What is linkedin and why? LinkedIn is an important step on your professional path
There are several dozen large international social networks on the Internet general purpose, hundreds of regional ones and perhaps thousands almost unknown to anyone. But besides them, there are also specialized ones, one of which is LinkedIn. In this article, I will tell you what LinkedIn.com is and why it is needed.
LinkedIn is a social network that positions itself as a place where you can easily find and maintain business contacts. Simply put, this is a site where specialists from different fields add each other as “friends”, communicate one-on-one and in groups.
As of 2016, the interface of the LinkedIn.com website has been translated into 23 languages, including Russian. Relatively recent data shows that over 400 million user accounts are registered on the LinkedIn service, however, how many of them are active is not reported.
In the summer of 2016, the LinkedIn project changed its owner. Microsoft Company agreed with former leadership firms about transferring the site under the management of the software giant. The transaction amount was 26 billion, 200 million dollars. This is one of Microsoft's largest acquisitions in the entire history of the corporation. I hope you understand that this is LinkedIn, now let’s look at using the social network.
Who uses the social network LinkedIn
The service represents 150 business sectors in 200 countries. However, the majority of users (almost 50%) are people living and working in the United States. Thus, we can assume that almost every professional American has an account in this service.
The percentage of users from Europe (including Russia) is 25% or about 100 million people. India is in third place with just over 2% or 10 million users.
Features of the social network LinkedIn
What does LinkedIn mean for online business? Functional social network created to serve users interested in finding and/or maintaining work contacts and communicating on professional topics. LinkedIn provides a simple interface for inviting (importing contacts, so to speak) people from other services, e.g. contact book Email, lists of friends on social networks, etc. It is also interesting that many Runet users do not yet know what kind of site LinkedIn.com is. 
LinkedIn users can complete profiles. It is possible to indicate in them: contact information, information about education and places of work, skills, etc. This is necessary so that other users of the service can find the person and, for example, hunt him (invite him to a job interview).
The site has the ability to publish materials (as in a Facebook or Twitter feed/microblog), exchange messages, communicate in interest groups, etc.
Who needs LinkedIn and why?
The social network LinkedIn is a service for those who are used to separating work and personal life. It can be used to have convenient tool to communicate with employees, colleagues and/or business partners, without embarrassing them with your posts that are not related to work (as would be the case if work contacts were present in the Facebook or VKontakte friend feed).
In addition, it is known that LinkedIn.com is a site that can help you find interesting and well-paid jobs or new business partners.
In contact with
How many social networks are there now in the world? Odnoklassniki, VKontakte, Facebook , Twitter , Instagram . Progress does not stand still. People are increasingly moving into the world of virtual dialogues. We even begin to communicate with our neighbors Skype or write to a friend In contact with about new discounts in your favorite store. The network has firmly entered our lives. Some people become sociable only without seeing the eyes of their interlocutor, although in real life they are clamped and constrained.
LinkedIn - network of professionals
Unfortunately (I’ll explain why below), I just recently learned about another social network - LinkedIn. She has a special status among the above-mentioned communities. People come here not to have fun and wag their tongues, but to find business contacts. This international platform was created to search for workers and employers. More than 220 million people around the world are already registered in it. It helps to more effectively use the labor of qualified specialists.
Where do we start?
First you need to fill out your profile. However, as in any network. But it’s better to do this in as much detail as possible, so that the future employer has a clear picture of what you can do.
* Experience, professional skills, possession computer programs, knowledge of languages or the ability to conduct Internet marathons - all this will have a beneficial effect on your reputation. U LinkedIn there is even a “Profile Effectiveness” indicator. For a user with full professional biography to receive a job offer several times higher.
* Photo. As you understand, there is no place for cartoon avatars here, separate parts body and crooked images, as allowed in others in social networks. According to requirements LinkedIn the face must be “high quality”, that is, real. And this is understandable. Imagine yourself in place recruiter, who selects personnel for a reputable company. It is unlikely that you would want to hire a person for the position of general counsel whose face is replaced by a green mask or a dog with bows. Therefore, leave childishness in " Odnoklassniki" and show employers your true colors. The network administration, by the way, may refuse to post your photo if it is not submitted close-up, will be blurry and unclear. That's how serious it is.
