Endless scrolling on Instagram, digesting questionable news on Twitter and watching dog videos on loop on Facebook fills a lot of our spare time in 2020 but one social media platform that should always be taken seriously is the professional networking site, LinkedIn. Users can post summaries of all their previous work experience, showcase their academic achievements and give insight to the person they are through their certifications and volunteering experiences.  

The power of LinkedIn should not be underestimated. After launching in 2003, making it older than YouTube, the site has now grown to have over 690 million users across 200 countries and 30 million company pages. The networking potential is a great opportunity for anyone at any point in their careers where it is easy to request to connect with any other LinkedIn user. The way they have brought together a profile that showcases more than a CV with easy, reputable job searching has opened up opportunities to many. LinkedIn is not only a professional networking site but also offers marketing, learning and sales solutions to help anyone accelerate their career or business. 

Having a LinkedIn profile allows individuals the chance to create a professional online presence. Putting a link to your profile on your CV removes the need to pen down your address. As most recruitment happens via email now and remote working roles are on the rise, it is much more useful to your employer to know about your social presence than where you live. LinkedIn encourages networking with individuals whose careers paths inspire you so you can learn and tailor your experience in advance of applying for a role within a specific company. Success stories on LinkedIn are now so common that LinkedIn offers users the option to display if the position was found through the site. With millions of jobs on offer, this is the best place to start a job hunt in the modern world.

Having a LinkedIn business profile allows individuals the chance to create a professional online presence in a social setting. It paves a way to allow potential employers to discover further information about candidates, finding out more than what is typically offered on a CV in terms of no constraints and the freedom to showcase more than the highlights of their previous career endeavours. As discussed in a previous Chits UK blog post, the importance of humanising businesses results in meaningful engagement and feedback not seen anywhere else. Having a LinkedIn profile can attract young professionals who are interested in a company during their education and provides the opportunity for companies to engage with potential future employees and keeping them attracted to the brand.

Being apart of a social media platform has never been more important and productive. This is the time to get on LinkedIn and start connecting. Follow Chits UK on LinkedIn to stay up to date with what we’re doing.