Blog > Job Seeker, Ask Yourself: Why Do I Need a LinkedIn Profile?

If you don’t know the answer to this question, please read on. I, personally, cannot imagine a life without a LinkedIn profile. I am not even sure when I created my own LinkedIn profile. At the time of writing, I have nearly 2,000 contacts and over 5,000 followers. LinkedIn calls mine an All-Star Profile. This means that my profile is complete, engaging, and professional. All-Star Profiles contain a high-quality profile photo, a well-crafted headline, and a comprehensive summary that details work experience, education, and skills and has received recommendations from others.

As a professional, I find my LinkedIn profile to be an essential part of my brand identity. But more than that, LinkedIn makes it easy for me to remain in touch with professional contacts. It makes it easy for people to get in touch with me about job offers and other interesting opportunities.

How about you? Do you have a LinkedIn profile? If not, why not? I hope reading this article will motivate you to create your own profile immediately.

Here’s why you need a LinkedIn profile

I can give you many reasons why you need a LinkedIn profile. And some of those reasons have nothing to do with looking for new jobs.

1. The global reach of LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the largest professional networking site in the world with a global user base of over 1 billion spread across 200 countries. Whether you want to extend your professional network, look for job opportunities locally or overseas, or seek business partners across the world, a LinkedIn profile will be immensely useful.

2. LinkedIn profiles appear on top when your name is searched

Did you know that a web search of your own name is most likely to deliver your LinkedIn profile as the first result? This is convenient for job seekers who are particularly active on social media. Why? Because all the crazy things you may have said, done, or posted online will only appear after your LinkedIn profile.

My personal advice to job seekers is to refrain from posting anything on social media that may damage your prospects of getting a job. Self-censorship is the best policy for social media overall.

3. Your LinkedIn profile is your dynamic resume online giving you professional visibility

Unlike the digital resumes you create and the printed versions of them, the LinkedIn profile is open to the world. As the most commonly used professional networking platform, it helps people from around the world find you.

While we, at RevampCV, recommend that you tailor your resume for every job, your LinkedIn profile is a generic resume. But there is no limit to the things you can share on it.

Your LinkedIn profile is divided into several sections:

• About section: Provide a summary of your professional interests and personal vision and mission.
• Experience section: Share all of your work experience in reverse chronological order, with the most recent on top.
• Education section: List all the educational qualifications you have obtained.
• Licenses & certifications: List various credentials and training you have received.
• Projects section: Share your volunteer work and other interests.
• Skills section: List various skills you possess and categorize them by projects.
• Recommendations given and received: Request recommendations from your bosses, peers, and clients.
• Activity section: Includes all the posts, articles, images, and comments you have posted on LinkedIn.
• Featured section: Highlight the most interesting content you have posted or various projects you want to showcase.

All of this and more will be available online, together with your contact information 24/7/365 without you having to worry about how long your resume is.

4. Your LinkedIn profile is searchable

Anyone can search LinkedIn for names, companies, and keywords to find your profile. On top of that, any web search will also capture the content of your LinkedIn profile.

Isn’t it great to have opportunities come your way without you even trying?

5. LinkedIn is a great job-searching tool

A lot of employers and recruiters these days use LinkedIn to post their job openings and to search for candidates. Creating a complete and well-optimized LinkedIn profile increases your chances of getting discovered and finding relevant job listings.

6. An updated LinkedIn profile shows you are in with the times

Having a LinkedIn profile is a natural part of being a professional and maintaining your personal brand. Think of your LinkedIn profile as your online CV, and create one today, if you haven’t.

7. It helps you remain updated about what your professional contacts and clients are doing

LinkedIn helps you keep in touch with former colleagues and clients. It announces birthdays, job anniversaries, and updates from your contacts, making it easy to stay connected.

8. You can use LinkedIn messages to contact people you know

The LinkedIn messaging feature is very important for keeping in touch with people you know personally. It’s a quick and easy way to maintain professional relationships.

9. You can invite people to join your LinkedIn network

LinkedIn is a great networking tool. You can use the versatile search feature to find people by name, university, workplaces, and location, among other things, and invite them to join your network.

10. You can also follow people on LinkedIn

When you follow people on LinkedIn, you get to see their posts and articles without any extra effort. This is an effortless way to learn and stay inspired.

11. LinkedIn Groups can help you get more out of LinkedIn

LinkedIn Groups are a goldmine for potential job leads, career development, networking opportunities, and gaining industry insights.

12. LinkedIn is an easy way to get recommendations

You can ask your current boss, former bosses, colleagues, clients, and customers to give you a recommendation or endorsement on your LinkedIn profile. Such recommendations are social proof that you are who you claim to be.

13. LinkedIn makes it easy to give recommendations

It is just as easy to give recommendations on LinkedIn to people whose work you know personally. This strengthens relationships and helps others build their credibility.

14. LinkedIn as a research tool

With LinkedIn, you can research companies, industries, and human resource managers. It helps you gather valuable insights about hiring companies and potential employers.

15. Stay informed and be competitive

Through LinkedIn, you get access to global and industry trends, news, and insights. This helps you remain competitive in your profession and job search.

16. Professional development

LinkedIn Learning provides access to thousands of courses and tutorials that help enhance your knowledge and skills. This makes you a more attractive candidate to potential employers.

17. LinkedIn is a key tool for personal brand management

A well-maintained and properly updated LinkedIn profile is an essential tool for managing your personal brand. It helps you control the narrative of your career story and align your professional image with your career goals.

In summary…

As you can see, there are many reasons why you need a LinkedIn profile, especially as a job seeker. As the world’s largest professional networking site, LinkedIn will continue to add new features and tools to help individuals and businesses get more out of the platform.

Why not create your LinkedIn profile today?