LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a form of social media used for building and expanding your professional network. This platform is not used to exclusively connect you with your friends and family, but rather to connect you with other professionals beyond your personal network. The social component of LinkedIn may look like a job posting, news and announcements about a company expansion, or even academic programs to help you succeed in specific careers. In contrast to this, a Facebook feed may appear as a meme with words of affirmation, self-care tips, a personal reflection, or a political stance about current events. Being aware of the etiquette of using each type of platform helps ensure successful outcomes on each type of social media. In addition to these features, LinkedIn tracks those in your network, and notifies you of work anniversaries or other important milestones that help keep you professionally connected. Using the messaging link allows you to reach out to others with private messages to either inquire about a job posting, congratulate others on their work anniversary, or make a new connection with a potential employer.

As a tool for professional networking, LinkedIn has been very useful to me. This platform allows you to search for jobs using titles, locations, company, or skillset and narrow your search further by either location or by the option of working remotely. As you search for jobs, LinkedIn uses your search history and profile to make recommendations for other job opportunities that may be of interest to you as well. It serves as a “personal assistant” to search for job opportunities, even when you aren’t there to search yourself. Other social media platforms may provide a link about a job posting, but this platform is dedicated to your professional pursuits.

Another useful feature that LinkedIn offers is LinkedIn Learning. This is an upgraded feature that I’ve been able to access as a benefit, through my employment at UNT. This platform offers training and full courses on just about any area that you would want to know more about. From professional development to technical training courses, LinkedIn Learning has it all.

I currently use LinkedIn to search for Instructional Design jobs that are currently hiring, even before I’m ready to begin my job search. This allows me to see other jobs in the field, and special areas of training that I might need to learn more about. In addition, I also discover important details about salary range, technical skills, and companies that hire Instructional Designers. These features make LinkedIn an excellent tool to use as a professional networking platform.