* Education. Its description will be needed in order for the system to come as close as possible to finding a vacancy for your position. A few days after I registered in this network, I received several offers in my specialty. But since I decided to radically change my profession, I politely ignored these offers.
* Interest groups. Here you can also create groups based on interests in the professional field. People of the same specialty examine thematic issues, share advice and knowledge in the industry.
* Contacts. To be one step ahead of other applicants for the position you are looking for, you need to have many contacts. Let me explain. What helps us find a job? First of all, this is the circle of communication. After all, first of all, we turn to our friends who have other acquaintances who may have information about open vacancies in a particular company. IN LinkedIn-
the scheme is the same. You can import contacts from your email and invite them to your network in LinkedIn. If the recipient accepts your invitation, he becomes your 1st level contact. 
What opportunities does it provide?LinkedIn?
Since this is an international network, you have a chance to get a job in a foreign company. Knowledge of a foreign language is, of course, valued. But there are many representative offices and Russian companies abroad, where linguistic abilities do not play a big role, but professional skills are important. By the way, salaries in such companies are much higher.
Well, we briefly looked at several aspects of an interesting service for finding employees. The network is not easy, demanding, but a good bait for those looking for work. If you are interested, take a look there, maybe luck will smile on you too.
Hello, dear readers of the blog site! Today we’ll talk about Linkedin, continuing the topic of social networks, the importance of which at the present stage can hardly be overestimated both from the point of view of the average user and in terms of their use as a tool for promoting one’s website, products or services.
Already at the beginning of the article, I partially answered the question in the first part of the title (however, the answer is already present in the second half of the title). Indeed, it's quite famous network, rivaling in popularity with sites such as Facebook, VKontakte or Odnoklassniki (and materials about these social networks).
Its difference from the above-mentioned resources is that LinkedIn has a pronounced professional bias. That is, users visit this site not for entertainment, but with complete specific purpose, for example, find a job.
Here you can communicate with colleagues in one direction or another. professional activity, along the way, visit (or create your own) interest groups, establish business contacts. In addition, companies use this network of professionals to create business pages and use other available tools to promote your brand.
What is Linkedin, its Russian version, why is it needed and reviews about it
So, we, in principle, found out that LinkedIn has a clearly expressed professional bias, unlike other major social networks, where users spend the lion's share of their time on entertainment and idle communication.
This is not the case on LinkedIn. Here everything is much more serious, everyone is created the necessary conditions in order to offer services to a potential employer or, conversely, to find an employee with suitable skills and education for your enterprise.
You can also establish business contacts by visiting thematic groups and communication with professional colleagues, as well as expand the recognition and popularity of the company’s brand by creating business pages where articles, news and announcements will be published.
I'll say a few words about stories of the LinkedIn professional network. This company was founded in 2002 and launched a year later. Its founder is entrepreneur and writer, billionaire Ried Garrett Hoffman, a regular in the well-known Forbes magazine ratings.
Not everything went smoothly at first, but during its existence the social network Linkedin has achieved significant success. Let's say that today the number of registered members has exceeded 400 million from 200 countries.
The network is available in more than twenty languages, naturally, including Russian. This is quite logical, given the huge number of Russian-speaking users. This circumstance makes the LinkedIn website extremely attractive for residents of Russia and former Soviet republics.
Of course, its audience is quantitatively inferior in the vastness of the Runet to the same Odnoklassniki, Facebook or VKontakte, which is understandable, given the specialization of this social network. After all, far fewer people are looking for jobs or employees, as well as establishing business connections. Although in absolute terms the numbers are still decent.
I think you understand in general outline, why do you need LinkedIn, we will consider all the nuances of both technical and practical plans below. The main page of this resource has this URL:
https://www.linkedin.com/
Finding people and creating your network of contacts
At a certain stage of preliminary filling in your data, a window will appear offering you a network of contacts, which is very important, including for the general promotion of your profile. This is done by downloading address book.
