Having a social media for your professional presence may sound unnecessary and seem like a waste of time, but in this day and age it can truly be a valuable asset in your career search and development. There’s a good reason why so many individuals are investing time in creating and keeping up with their LinkedIn profiles, and it isn’t simply to show off their achievements or hop on a social trend. Here are some of the top reasons why if you aren’t on LinkedIn you should be, and why you should keep your profile up-to-date if you already are.

 

Stand Out to Recruiters and Hiring Managers

According to the Jobvite Recruiter Nation Report (2021), a staggering 65% of recruiters declared LinkedIn to be their most used social media channel for recruiting high quality candidates. Whether you’re actively or passively considering new opportunities, having a complete and accurate LinkedIn profile will make your search much easier by catching the attention of companies looking to hire and even bringing opportunities to you that may not be posted. Being detailed and specific regarding your industry, responsibilities, and interests will help prevent you from being contacted about the wrong types of opportunities which may not appeal to you or be completely outside of your space. For example, if you’re a Sales Manager for a large pharmaceutical/biotechnology company, you should make it a point to state what you’re selling and who you’re selling it to – you might not want to be contacted about companion animal diagnostics if your ballpark has strictly been human biologics, but if you do have an interest in making that switch, you can highlight that in your profile as well. Such nuances make taking the time to personalize your LinkedIn highly valuable and worthwhile.

 

Growing Your Network

Having a LinkedIn allows you to maintain your rolodex of contacts by giving you the opportunity to get connected with other professionals in your industry and stay connected with those you’ve met at business events. It’s a great place to connect with industry specific recruiters, such as animal health recruiters or life sciences recruiters.  It’s far easier than shuffling through that pile of business cards and lets you interact with them through means like posts and direct messaging. The platform also offers professional interest-based groups for you to join, which are a great place to participate in discussions or ask questions within your niche with like-minded individuals. Having a well-developed network can even come in handy for whenever you decide to consider seeking new employment and gives you a place to start looking.

 

Staying Up-To-Date on Industry Trends and Shifts

LinkedIn is an easy way to stay informed on new technologies, trends, acquisitions, and achievements that are going in within your industry and provides a means to participate in discussions with other professionals about them. You can select which companies and professionals you want to follow and see this content and really grow your industry expertise.

 

Learning About New Opportunities

If you intentionally make yourself scarce online because you believe you are content to seek out new positions posted on job boards and would prefer to avoid being contacted by a recruiter, consider that in doing so you may limit yourself from finding a dream opportunity. LinkedIn does post jobs, and those can be a great place to start looking – but know that recruiters often take on jobs exclusively that are never posted online and must work through the passive social media marketplace to make potential candidates aware of those opportunities. If you don’t have a strong presence on a platform like LinkedIn, you make yourself hidden from being contacted about them and can’t use the app to its full potential. It never hurts to leave your messages open and make yourself available to hear out new possibilities; you never know, your dream job could fall right into your inbox!

 

Bragging Rights

This shouldn’t be your ultimatum for making a LinkedIn, but let’s be candid – you worked hard to get where you’re at, and you should be proud to show it off! Your LinkedIn profile is a great platform to highlight your accomplishments and awards earned throughout your career. An added bonus is that it stands out to recruiters when you do. Listing achievements only helps to market yourself and grow your personal brand so that you stand out in your field.

 

-Written by Katie Ball: Research Associate for Animal Health Recruiters & Life Sciences Recruiters