Set Yourself Apart by Using LinkedIn

Millennials tend to be the experts in social media, since they grew up with it their entire lives.

You would imagine that with uncertainty in this economy since the “Great Recession,” that they would be on LinkedIn, the largest professional network in the world.

However, they are not.

According to BusinessInsider.com, LinkedIn reached 300 million members last month and is growing at a faster pace than ever.

The truth of the matter is if you’re not on LinkedIn, then you are missing out on opportunities to get the job of your dreams or in the case of the entrepreneur, landing that important client that can take your business to the next level.

Here are three reasons why you should be on LinkedIn:

1. You Will Set Yourself Apart From Your Peers

The average age of LinkedIn users is 44.2 years of age. What this means is that many of the members are established professionals in their respective fields. When a “Millennial” is on LinkedIn, they are one step closer to landing the job of their dreams and are ahead of their “competition.”

2. Gain An International Experience

As you’ve seen earlier, there are 300 million members on LinkedIn. What you may be surprised to know is that 67 percent of the members are outside the United States, according to Business Insider.com. If you are curious about working overseas, you have an opportunity to connect with business professionals outside the U.S and develop that friendship that could land you that job overseas.

3. It’s Your “Digital Resume”

If you have done some important work during college like writing articles for your school’s newspaper or serving in a leadership position for your organization, then you can list those achievements on your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn has so many features that includes listing your projects, work experience, etc. What that will do is show employers, clients, etc. that you have demonstrated the skills that they are seeking for in potential recruits. You have seen the three reasons why you should be on LinkedIn. If you’re still not convinced, I leave you with a quote from Hank Blank, President of Hank Blank and Associates: “College students who aren’t using LinkedIn lose their native status and become LinkedIn immigrants…I don’t want to hire them because I don’t want to train them on LinkedIn.”

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