Enioluwa Adeoluwa: Why You Need To Use LinkedIn For Your Professional Growth

LinkedIn is no doubt the top online site for professional, social, and career networking all over the world. And Nigeria is not left out. The site functions as an online directory of professionals and organisations, and facilitates the process of professional networking without you having to leave your office. It is the best platform to meet the people you aspire to be like, connect with them, interact with them, and build a brand for yourself.

Even if you choose not to spend a lot of time on LinkedIn, or any time at all, it’s still worth taking 30 minutes or so to set up your complete profile. I started using LinkedIn when the lockdown began, and it has been a fantastic experience since then.

Here are some ways it has helped me and can help you as well:

Use it as a research tool

Having a LinkedIn account means that you can use the site to research companies, interviewers, recruiters, and hiring managers. You can do this before submitting your applications. Research your interviewer and the company you want to work with. It is a brilliant tool for researching organisations and the people that work with them. Use this to your advantage.

LinkedIn has extensive job listings

If you’re looking for a job, you can take advantage of the job search engine. There are plenty of job listings exclusive to LinkedIn and many top brands are using this to find suitable candidates.

Receive (and give) endorsements and testimonials

LinkedIn enables your peers to endorse your skills and write recommendations, and you can do the same for them. People who are searching for networking connections or job candidates will consider these recommendations.

Make meaningful business connections

You get to choose who to ­connect with on LinkedIn. For example, you can connect with past co-workers, employers, and Fortune 500 executives – you never know who will accept your invitation. You can target people within your network who work for organisations you’re interested in working for. LinkedIn hosts thousands of online groups, enabling professionals to network within their respective niches, use this to join professional groups that include like-minded people.

Updating an online resume is more comfortable than continuously updating a paper resume.

With LinkedIn, you don’t have to worry about hiring a professional resume writer or formatting documents. You just have to click the edit button and enter your desired information.

If you were wondering how vital LinkedIn could be, then I hope this has convinced you it’s one of your most powerful professional tools. With it, you can build and maintain your network, search for jobs, and build your professional reputation. Plus, it’s free, and it only takes about 30 minutes to create a profile. So, why wait?

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