a LinkedIn profile can hedge these problems. If you send your resume, the profile becomes a helpful complement. It can also become a full replacement – an easy way to draw attention to your skill set.

More Comprehensive List of Skills

In the old days, people usually advised job seekers to limit their resumes to one page. In the age of Word docs and PDFs, this has relaxed somewhat. But there’s still pressure to keep resumes short. If you have a long and/or diverse career, this can limit what you include.

The digital space afforded by a LinkedIn profile removes the space concern. Employers can see a more comprehensive list of your skills and accomplishments, providing a more complete picture of your value.

Speeds Up Networking

The underlying purpose of LinkedIn is to provide a networking platform. That’s the “Linked” part of the name. It allows you to connect with current and former co-workers and meet others who work in your field.

As such, it can streamline the process of finding your next position. You can leverage those connections to find opportunities that might otherwise fall outside your radar. Experts always say personal connections are key to finding a job. LinkedIn expands those connections and makes it easier to use them.

Allows Employers to Find You

LinkedIn lets employers be more proactive about filling positions. Instead of hanging back, waiting for resumes to come in, they can seek out appropriate candidates on their own.

You don’t want to miss out on this possibility. Having a LinkedIn profile and keeping it up to date, even when you have a job, makes surprise opportunities more possible.

Shows You’ve Got Minimum Tech Savvy

Let’s be honest: LinkedIn isn’t particularly cutting edge by now. In fact, it’s almost quaint. Your 11-year-old niece or nephew can probably name a dozen social media sites with more current tech-cred.

So, that makes having a LinkedIn page a basic requirement for some employers. They take it as a bad sign when you don’t. Along with your @AOL email address and the watermarked resume you sent via the mail, staying off of LinkedIn makes you seem out of touch.

Ready for a new job?

Hopefully, you can see how LinkedIn provides a useful tool for your job search. Another useful tool? A good staffing partner. Qualified Staffing can help put your career on the fast track. Contact us today to find out more.

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