The LinkedIn Guide: What is LinkedIn and How It Works?

What is LinkedIn?

With 1.2 billion users worldwide, LinkedIn is one of the biggest social media networks in the world today, and it’s even bigger in the U.S., where it has over 90 million active users. And that means that having a LinkedIn profile and being active on it can be beneficial to your career, whether you’re an employee or you’re looking for work yourself. 

LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking service. Users can create profiles and connect with other professionals in their field. LinkedIn also allows users to endorse each other's skills and follow companies. The site can be used to find jobs, research companies, and grow one's professional network. 

With LinkedIn Premium, you can see who has viewed your profile and what they looked at. You will also get access to more powerful search tools like People You May Know, so you can connect with people without being connected through a mutual connection. For $25 per month, or $295 per year for the best package, you'll get extra features like advanced reporting options and the ability to send InMails to anyone on LinkedIn. 

These are all good reasons to upgrade, but if it isn't something you need right now, don't feel bad about sticking with the free version of LinkedIn.

 

How LinkedIn works?

Here’s a quick guide on how LinkedIn works. 

Creating a profile: To start off, you need to create an account by entering your email address and creating a password. LinkedIn will then ask you to fill out information about yourself (this is called building your profile). You'll want to enter in all the relevant details about your career background so that people can get an idea of who you are when they search for you on the site. 

Finding people or companies: Once you've created your account, now it's time to start searching! On the left side of the screen there's an option called People. Clicking this will bring up all the people that have similar skills as yours, or work at companies where you might want to work at in the future.

Reasons Why People Use LinkedIn?

LinkedIn can be used for a variety of reasons, such as networking with other professionals, looking for a new job, or growing your business. It’s a great way to connect with like-minded people and expand your professional network. Plus, LinkedIn is a powerful tool for marketing yourself or your business. 

Six tips to help you get the most out of LinkedIn.

1) Set up a professional profile: You want your profile to stand out so make sure that you include an introduction paragraph, upload photos (no more than 5), and list all the jobs you've had (in reverse chronological order).

2) Keep up-to-date: Once you've created your profile, keep updating it as often as possible. Add links to articles or blog posts that are relevant to your industry, share posts from people in the same field as you on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, post updates about any presentations or conferences that you attended recently, etc. Remember that consistency pays off when it comes to networking! Use this time wisely by adding links to articles or blog posts that are relevant to your industry, sharing posts from people in the same field as you on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, posting updates about any presentations or conferences that you attended recently, etc.

3) Make connections through groups: Join various groups according to interests and passions. Just because someone may not have similar interests doesn't mean they won't have connections who might be able to refer potential leads to you.

4) Engage with others through messages: If someone sends you a message on LinkedIn then answer them right away. Engaging with these individuals will show them that they're important enough for you too take time out of your day to answer their question. Plus, if they reply back to you then there's a good chance that you'll continue interacting with them.

5) Become a mentor: Mentoring means lending your knowledge and expertise to those looking for guidance. Mentors can also be students who want advice on career paths or small businesses looking for advice on how to grow their company without having to reach out to larger organizations.

6) Stay consistent: In order for these strategies work, they need time and effort invested into them daily. Like any other skill set in life, this takes practice over time before it becomes second nature.
 

How Can LinkedIn Benefit Your Career?

1. LinkedIn can help you build your professional network.
2. You can use LinkedIn to research companies and find job openings.
3. LinkedIn can help you connect with potential employers and recruiters.
4. You can use LinkedIn to showcase your work and accomplishments.
5. You can use LinkedIn to learn more about your industry.
6. You can use LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on industry news and trends.
7. You can use LinkedIn to find mentors, coaches, and collaborators. 8. You can create a profile that helps you stand out from the crowd of other candidates when applying for jobs or looking for employees.
8. You can use LinkedIn to follow discussions in the niche groups that interest you most, such as sales, marketing, finance, etc., so that you are always in the know!
9. Finally, by joining groups relevant to your field of expertise (or just topics that interest you), you have an opportunity to engage in conversations and share ideas with like-minded professionals around the world!

 

12 Things You Shouldn't Do on LinkedIn.

1. Don't forget to fill out your profile completely.
2. Don't use a unprofessional photo as your profile picture.
3. Don't neglect your headline.
4. Don't forget to add skills to your profile.
5. Don't send connection requests to people you don't know.
6. Don't be afraid to endorse others.
7. Don't spam people's timelines or messages with ads or promotions.
8. Don't post too many irrelevant updates on your feed 
9. Don't take the LinkedIn challenge unless you're ready for it.
10. Don't apply for jobs without checking the company's social media presence.
11. Don't take shortcuts to build up your connections by using an automation program like WeFollow.
12. Don't ignore the in-person networking opportunity that can come from attending professional events like conferences, workshops, and seminars.

 

Avoid These 3 Things To Maximize Your Profile's Potential

Your profile is one of the most important tools in your job search arsenal. Here are three things to avoid if you want to make the most of it.

First, don’t include a headshot that’s more than a few years old. Potential employers will form their first impression of you based on your photo, so make sure it’s an accurate representation of how you look today. 

Second, avoid using jargon or buzzwords that could turn off recruiters who aren’t familiar with your industry. Keep your language clear and concise. 

Finally, resist the urge to list every single job you’ve ever had. Stick to the most relevant positions and focus on highlighting your accomplishments in each role. You can also use this space to discuss skills that are transferable from one industry to another. 

One final tip - when writing about your previous jobs, be specific about what you did day-to-day and the tangible results you achieved for your employer. Recruiters love candidates who come across as motivated self-starters!