LinkedIn, a social networking site for professionals, is a large community of over 40 million users from all over the world. It allows people to interact with other individuals and maintain profile pages that contain their career-oriented information and contact details. The advantage of LinkedIn is that it prevents personal details from being stored in the same place as business information—which means, you can publish your business information without worrying about who’s going to read it.  In fact, the more people who have access to your business information, the better.  You never know where your next job lead might come from.

Like other networking sites, LinkedIn works on the concept that contacts can lead to even more contacts. People simply sign up and create a profile page containing the details they may want it to contain. After this, users can link their accounts with other individuals they may know. LinkedIn has a feature that allows its users to search through the e-mail contact lists and link with them if they are subscribed to the site. 

Users are allowed to interact, using certain guidelines, with the lists of their immediate network. Contacts that come from the primary user’s connections are referred to as second-degree connections. Degrees can be built further as the network expands. Thus, what is created is a multi-tiered and continuous resource of professional connections.

The network that is created can be utilized by the user as a means of finding employment and other opportunities. For LinkedIn, an approach known as “gated-access” is used. This means that the identity of the user must first be properly acknowledged and recognized before any form of communication can take place. The user has to have a connection, first-degree or otherwise, with the user through other contacts. 

The gated-access approach is set in place because it prevents people from being bothered by unwelcome individuals. In fact, LinkedIn is also one of the few networking sites that are able to comply with the privacy laws of the European Union. However, people sign up with LinkedIn because they want to build their networks.  It’s not difficult to find contacts and connect. 

It’s extremely important that you have a LinkedIn profile that you have put at least as much thought and effort into as you have put into your resume.  It’s going to be the first impression that untold numbers of new contacts will have of you.   It could easily be what makes or breaks your next job lead or job offer.

For more information about how to create a LinkedIn profile that showcases you and your professional accomplishments most effectively, click here for a LinkedIn Profile Tutorial for jobseekers.  Many people make mistakes with their profiles that hurt their chances, but could have easily been avoided.  Once your profile is the best it can be, click here to learn how to use LinkedIn Ninja tricks to target hiring managers and land job offers.

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