If you skipped this step, but then changed your mind and decided to use this option, then, as I said, you can do this at any time in your account by calling from the drop-down menu item “Search for contacts”:
Here you need to keep the following in mind. If you decide to expand your network, then this has a specific purpose ( business conversation, contacts for job search purposes, etc.). Therefore, correctly indicate your e-mail when activating this function.
If you intend to find, say, business associates or professional colleagues, then enter the appropriate email address, which is intended for business or work connections.
Otherwise, you can find people for contacts who don’t need Linkedin for nothing and their activity there will be zero. You will get a bunch of people just for show, the real benefit from such communication is zilch, such a situation may even be harmful to you.
I don't think there is any need to be afraid of this. Typically, large and reputable services keep confidential information secret. After this, after a short period of time, the system will give you a list of people it found from the contacts of the e-mail you specified, who are already registered on Linkedin.com:
If you don't want to keep in touch with anyone on this list, just click "Skip" link. Otherwise, you can filter this list a little by unchecking unwanted users, or leave everything as is and click on the “Add contacts” button.
In the second step of the search, you will be asked to invite your acquaintances and friends to LinkedIn who are not yet registered here:
Make a selection using the same principle and either skip this step (then invitations will not be sent), or select the right people and add them to your network of contacts.
After this, Linkedin will monitor from time to time address book created based on what you specified mailbox, and when new potential users appear in it, invite you to add them to your network of contacts.
There are other ways to find the right people for professional communication. Let's say Linkedin can offer you use system search(moreover, you can find not only new contacts, but also vacancies, companies, interest groups, educational institutions, articles or incoming messages):
To do this, you need to select the desired item from the drop-down menu (for example, “People”). Then enter the first and last name of the person you know, or use the various filters in the left column, which will allow you to find potential colleagues based on your professional interests. After that, click the search button next to it:
If among the people found you recognize the right person, but he is already on your network, you can send him a message by clicking on the corresponding button on the right. Otherwise, click “Establish contact”. However, there is no need to rush and first it is wise to go to the LinkedIn member’s profile for a preliminary review:
And only after you are convinced that he is suitable for adding to your network, you can begin to establish a full-fledged connection with him by clicking on the button "To set up a contact". In this case, he will be sent standard message, which can be corrected by adding a few words of your own:
However, Linkedin has strict rules, so you need to keep the following in mind. It is assumed that for such an invitation you must know each other, otherwise he may indicate that he does not know you.
And then in each subsequent case when sending similar message you will have to provide the email address of the LinkedIn member with whom you want to connect. So be careful and pay special attention to this aspect.
If in the process of the above described option you did not get the desired result, then you can try advanced search:
However, to activate this option, which includes Additional information, the contents of which are indicated in the right column, you need to connect at least tariff plan "Business Plus"(“Expand and strengthen your connections”).
Here you decide for yourself whether you need it or not in the long term. Let me remind you that a month of Premium is given for free testing. You can go to the trial subscription page directly from the main menu:
In passing, I note that on the search web page (see screenshot above) on the right side there is a link to save the results found. You can return to them at any time by clicking on the “Saved Searches” link. There is also access to saved vacancies, which we will discuss below. Option "Profile Organizer" again available only for Premium.
In addition to the option described above, you can redirect your efforts a little and look for colleagues by profession or occupation among graduates, indicating years of study, name educational institution by setting filters by place of residence, work, and occupation:
If you look closely at the picture, you will see that there are two options for the information content of the displayed search results. Firstly, people with first and last names who are part of a network of contacts and whose profiles can be viewed without problems.
And secondly, users simply say “Linkedin member”. If you click on the picture with such a person, you will see a page with the following information:
From it it becomes clear that in order to view the data of participants located outside the network, and also send them messages via InMail (internal mail), again we need to raise our status account(that is, purchase a Premium account under any tariff plan).
Once you have collected enough contacts, you may need to organize them. To do this you need to go to special page by selecting the appropriate item from the “Network” section:
After that, it will appear on the left side in the “Tags” subsection and will include those people whom you have identified in this association.
