Why you should be on LinkedIn — even if you don’t want to post

Launched in 2003, LinkedIn quickly became the professional service of choice. But, in 2022, is a platform like this still necessary?

We think yes, and in this article, we’ll walk you through how the platform can work for you. 

First, let’s start with the basics. Yes, LinkedIn is like Facebook for professionals, and yes, this is an oversimplification of the platform.

But still, let’s break it down. 

• On Facebook you add your friends and family; on LinkedIn, you connect with your colleagues and professionals you admire.

• On Facebook, you share funny memes and photos of cats; on LinkedIn, you share work-related thoughts and achievements.

We could go on, and on, and on with this list. But the short of it is — same, but different.

Like Facebook (pages), Instagram, Twitter, and all your other favourite social platforms, LinkedIn will only give out what you put into it. Spend time sharing articles, liking, and engaging with your connection’s posts, and completely fleshing out your profile — and you will be rewarded.

Unfortunately, this can be a lot of work. Fortunately, you don’t need to do all of this to find success. The only step you need to worry about is the last one — fleshing out a comprehensive profile for prospective employers to find.

Not convinced on LinkedIn just yet? Picture this: you have applied for your dream job and the hiring manager loves your resume. They decide to look you up online, and the only thing they can find is your Instagram profile — which is still full of pictures from University, or worse, selfies!

Now, this is not a disadvantage on its own (everyone needs to live!). But it can be a disadvantage when compared to other applicants who have a career history available online for the hiring manager to find.

Of course, we won't tell you that you need to wave goodbye to your privacy and give in to the internet. But a LinkedIn page does give your name a professional landing page and this can be very beneficial.

A fleshed-out LinkedIn will give employers somewhere to go that is curated, accurate, and, hopefully, jam-packed with relevant information — some of which isn’t included on your resume.

Remember, there are many ways to use LinkedIn. If the idea of spending hours of your day on the platform isn’t your cup of tea — that’s okay! Rest assured this platform can work wonderfully in conjunction with your resume by serving as your personal landing page, or by putting you on the shortlist of jobs you haven’t heard about yet.  

Next week — we’ll go through setting up your profile on the site. This is a service we offer at Clothier Careers in conjunction with our resume services, so if you aren’t keen on rehashing your resume — let us do the hard work for you. If you are interested in this service contact us here, and we’ll get started on creating a searchable, accurate, and engaging profile for you.