Why don’t you have a LinkedIn profile?
Chances are you know a colleague or business professional who does not have a presence on LinkedIn. Or, maybe he or she has a profile but it’s in need of a major facelift. I meet people like this every day and I don’t believe the importance of LinkedIn in a professional capacity has really resonated with a lot of people. Maybe you disagree, but I find myself saying WAY too often, “Why don’t you have a LinkedIn profile?”
I remember when LinkedIn first came out and to be completely honest, it intimidated the heck out of me! How do I market myself? Who do I connect with? What is the purpose of this scary tool? It wasn’t until recent years that I really got my hands wrapped around what it’s purpose is, who should be on it and when it should be used.
While I believe the majority of business professionals (employed or unemployed, white collar or blue collar, college students and recent grads) should all have a profile on LinkedIn, there is a small group of people that could probably skip it. That small group includes the happily retired and the people who are purposely trying to fly under the radar. If you don’t fall into those categories, then you should go to the website and create a profile right now.
Why do you need LinkedIn? Well, to the unhappy worker feeling stuck in a job, you need it so recruiters can find you and help put you in a better opportunity. To the unemployed person, you need it so a recruiter can find you and put you back into employment. For the growing professional, your professional network isn’t going to grow itself. “If you build it, they will come”, right? Lastly, to the business owner, let the professional world know what you do!
I know it might be tough for some people to wrap their brain around it, but it is a necessary tool in the work world now. Can you be successful without it? Probably. Will you be more successful with it? I would give that a big, giant yes.
By Jamie Kempski, Talent Partner VonSwy Solutions LLC, www.vonswy.co