Job vacancies and companies on Linkedin
As I already said, the system offers tools with which, with a high degree of probability, you can find a decent job, naturally, taking into account your education, experience and level vocational training. For such research in top menu present section "Vacancies":
Here, in the “Preferences” tab, you can customize the vacancy by using the sliders to indicate what kind of work experience you have (from an intern to a senior manager), as well as which company you prefer in terms of the number of employees. It would also be a good idea to add the region and industry in which you would like to work.
From the “Open new” subsection you can edit the saved data, either individually for each item or by going to the editing page using the “Update settings” link. It is also possible to set up an alert about available vacancies by clicking on the magnifying glass icon:
Here you can choose the frequency of notifications (daily or weekly) and the method of receiving them (email and/or internal Linkedin.com notification):
After this, the system will notify you of available vacancies that match your settings.
Naturally, you can manage the created alerts by changing or deleting them. To do this, on the same page for creating them, click on the gear icon in the top block, and then specify the required action:
Well, while you are waiting for pleasant news from the system regarding a free workplace that suits you according to all the criteria, you can try to find something worthwhile by clicking on the vacancy search button:
If you like any of the companies, you can immediately go to view more detailed information about it, and here a wide variety of actions on your part are possible:
For example, impressed by what you see, you can send feedback through the system, immediately offer your services, leaving a request on the company website, send a letter via internal mail (InMail) to the person who posted this vacancy in order, say, to clarify the nuances.
Among other things, if you wish, you can simply start tracking information related to this company (subscribe to news). And finally, you can even evaluate your chances in comparison with other candidates, but for this you again need paid account(I remind you that you get it for free for a month).
To get acquainted with potential employers when searching for vacancies, you can look at company pages created on LinkedIn. To do this, let’s use the search again, only now by company:
Select those that interest you and start tracking them. Then you can find all the information about them in "Companies" tab section "Interests":
There are two subsections: “Home” (all the latest news) and “Following” (a list of companies whose pages you follow). The right sidebar contains a link to create your own company page. This is an analogue, but we must keep in mind that on LinkedIn everything is much more serious.
Thematic interest groups
Using this option will have a positive impact on the promotion of your brand and your entire profile as a whole. It's better to use the same first general search, where, by at least, you can select groups in Russian:
Although, as I understand it, using the advanced search, where you can filter them by subject, is only possible if you connect one of paid tariffs. Therefore, you will have to filter them out manually, or activate Premium, since you can use it for free for a month.
Once you join selected groups on the desired topic, you can view information and manage your actions in relation to them from the "Groups" section:
The “My Groups” tab will contain those in which you are a member, as well as groups with a request to consider your application to join it. Here you can create your own group. Well, in the “Discover New” tab, LinkedIn will offer you new groups that you can join.
LinkedIn is not a typical social network. It was not created for entertainment and communication with friends; this is not a place for funny pictures and discussions of frivolous statuses. This is a resource that is used in professional activities and for business development. With its help, you will become part of a multimillion-dollar audience aimed at finding new partners, employees, and clients. Well filled LinkedIn profile– an online business card in the largest professional social network in the world.
Registration and creation of a personal page
Where to start on the path to professional success? Of course, from the page registration. This can be done through the browser version or using the LinkedIn app for Android or iOS. Let's go to home page resource – linkedin.com, click “Join”. A standard registration form opens:
In general, the registration procedure is the same as in other social networks. Simply follow the prompts and fill out all fields with accurate and up-to-date information. You can reduce registration time by logging in via Facebook. Then your first name, last name and email address will be filled in automatically. All you have to do is think about the password.
Once you've sorted out your LinkedIn registration, install the LinkedIn app on your smartphone to always stay in touch with your contacts. Where to look for it? Go to Play Market or App Store and enter the name of the application in the search bar.
How to fill out a profile so that it is effective?
The search algorithm on LinkedIn is designed so that profiles with the highest performance indicator appear first in search results. What does it mean? Those accounts that contain detailed information about professional qualities appear in the top. This indicator is clearly demonstrated by the “Profile Efficiency” scale:
What does creating an effective LinkedIn profile include? Everything is extremely simple if you follow simple tips regarding filling:
- A professional headline is something a profile cannot do without. But simply indicating the name of your profession is not enough. LinkedIn will fill in this information automatically even without your participation. It is important for you to include all your specializations in the title. You can use a list using the delimiter (|). This will allow recruiters to immediately see information about your qualifications, without spending a long time studying the page.
