Are you LinkedIn?

By using LinkedIn I have found that I have a better chance at getting hired after college. This site offers different resources in finding and being found for jobs.

A little history about the site

It was started in 2003 and it's hiring solutions were used by 69 of the Fortune 100 companies. Plus all the executives from 2010 Fortune 500 companies are members. LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network on the internet. It is currently available in six languages and more than half of the members are located outside of the United States. The picture below reiterates some of the things I just said and a few other fun statistics.

What you can do on the site

This site lets you create a profile for the business search. It allows you to add where you may have worked before, your résumé, you can even ask for recommendations. The more complete your profile is the better chance you have at being found by companies that you may want to work for.

The best part is you can follow companies that you are interested in. If you are looking for a job you can even specify what position you may be looking for and it'll pull up companies that are offering that position. It also takes you right to the hiring site for that company.

Networking on the site

Networking is the best thing to do now a days with the current technology and the given economy. Once you have joined the site and start looking for friends or colleagues, you can begin networking. The people you follow follow other people who may be able to put in a good word for you down the line (remember those recommendations I mentioned earlier?).
Every time you log in it will tell you how many connections you have and how many new people are in your network.

Why you should join

Just by joining you have a better chance of being found in the job world. You can find jobs or they may find you. When you update your profile, Linkedin shows you jobs you may be interested in. It also lets you decide where you want to look for jobs, whether it is local or half way across the country, you may find something right for you. Also once you join and you find yourself in a company and have questions, you can ask right on there and someone within your realm of work will answer. There are even applications where you can upload powerpoint presentations you may have created for a job before and even a portfolio for your work. This site gives you every opportunity to look for jobs and be seen by top companies through searches.

There's even a mobile app for the site so you can check in even when you're on the go and not near the computer.

By recently joining LinkedIn, my network is growing and I'm finding jobs that peak my interests. So if you want to get a head start on looking for jobs I would definitely suggest checking this site out!