The Importance of LinkedIn? (job hunting, employment, interviewed, application)
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I keep hearing that LinkedIn is important. Not only do I hear you need to have a lot of connections (even if you just started your career!) but that it's a great tool for job seekers. Problem is, not a lot of us are seeking jobs! And when you are, you aren't keeping up with your connections. Some people are, I get that. So what's the point? How do you "win" by using LinkedIn? Is it really just another Facebook, where you start adding people that you don't even know? Looking for a job is hard enough, but hearing that it may be a red flag because you don't have 500+ connections is exhausting! What are your opinions? Is it really a red flag if you LinkedIn isn't up to standard?
Try the search function; there have been plenty of threads about LinkedIn that should give you some reading material. From what I gather, it is apparently useful in some industries, while not really applicable in other industries. I don't have nor need an account.
Lot of traction on this topic in previous threads. That said:
In tech (IT), LinkedIn is something you should have in your toolkit, along with other methods of one, being noticed; and two, understanding how to properly network. Some years ago, I absolutely, positively got my current role to a large part via LinkedIn, from a friend-of-a-friend RE work I did fifteen years ago. They connected me with someone else, who then initiated contact via LinkedIn. One might call that serendipity, but I'd call it "leveraging the network."
I personally use it as a live resume. I quit "sending resumes" some years ago; that's just a bit passe in tech these days much like "printing out" anything. Newer trends, to be sure, but I massage the experience and other profiles sections every quarter or so to reflect current career events.
I'm pretty careful about LinkedIn contacts, with roughly 175 at last count and I can put a story to each and every one. If I don't remember the story/contact, or it's gone stale more than a few years, I'll toss them a quick note. If there is no response, they're off the contact list. Dead / inactive contacts are useless to all. Undergrad student punks from Hyderabad who "add me to the friends list" or whatever, presumably because my employer has name-brand recognition, are blocked and reported as spam. Dumb is one thing, stupid quite something else.
To that end, not sure what 500+ contacts does for a person though someone in recruiting or sales may have another perspective. I've leveraged my contacts...who know me and vice-versa... to place professional peers, when I'm not hiring. They have leveraged me for-same. Executive recruiters (retained) have asked me for referrals, which I've occasionally supplied to peers seeking work. Some day I'll need them again and will leverage the business relationship accordingly.
The jury is out on it. I think of it as a live resume and I have over 1200 connections, 99+ endorsements for five primary skills, and use it daily.
I work at a tech company that makes products for the financial services industry and it's pretty much mandatory here. Both technical people and finance people use it very heavily. Probably 90% of my division has a robust LI presence. I've worked for other companies in various IT support capacities and it's been well used there, but probably slightly less so than here. Both my company and most of its clients are in major metros. FWIW, I've seen more of an LI presence among those in larger metros than smaller ones.
There are a lot of fields for which it doesn't seem to see much use, thinking of K-12 education, health care, and law enforcement. I've never heard of someone choosing a physician based off of a great LI presence. I can't think of one K-12 teacher I know who has a LinkedIn.
The real value of the service comes when you are a paid member and are actively job hunting. The premium membership gives you access to quite a few analytics and features (salary range, number of people who have applied, a "priority system" for applications through LinkedIn, InMail, etc). I did notice a MUCH higher call back rate when I was actively job hunting by using the Premium features. However, the basic Premium membership started at $30/month and went up from there.
Depends on your field. In sales, its absolutely vital. I have gotten my previous two jobs from being headhunted on LinkedIn... and also make a large amount of my sales from LinkedIn activity. I have about 1500 connections, and have generated a lot of business strictly from LinkedIn. The premium membership definitely has paid off for me.
I like it quite a bit although I do have to say they've improved it to the point where I'm not sure if it is worth it to have a paid subscription unless you are in HR.
You have to understand a bit more on networking. Friends, relatives, colleagues, alumni etc. It's more then just finding employment it's outright communication. Let's say you work for Unilever and you want to sell some brand to Pathmark in Cleveland. Ok so who is the regional director/manager of Pathmark in Cleveland? I haven't a clue myself but with linkedin you can find some of these things out. In government this takes hardly anything but for non profits and the private sector it does.
I don't really find it that helpful. I got sucked back in when I went back to school for new certifications, and the program really pushed the whole Linkedin thing. I've only used it while actively searching for a new job, and it was useful in the sense that when a prospective employer received my resume, they could look up my Linkedin and put a face to a name. I did see through the profile views function that a few people I'd interviewed with had viewed my page prior to calling me for an interview. Aside from that, I don't work in a field where it's particularly helpful to have as an on-going thing. Since I'm not currently job hunting, I removed my photo and the majority of personal information from the page. I'll add it back whenever I eventually decide to use it again, if ever. I know a few high level CEO's/company owners who don't have completed profiles and don't really bother with it (no photo, barely any connections) yet in real life these are very social and successful individuals. Like any social media, I just don't find it that credible, personally.
It might be important in the major cities (LA, NYC, Chicago, etc.), but in my area it is nearly meaningless.
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