Don't have a LinkedIn account? I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Either it's because you’ve been meaning to make one but just haven’t found the time because you are just a little to busy with your 7th binge-watch of Friends. Or maybe you have an account that is half finished with not so up-to date high school side jobs. Or maybe you just flat out don’t have one at all because after all why even bother right? Well your going to learn today!

LinkedIn is a whole new social networking site that is full of opportunities, in fact it is exactly how I landed my Marketing Internship gig with College Hill Custom Threads. I discovered this opportunity by my “connections” on LinkedIn and used my resources through the people I had networked with over the first two years of College. Without my updated LinkedIn profile who knows where I would be today?

If you do not have an updated LinkedIn profile you are already behind thousands of people who are on top of the job market game (including me). Still don’t believe me? I am going to show you in light right now and demonstrate how important it is to have a LinkedIn and why you NEED it.

1. It's A Top Place Hiring Recruiters First Go To

ATTENTION to any and all full-time job inquirer: almost 95% of hiring recruiters said they use LinkedIn to find candidates in today’s world according to the 2014 jobvite survey. Yet the survey points to conclusions that even though around 94% of recruiters are on LinkedIn, only 36% of people seeking a job actively use or have accounts.

WHAT!! This is absolutely crazy! Employers are literally trying to hunt you down to HIRE you, yet you can’t even take the time to let them find you? Probably a little more important then focusing on your Insta game. Put in the time and effort and get out there! 

2. People Are No Longer Getting Hired The Old Fashion Way

Your chances of landing a job the traditional way are getting slimmer and slimmer by the second, instead pursue and take advantage of the alternative methods that LinkedIn has to offer. In today’s world you either need to be referred, or you need to know exactly when your company is hiring and exactly what they’re looking for.

Being referred by a family member or friend obviously is the preferred route to take to obtain a new position. They are sponsoring and vouching for you and your capabilities, which goes a long way if their opinions are valued by their managers. But what do you do when you don’t know anyone who works at your dream company?

NEWS FLASH: This is where LinkedIn comes in handy!!! LinkedIn is a social network site that allows you to be discovered by employers for new professional opportunities!

3. Easily Collect Endorsements And Recommendations

LinkedIn is so awesome in the sense that it allows you to be endorsed for all of your skills and qualifications that you want to add on your profile, as well as also giving you the opportunity for colleagues and previous employers to recommend you and brag about you! And who wouldn’t want this? For example, when you apply for a job and the company wants to do a little research on you, they could simply pull up your LinkedIn profile and see that your past internship coordinator said only good things about you under your “experience” and this can only give you a leg up! Especially when future employers are spying on you.  

Collecting more and more endorsements and recommendations will add up and be there in your pocket whenever you least expect it. That is why constantly updating and keeping an eye on your LinkedIn account is so crucial and important!  

 4. Shows Up First When Future Employers Google Your Name

If you don’t already know, it is very very common for an employer to do a little form of background check on you by googling your name. So why not be proactive and have the top link that comes up be a direct link to your LinkedIn profile? It can only make you look that much better!  Better a professional platform then your Facebook account in my opinion. 

 5. Networking, Networking, Networking!

Meet someone at a Career fair or industry event? In some ways it is almost expected to connect with them on LinkedIn immediately afterwards. This helps you both remember the face to face interaction that took place and allows for any possible offerings within the company to be that much smoother! Networking is something we all should be taking advantage of today, especially while we are in our college years. In fact, I obtained my very own internship this semester simply by just networking!

BACKGROUND STORY: I started out my freshman year as a College Hill Campus Rep, which led me to get to know our company’s Founder, Tony Poston. Though various forms of communication back and forth throughout the first couple of years I developed a relationship with him working through various orders. I later then discovered the College Hill Marketing Internship opportunity that College Hill had to offer to students! I immediately emailed Tony, and BOOM he sent my resume straight to the internship coordinator and I was lucky enough to get selected! (Started from the bottom now we here).   

 6. Showcase More Of Your Skills Than You Put On Your Resume

As you know your resume is limited to the limited space of a standard piece of paper. But LinkedIn is limitless. You can put anything and everything on your profile. From your online working portfolio, hyperlinks to live projects, etc. you can showcase it all! 

Here’s what to do next:

MAKE A LINKEDIN PROFILE :)   

Thanks for reading! See you next week!