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 There are few things in the recruiting world that apply equally to job seekers and hiring managers alike; you may have noticed that I tend to tailor my topics to one group or the other. That’s because both groups have their own unique set of needs to be addressed, and rarely do those needs overlap.
Today, however, I want to talk to you all about one topic that applies to pretty much anyone in the business world.
LinkedIn.
Whether you’re a job seeker, a hiring manager, or anyone who is content in your current place of business, you need to be building up your LinkedIn profile and logging in at least once a quarter (though, once a month would be even better.)
But why?

• Sheer Volume: We all know how important networking is, and there is no other professional networking site that offers up the numbers LinkedIn does. The 2015 fourth quarter reports put LinkedIn at 414 million members. That is 414 million people who could potentially fill a job for you, recommend someone to fill that job, or offer you a job. With numbers like that, it is just plain silly to avoid centralizing your networking efforts via LinkedIn. Check in often, remain active, and engage that network of limitless opportunities.

• Recognizing the Point of Entry: Nowadays, everyone looks at LinkedIn first when it comes to professional opportunities. Hiring managers vet candidates by their LinkedIn profiles before they schedule interviews, and applicants look up hiring managers on LinkedIn before sitting down for those interviews. Plenty of people get their information from LinkedIn before ever even looking at a company’s website. And if they search for someone on LinkedIn and come up empty, they might just assume that person isn’t quite up to date with the times.

• The Importance of Remaining Relevant: Which is where relevance comes in. The business world is meeting on LinkedIn, and if you aren’t there too, you very well might miss out on opportunities going to those already at the party. Sure, most hiring managers care more about what a candidate has to offer than what their LinkedIn profile displays, and most applicants are simply looking for a job, meaning they aren’t likely going to be swayed completely by the fact that a hiring manager has no LinkedIn profile. But don’t fool yourself into thinking it doesn’t matter, because it does. And remaining relevant on LinkedIn could very well make all the difference for hiring managers and job seekers alike.  

ManUP today for success tomorrow…