Why LinkedIn works

Why You Should Be On LinkedIn

Written by Stephanie Kornblum

As far as the fashion community goes, our people are on almost every social website there is. From Facebook, to Twitter, to Tumblr and Pinterest, we flock to these sites to be inspired, share ideas, and to network. However, there is one website that rises above all others when it comes to professional networking – LinkedIn.

Here are some reasons why anyone in the fashion and creative communities needs to be on LinkedIn:

Connections

Today, at least 60% of all jobs are found by networking. While it essential to network in person and to utilize the friends and collegues you have for your job search, it is also necessary to network and make connections online. Yes, you probably have Facebook and might have a Twitter – but these are not the places to connect with potential employers online. LinkedIn is a social network that provides a professional and safe (i.e. no pictures from that party in Brooklyn last weekend) space for you to connect with potential employers – keeping your personal life (Facebook and Twitter) and you professional life, separate.

Visual Resume

Think of LinkedIn as an in-depth resume platform. LinkedIn page has a standard, organized look that gives employers and recruiters an easy way to learn more about you. On LinkedIn you can add all relevant work experience with descriptions, any websites (portfolio, blog, personal website) that are relevant to you, your education, any honors and awards you’ve received, your university courses, school organizations you are involved with, and much more. Another great factor of LinkedIn is that people who you have influenced can recommend you and your work, further validating yourself as a professional.

Company Profiles

Quick, think of the top five companies that you would love to work for after you graduate? Have them? I bet you most of those companies have company profiles or a presence on LinkedIn. Why is this important? Let’s say it’s your dream to work for Burberry. When you follow Burberry’s company profile on LinkedIn you can see recent news about Burberry, new hires at the company, who you are connected to at the company, and see what positions they are hiring for. Company profiles allow you to utilize your network in order to make connections at companies that you want to work for. If the majority of jobs these days are through networking, is there any better way to connect with the company you wish to work for?

LinkedIn is a great resource for your job search as well as for your professional development. Want to know how to set up your LinkedIn page? This is a great guide from Corn on the Job about setting up your LinkedIn profile. I look forward to connecting with you on LinkedIn and good luck with your job search!

Join us Tuesday, 12p.m. EST for #560chat on Twitter. This week’s host, Dana Leavy, will be talking about LinkedIn.