Over the last few weeks I've posted a number of articles on social networking sites and the benefits to your career if you give it a go.

But I want to take a moment to focus on LinkedIn for a few minutes because .... to steal a line from Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell, The Anchorman) .... ‘it's kind of a big deal'.

Here are some LinkedIn facts and reasons why you need to spend some time setting up your profile or giving your existing LinkedIn profile some love and attention.

1. LinkedIn has 25 million users - all professional, all potential contacts

2. LinkedIn is ALWAYS in the news recently - think CNBC, Fox, BBC, Yahoo etc etc

3. You can find a decent job - LinkedIn is one of the top 10 job sites in the world (source: About.com)(nice!)

4. Got a problem? Get some advice with LinkedIn Answers

5. Become an expert (and earn more $$$) by contributing to the LinkedIn community (all 500 of the fortune 500 companies are there waiting to be impressed)

6. People with more than twenty connections on LinkedIn are thirty-four times more likely to be approached with a job opportunity than people with less than five

7. Get the heads up on potential clients, future colleagues or the interview you need to impress next week using LinkedIn

8. Facebook is for students and youngens'. LinkedIn is for professionals - join both - it's win-win

9. Countless testimonials in the news and web communities are pushing the LinkedIn brand - hard

10. According to HitWise, LinkedIn traffic has been growing consistently whilst others stagnate or drop - Get me?!

LinkedIn is a hot potato. Join it now, secure your name and take the time to set up a decent profile whilst building a network. To survive in the next generation of career development and job searching, sites like LinkedIn are going to be crucial.

5 minutes a day, a couple days a week and your network could explode. That means more contacts, more job opportunities and more potential client opportunities.

Even if you're not looking for a job or have just settled into a new career - I'd still join up. You could network, get some advice, build up your knowledge or simply keep in touch with old colleagues. Who knows when they might be your new client.

http://thejobcart.com/2008/10/why-you-need-to-be-on-linkedin/