Why Should You be LinkedIn?

The adage of – It’s not what you know, but who you know – certainly plays a very large role in finding a well paying job in today’s economy. Gone are the days of networking based solely on family friends, fraternity or sorority connections and the days of the good ole’ boys. The new way to “get connected” is through online social networking.

Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace are all well known social networks that offer job listings. Most of them are much like Hot Jobs, Monster Jobs and Simply Hired. Free and easy to join, log in and do job searches for just about any position. These sites offer a resume builder and file space that offers employers the opportunity to locate employees. These job sites have been very successful for entry level job seekers. For those looking for more advanced positions and upscale candidates, sites such as TheLadders.com, headhunters.com and CareerBuilders.com have been developed. These sites charge a subscription for hosting and promoting a subscribers resume to prospective employers.

A new kid on the block has taken the best of the major online job sites with a difference. Enter LinkedIn. LinkedIn was launched in May of 2003 with just 4,500 members. It is estimated that approximately one million new members join LinkedIn each week.

Since its launch, LinkedIn has become the world’s largest professional network on the Internet, with millions of members in over 200 countries and territories. Nearly 2-billion people are on LinkedIn with over half of these members located outside the United States.

Those who make up the management team of LinkedIn come from online giants like Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, TiVo, and PayPal. As a professional, as well as, an international network site, LinkedIn is available in six languages. As of 2011, LinkedIn boasts Company Pages from Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 Companies.

The focus of LinkedIn is to connect professionals throughout the world. Helping them become more productive and successful in their search for career opportunities. LinkedIn offers this through websites, mobile applications, developer platforms and premium services.

A number of tools help individuals search for success on many platforms including Outlook, Firefox, Mac and Google. For professionals on the go, LinkedIn has apps for iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, and even offers a widget for Lotus Notes.

With LinkedIn, members set up their own network through direct, personal connections, imported contacts that fall within their professional parameters, and links to the Organizations that are of interest to each member’s career goals.

Prospective employers can post job openings, recruit top talent, and find specific professionals for their team. Members can target Companies for job openings and their posted listings.

LinkedIn offers extensive learning centers to help members set up a strong profile. They offer step by step insights on how to find that dream job and the best ways to use all of LinkedIn’s features, including how to link your account with Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, and any number of social sites to maximize your search and exposure. The LinkedIn Blog offers a place to share information and experiences with other members.

Who is using LinkedIn? Small Business, Students, Job Seekers, Entrepreneurs, Attorneys, Business Developers, Journalists, Non-Profits, Venture Capitalists and – YOU!

So what makes LinkedIn different? Well, it combines what you know, who you know, and how you make contacts, not only locally, but on the – worldwide web. Check it out for yourself. In today’s globally economy, you have nothing to lose and the best job ever to land!