5 Reasons You Should Use LinkedIn

5 Reasons You Should Use LinkedIn 5 Reasons You Should Use LinkedIn LinkedIn / https://www.edenscott.com/blog A couple of people have asked me recently, Why should I use LinkedIn? or, Do I really need a LinkedIn profile?The answer is YES even if youre not looking for a new job and Im going to share the top 5 reasons why.Heres why LinkedIn is important and why you should joinWhy Use LinkedIn?1. Hiring Managers look at your LinkedIn (even if you applied via another method)Yes even if you applied on the companys website or a job board, hiring managers are looking you up on LinkedIn.And if you have no profile or a sparse profile with no photo and not much info, its going to make them less likely to interview you.At the very least, you should have the following sections filled out to be taken seriously when applying for jobs, networking, etc:A unique LinkedIn headlineA professional-looking photoPast employmentSkills (I recommend filling out all 50 skill slots because they serve as keywords to help you get found)Now, you might be thinking, Im not job hunting, so I still dont see why I should join LinkedIn.Well, employers are always looking for people on LinkedIn so youre missing out on making new connections and maybe even job offers by not joining.That brings me to the next point for why you should join LinkedIn and set up a profile.2. The best companies recruit on LinkedInWhat do these companies have in common? Apple, Google, Disney.Along with being three of the most in-demand employers, they all recruit on LinkedIn!And thousands of other employers recruit people on LinkedIn too. So even if youre not looking actively for a job, youre still costing yourself the opportunity to hear about new things and possibly advance your career if youre not on LinkedIn.There are a lot of benefits of looking for new jobs when you already have one, and its what Id recommend doing, actually.This is how you advance your career and increase your salary fast. If you wait until youre desperate or unemployed to job search, youre going to lack confidence and stru ggle to get paid what youre worth.Employers are also more attracted to people who are currently employed usually. Its not fair, but its true.Even if youre not looking for a new job, wouldnt you accept a new job if it paid tens of thousands of dollars more and was a more exciting position for you?If so, then you should be on LinkedIn.3. LinkedIn is an easy way to keep in touch with your networkNetworking is the fastest and easiest way to find a job right now (and I explain why here), but you need to maintain connections and build relationships.Nobodys going to help you in your next job search if they havent heard from you in three years.And LinkedIn is probably the easiest place to keep your network organized. You can send direct messages, you can give colleagues recommendations, or ask for recommendations for your own profile.If you leave a job, or if a colleague leaves a job, its very easy to ask to add them on LinkedIn. So its a risk-free way of staying connected to everyone youve worked with or met.The fact is, LinkedIn is the best way to stay connected with former colleagues.LinkedIn helps you maintain a record of the last contact youve had with each person, as well as their contact info (phone numbers, email address, etc).This is so much more convenient than writing peoples phone numbers down, hoping they dont change their number, etc. Thats not a very efficient way to track your colleagues down after a few years. Even email addresses change occasionally, but most people keep their LinkedIn profile for life.4. LinkedIn is an amazing research information toolLinkedIn isnt just a networking site or job search site (although its great for both).Its also a great way to gather information. You can choose which companies, industries, and individual people to follow (like Bill Gates, Arianna Huffington, etc.)Many smart/successful people write articles on LinkedIn and you can follow them and comment/discuss their posts. Youll be better informed about whats going on in your industry which will impress your current boss if you want to ask for a promotion, or impress any future employers you talk to if you decide to job hunt.So not only is LinkedIn a way to keep all your contacts in one place, its a way to get all of your information in one place, too.Hopefully that convinces you why you should have a LinkedIn. If not, heres one more reason5. Youll never see what youre missing if you dont have a LinkedInIf you dont have a LinkedIn yet, its probably because youre not seeing everything youre missing out on.Heres what I meanNo employer emails you and says, We got your application but decided not to interview you because we couldnt find you LinkedIn.They just dont respond.Nobody notifies you when a past colleague searched for you but couldnt find you. Maybe they wanted to tell you their company has great opportunities. Maybe they wanted to ask if you could be a reference for them, and then theyd offer to provide a great reference for you in the f uture.One more exampleMaybe a recruiter searched LinkedIn yesterday for your EXACT skill set for a job that pays $20,000 more than youre making, but you werent there.Youre never going to know these things.The only solution is to go spend a few hours and create a LinkedIn profile.If youre serious about your career, theres no good excuse for not having one.Now you know the top reasons why you should use LinkedIn. To get started making a great profile, Id recommending reading my top 5 LinkedIn profile tips here.And heres an article with every section you should put on LinkedIn.Those two articles will help you set up a great LinkedIn profile that you can use for networking, job searching, following industry news, and more.