Job Search 101: 5 Reasons Why You Should Create a LinkedIn Account

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By Megan Lacombe

Topics: Job Searching, LinkedIn Account

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Job_Search_101_5_Reasons_Why_You_Should_Create_a_LinkedIn_AccountLinkedIn has millions of users. It allows job searchers, hiring managers, and all other career professionals to connect on a business level. When you’re on a job search, creating a LinkedIn account is one of the best things you can do to showcase your abilities, work experience, and recommendations—your profile becomes your online resume for the world to see. Without it, you’re essentially a ghost to companies. Creating a LinkedIn account puts you on the map.

Check out these five reasons why it’s vital to be on LinkedIn when you’re on the job search.

Professional Branding

You want companies to know about your career accomplishments, work experience, and skills. If you’re not putting it out there, no one else will. It’s up to you to give people the information they seek. Once you send out resumes, many hiring managers will go straight to your LinkedIn profile to see who you know in the industry, what you can do, and how well you can do it. You want to brand yourself as a high-performing professional, and with LinkedIn, you can tell everyone who you are—you can control their perception of you by highlighting what you want them to know about you.

Get Approached by Recruiters

Recruiters can make your job search easier. They connect you with job opportunities that you probably didn’t even know existed. They do the leg work. Creating a LinkedIn account makes it easier for recruiters to approach you with opportunities, because they know you exist and they can research your skill sets to see if you’re the right match for their open positions.

The Best Way to Network

You know that who you know has a lot more to do with getting a job than the amount of resumes you send out. Personal recommendations will make a big impact on your job search. Creating a LinkedIn account lets you network with other professionals in the industry who can open doors for you. Build and cultivate your relationships early—before your job search—so people want to help you.

Being Current and Relevant

These days, just about every job revolves around technology. It’s important for you to show potential employers that you’re in touch with today’s technology and that you embrace digital tools and know how to leverage them. For example, if you’re applying for sales jobs but you haven’t created a LinkedIn account, companies will think that you don’t know how to sell in today’s digital age—that you haven’t stayed up to date on the latest technologies.

Additionally, creating a LinkedIn account lets you stay current on relevant business news and updates from your connections so you know what’s going on in the industry you’re trying to penetrate.

Researching Companies

You know that if you go into an interview unprepared, you have a fat chance of being hired. You must perform company research before contacting hiring managers. You should know who you’re contacting, what the company is about, and what its business goals are so you can give yourself a competitive edge over the sea of other applicants. Creating a LinkedIn account allows you to have all of the background information you need to make a great impression.

Set Yourself Apart

When you’re on the job search, you must do everything you can to beat out your competition and make a good impression so you can land your dream job. Simply sending out resumes via email isn’t good enough. Creating a LinkedIn profile is a great way to set yourself apart, showcases your achievements, and network within the industry.

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Megan Lacombe

Megan is a Media Communications professional at Liberty Staffing. She has experience working as a Freelance Writer for a variety of companies online. In her free time, she enjoys crafting, photography, running, and kayaking. An avid reader, she reads anything, anywhere. She puts creativity and passion into everything that she does. Her favourite quote is “Create the things you wish existed” by Anonymous.

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