The year 2014 started very well for the company owning the LinkedIn network. The number of members registered on the site reached, in the first months of the year, over 300 million. This translates, financially, into a strong growth in the first quarter, with data provided on the official Blog showing a 46% increase compared to the same period in 2013. In concrete terms, a profit of 473.2 million dollars was reached, significantly higher compared to the 324.7 million dollars reported in the first quarter of last year.
In our country, this network is less used. Often confused with a social network, LinkedIn is rather a professional network, within which new employment or collaboration opportunities are promoted. Large companies have chosen, in recent years, to create company accounts on this network and to look, through it, for the right people to fill strategic positions within the firm. Due to its structure, each user can easily connect both with known people and get in touch with new potential business partners or employers. Nevertheless, globally, a limited number (approximately 10%) of those who have an account on LinkedIn are looking for a job.
If Facebook has become a kind of extension for young people, LinkedIn is used especially by people over 25 years old and with a special professional status. They are either employed people or have experience in their field of activity and can interact with other people with the same ideas.
To use this professional network, you only need to create an account and enter relevant data about yourself that serve your interests.
In addition, there are a few things you need to do, as a regular member, to benefit from this network.
1. Complete and update your profile as often as possible. Be careful, however, that what you post is in line with your aspirations and the impression you want to create. LinkedIn users know you only through your posts, and it is not advisable for your image to be unprofessional.
2. If you are a blogger, LinkedIn is a huge opportunity for you. Present your work through links to your blog or actually show what you have achieved so far. The best way to make yourself known is through your accomplishments. Many employers look for novelty and activity.
3. Join existing groups on the network. Choose these communities carefully and be as active as possible (in a good sense), offering valuable information at the right time, without annoying or giving the impression that you are constantly online.
4. Another possibility is to answer questions posted on the network, in your area of expertise. It is very good to respond to people you do not know, but who, on this occasion, will get in touch with you and appreciate you. Moreover, you can ask relevant questions, but make sure they are not trivial or ridiculous.
5. Being a professional network, it may happen that one of your acquaintances asks you for a recommendation. Give recommendations to people you know and who inspire your trust. If you recommend the wrong person, this will reflect on you as well.
In a future article, we will also discuss the business model adopted by LinkedIn, whose revenues come from three sources, namely: selling recruitment services to employers, selling advertising, and marketing premium subscriptions to employers and users.
