LinkedIn, the business-related social networking site (basically a serious Facebook), was launched in May 2003. Since then, it has welcomed more than 120 million registered users (including graduate recruiters), in over 200 countries and territories. Quantcast reports that LinkedIn has 21.4 million monthly unique U.S. visitors and 47.6 million globally. And as of October 2011, LinkedIn has over 14 million students and recent university graduates as members. But why exactly is LinkedIn so popular?
One purpose of LinkedIn is its feature called Connections, which allows registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people with whom they have some level of relationship. Users can invite anyone to become a connection. This list of connections can then be used in a number of ways: to gain an introduction to someone a person wishes to know through a mutual contact, to find experienced and graduate jobs, people and business opportunities recommended by someone in one's contact network, employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates, users can follow different companies and to get notified about new jobs and offers available.
A further purpose of LinkedIn is its job listings. LinkedIn allows users to research companies with which they may be interested in working. When tying the name of a given company into the search box, statistics about that company are provided. These may include the male-female ratio, percentage of the most common titles/positions held within the company, the location of the company's HQ and offices, and a list of present/former employees.
July 2011 saw the launch of a new feature, allowing companies to include an 'Apply with LinkedIn' button on their job listing page. This new app will allow potential employees to apply for positions using their LinkedIn profiles as resumes, making job applications far simpler and more accessible.
Therefore, there are three main ways in which LinkedIn can be helpful for those job seeking: through the 'Connections' list, job listings and the fairly recent 'Apply with LinkedIn app'. Described by TechRepublic as 'the de facto tool for professional networking', and having statistics such as its membership growing by approximately two new members every second, it seems that LinkedIn is a new, ever-growing way for graduates to find jobs. As James O'Sullivan (of the Evening Echo) wrote, 'LinkedIn.com...can be an ideal way for professionals to present an online profile of themselves...the potential for building up a solid base of contacts and fostering new business relationships is boundless.' Therefore, LinkedIn does seem worth it - a modern, fresh way of connecting employees with employers. However, building up connections is something important to do, to make your LinkedIn profile worth the time of potential employers, so gaining contacts through work experience, internships and part time work is just as important as ever.
Kate, GRB Journalist