- Indicate your real name, write down your last and patronymic names in full. This is a business, not an entertainment environment, so nicknames and comic variations of the name are inappropriate here. Also decide on the filling language. If you work in a Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking environment, give preference to the Cyrillic alphabet, because transliteration makes many of our surnames difficult to understand. This can also lead to difficulties when finding your accounts on other social networks. It is not always possible to correctly reproduce surnames written in English letters in Russian.
- Create a simple and short link to the profile. It should not exceed 30 characters, be easy to remember and compact. Also make the link neat so that it does not contain unnecessary numbers and symbols. You can edit it in the lower right corner of the profile page:
All information posted in the profile should answer the question “How can I be useful to the company?” It is not enough to simply list a list of past jobs and talents. It is necessary to emphasize work experience. For example, if you were involved in sales, then a comment in the style of “worked as a sales consultant” will not give a complete picture of your activities. Write - “I know how to work with cold and hot sales.” This way, a potential employer, when studying your page, will immediately be able to note how you will be useful to them.
Profile Pictures
The choice of profile photo, its “face,” deserves special attention. A high-quality portrait measuring 400x400 pixels is what you need. Your page visitors form their first impression of you based on your photo. You don’t need to choose an image with cats or a photo at the dacha by the fire as your avatar. This is allowed on other social networks, but not on LinkedIn. Your avatar should show you as you are in Everyday life, but at the same time have a representative appearance.
Also you can choose background image(cover) relevant to your activity (for example, company logo). It must be of high quality and not exceed 4 megabytes in size (important for download speed). The recommended image size is 1584x396 pixels.
Premium accounts
LinkedIn users now have the opportunity to test the premium version of the site for free to assess whether they need additional features. For whom is this relevant? For those who are active in LinkedIn networks and strives to quickly and efficiently achieve its goals.
Examples of filling out a profile
I'll take my page as an example. I use it to establish business connections, so I regularly update the content and monitor the effectiveness of the social network.
I keep all the basic data up to date, periodically update the photo - this is how the page looks alive for contacts on LinkedIn. When I finish working on another project, I add it to the appropriate block. If I learn a new skill, I indicate it and immediately ask for confirmation from my contacts.
Here's an example of a not-so-successful profile filling:
Why are contacts important?
An effective page is one that has professional LinkedIn connections. The minimum number is 50 contacts. They are needed not only to keep in touch with the right people, but also to increase the visibility of your profile.
Creating a network of contacts
How to start building your network of contacts? The first way is to use the search bar:
By opening advanced settings, you can set certain search parameters:
This will help you find people you are interested in. For example, you can enter the names of previous jobs to contact old colleagues and add them to your network. Through the search you can also find your customers, contractors and other people with whom you have worked or are working in this moment. You will have additional channel connections with them. Also, LinkedIn itself will tell you potentially necessary contacts in the People You May Know section.
The second way to search for contacts is to import from email. Enter your email address in the special field to receive everything available contacts. People who do not yet have a profile on this social network will receive an invitation to join it.
Contact levels
Have you noticed that some users have numbers 1, 2, 3 next to their names? These are levels.
- 1st level contacts are people with whom you have contacted personally or whose invitation you have accepted. You can exchange private messages with them.
- Level 2 contacts are your acquaintances from other networks, friends of friends. You can contact them or send an InMail.
- Level 3 contacts are friends of friends of your friends. If their profile is not limited by privacy settings, you can immediately establish contact with them. In other cases, InMail can help.
People who are members of one or more thematic groups with you are identified separately. IN search results A “Group” icon will appear next to their profile. This is useful because you can immediately understand what you have in common with this person, and also write a personal message without having to establish direct contact.
What is the difference between the "Contact" and "Send InMail" buttons?
“Establish contact” is analogous to a friend request. You send an application, the person receives it, accepts it, after which his profile information becomes available to you. InMail – paid option personal messages on LinkedIn for premium accounts. You will be able to contact the person even without a request to be added to your contact list.
