Even though LinkedIn doesn’t have a Hollywood-worth story behind it and is actually managed by a guy who’s in his 40’s rather than 20’s, it’s definitely the best social network for job searching. Actually, LinkedIn likes to be called a ‘professional network’ – and, if used appropriately it can surely have a great impact on anyone’s career. Here are 5 good reasons for choosing LinkedIn over the largest social network on the web that Facebook is.

• Personal branding

The primary power of social media lies in its potential for personal branding. Keeping an active profile and participating in social discussions, candidates can show their expertise and rise to the status of key figures or influencers in their industry.

When it comes to personal branding, LinkedIn is a much more professionally-oriented platform than Facebook. Google loves LinkedIn, so if you want your professional profile to pop up at the very top of the search ranking, this is the network to go for.

The kind of information included on a LinkedIn profile is way more valuable and easier to digest to professional context than whatever users choose to display on Facebook. Facebook is like an amalgamation of constantly changing data – LinkedIn offers standardized information that is both relevant and up-to-date.

 

• Hiring on LinkedIn

It’s clear that LinkedIn is being recognized by hiring managers as a significant candidate pool – last year saw many large companies signing up for the network’s premium recruiter accounts that allow them to contact any user directly, without the need for connection.

Knowing that there are many recruiters lurking around LinkedIn in search for talents is sure a sign of the importance of your LinkedIn profile for your career. In many areas of recruiting, Facebook has become obsolete and recognized as primarily entertainment-driven network.

 

• Networking

Needless to say, with so many professionals, companies and headhunters using LinkedIn, the platform is a perfect place for networking. Active participation is key on LinkedIn – setting up a profile is just the first step in the journey, not your destination.

If you want to join a certain industry, for instance real estate sector, you’ll exponentially increase your chances of landing a job by joining specific groups that will help you to understand the internal workings of this industry.

Once you gain some experience as a real estate agent, you’ll use LinkedIn to build relationships with clients and other professionals – at the same time boosting the credibility of your personal brand and greatly increasing your chances of getting a job.

 

4. Safety

When it comes to safety, LinkedIn is obviously a much safer choice for personal branding. There’s no wall, nobody can tag you in inappropriate pictures or leave an embarrassing message for everyone to see. All this makes LinkedIn a very safe space for building your professional profile – everything about it is work-oriented, so you won’t get distracted by any unnecessary content.

 

5. LinkedIn is about reality

Except for maybe those dummy profiles set up by desperate recruiters, there’s a real person behind every LinkedIn profile. The network features real employers, honest professionals and real profile pictures. The actual terms and conditions of LinkedIn state that a user can only have one profile that contains only truthful information, and this only adds to the value of the network.

 

Building your personal brand and networking on LinkedIn is much more efficient than doing the same on Facebook. In certain contexts, recruiters don’t take Facebook profiles into account at all. Just think about it – Facebook data is in constant flux and its diversity makes it really hard to understand an individual.

 

It’s no wonder that in most cases, recruiters tend to choose the precision of LinkedIn over the popularity of Facebook – and that’s why your profile should be there!

Tamara Smith is a Content Marketing Specialist at ForSaleForLease where she shares her marketing experience and ideas with colleagues and customers alike.

 

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Daniel & David

College Students: Looking for work? LinkedIn not Facebook

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