Written by Elizabeth Seelinger, Account Executive on the Todd Gallicano Book Team

 

The social media world is constantly changing and evolving, making it difficult to keep up. With numerous social media sites out there, it is often challenging to decide which ones are worth your time. One site that is rapidly growing is LinkedIn, a business-oriented social networking service used predominantly for professional networking.

Here are the top five reasons why you should create a profile on LinkedIn:

  • LinkedIn allows you to build your personal brand. Job recruiters often search for your online presence before deciding to hire you. The recruiter will typically conduct a Google search to make sure you don’t have any inappropriate social media profiles. LinkedIn enables you to be in control of what the company sees. As an added bonus, LinkedIn typically appears first when a name is typed into Google!
  • With LinkedIn, you are able to join groups and follow companies that are relevant to you and your career. Joining these groups can help you connect with more individuals to build professional relationships. Staying up to date with company news will help you stay informed on what is going on in your desired field of work. Additionally, you can join group discussions that allow you to be noticed, so you can gain more connections.
  • LinkedIn enables you to build your network. You have the ability to connect with people you want to get to know. The site allows you to organize and manage relationships with a variety of industry professionals. LinkedIn facilitates these connections that may be beneficial to your job search in the future. Unlike Facebook and Instagram, the relationships you develop through LinkedIn are strictly professional.
  • The site can help you become an expert in your field. LinkedIn offers a variety of tools that enable professionals to network with industry experts. LinkedIn can help educate you on a variety of fields, helping you become an expert as well! The site is especially useful for young professionals or recent college grads, helping them learn the ins and outs of their professions from the beginning.
  • You can get industry-relevant content in your LinkedIn feed. News feeds on popular social media sites are often composed of useless celebrity gossip or boring information. With LinkedIn, your feed is composed of industry-related information that you choose to see. If you want to know more about a certain company or field of work, you can follow them to see what kind of information they post and stay in the loop with what is trending in the industry. LinkedIn allows you to choose what you see in your feed, so you are not bombarded with irrelevant pop-ups.

From these five tips, we can conclude that LinkedIn is an excellent tool that allows you to connect with millions of professionals and employers in your desired field. When creating a professional profile on LinkedIn, it is important to tailor your page to successfully market yourself and promote your individual talents. These five tips will keep users up to date and relevant in the professional world.

Elizabeth Seelinger is a senior at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. Elizabeth is earning a bachelors of science in Journalism with an emphasis in public relations. Elizabeth is currently an Account Executive at Allen Hall Public Relations. Previously, Elizabeth has been a communications intern for Liberties Press, one of Ireland's leading independent publishers. After college Elizabeth plans to move back to her hometown of Seattle and work for a PR firm. Elizabeth is excited for her future in PR and learning as much about the field as possible.

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Claire Montgomerie

Sophie Ey