Thematic groups on professional interests
On LinkedIn, finding a job is possible not only through targeted research into available vacancies (more on this later), but also through thematic groups. It is important to monitor their activity to improve the effectiveness of your profile.
Groups are sorted by professional interests, help expand your network of contacts, obtain useful information, and improve your online image. What's special about them? Here you can participate in discussions and comment on posts, which will affect your activity indicator. You will also increase your chances of being noticed by an employer or potential partner.
Search interesting group not necessarily on your own. In the Groups section, LinkedIn will automatically select a list for you interesting communities, corresponding to the data specified in the profile. Great, right?
Tracked Content Settings
You can edit the content displayed in your news feed. If you no longer want to receive information about updates to certain user or company pages, simply remove them from your list of followers. If you find a low-quality post, you can also hide it and it will disappear from your feed. And in cases where you find content that violates the site rules, feel free to click on “Report post.”
Validation of skills - why is this important and why validate the skills of other participants?
How to verify skills on LinkedIn and why is it needed? It's simple. The more such confirmations you receive, the more trustworthy your profile will be. This is a win-win feature. Users validate your skills, and you can validate them in return. Interact with friends, colleagues, customers or managers.
In your profile, it is important to indicate and demonstrate your awards and achievements. If you have completed any courses or trainings, do not forget to mention this. Do you speak foreign languages? Specify the level. Do you have a certificate confirming your knowledge? Great, show it off!
Secrets to Using Your LinkedIn Profile Effectively
Having studied various tips to improve the effectiveness of your LinkedIn profile, I’ll outline the main ones for you:
- use the option to create publications available in the news feed - this is additional opportunity demonstrate your professional qualities and knowledge. Your articles will be able to be read by all network participants (depending on privacy settings) and shared. Also when public access your content will be visible outside of LinkedIn;
- establish self-censorship - avoid mentioning in your profile anything that you would not talk about in person;
— update your profile regularly and receive more cooperation offers;
- Do you have a blog or website? Place a LinkedIn button there so readers can share your posts.
Finding a job through LinkedIn. How to request and provide recommendations?
A list of available vacancies is displayed in the “Vacancies” menu.
It is generated automatically based on the information posted in your profile. You can also independently enter the position or company you are interested in in the search bar, and specify the desired geolocation.
LinkedIn recommendations will help you find a job. This detailed review about your work. Therefore, it is not only possible, but also necessary to request them from authoritative representatives of the industry that interests you. Having 5-10 such responses, you significantly increase your chances of attracting the interest of recruiters.
Profile protection
All new accounts are public. This means that they can be viewed by all network participants. Are you against such openness? In the privacy settings, you can set a certain level of privacy. You can hide the list of websites or current position, and also exclude some pages from the list of those who can access the information posted on your page. You can protect your account from hacking using complex password and two-step login confirmation.
Privacy Mode is a special feature on LinkedIn. Typically, if you view another member's page, they will also be able to see your name and professional header. When you set the mode to private, you will appear in the list of visitors as “LinkedIn Member”:
And when you click on your profile, the following message will appear:
Creating pages for companies
On LinkedIn, companies can also create their own official pages. But they are not intended for communication or branding. Moreover, excessive self-promotion may cause your profile to be deleted. Why? Because such pages on LinkedIn should not be created for marketing purposes, but for information purposes. Such pages display the number of employees, the direction of the company’s activities, news and vacancies. For example:
What's the point for other users? Visitors to the page can analyze the above information, considering the company as an employer, partner or client.
Advertising on LinkedIn
— set targeting parameters - location, company, position, education, age, gender, etc.;
— select a tariff – the minimum daily budget is $10, you can pay using a card or an advertising coupon.
Have you already realized that the social network LinkedIn is not the usual VKontakte, Facebook and Instagram, created for entertainment? People come here to find new business contacts, exchange experiences, and express their brand. Therefore, advertising on LinkedIn is more aimed at promoting B2B services.
Did you like the article? Add as a friend - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bogutskiy/ to collaborate and share useful information within the largest professional social network LinkedIn.