Who would have guessed that LinkedIn has been around for 10 years? The site that can be dubbed ‘Facebook of the Business World’ just celebrated its decade of success in early May.  According to Visual.ly, the site is home to over 200 million users, 64% of these users being located outside of the Untied States.  The premise of LinkedIn, for those unfamiliar with the site, is to connect individuals in the business world.  It shares many similarities with other social media sites as well; you have the ability to connect with people, similar to ‘friending’ someone on Facebook, or ‘following’ someone on Twitter.  When you request to connect with someone, LinkedIn will offer you six different types of connections to select: colleague, classmate, ‘we’ve done business together,’ friend, other, and I don’t know ____.   When making a connection, LinkedIn also offers the ability to include a personal note in the connection invitation.

Today, LinkedIn has become a great resource for new graduates or those looking for work.  Not only does LinkedIn permit job seekers the opportunity to look at company profiles, it also enables recruiters to scope out potential new hires by checking out their profiles, which act as resumes.  This not only saves both parties time, but it permits both groups the ability to better understand the experiences and the opposite party’s interests.

Additionally, to understand LinkedIn, you need to understand the importance of creating a proper LinkedIn profile.  Your LinkedIn profile is the most important aspect of creating a LinkedIn account.   A LinkedIn user should think of their account as an interactive resume that also includes recommendations, endorsements, and connections.  A LinkedIn profile enables the user to input information into the following main categories: experience, projects, languages, and publications.   You can also add: organizations, honors and awards, test scores, courses, patents, certifications, and volunteering and causes.  According to Forbes.com, there are seven important ways to make the best LinkedIn profile possible:

1. Customize your URL
2. Write a crisp, detailed summary of your career.
3. Flesh out the experience section.
4. List your skills.
5. Get at least five recommendations
6. Add websites that showcase your work.
7. Connect.

LinkedIn can be a fantastic resource for hiring, networking, and job-hunting when used correctly, and is a very relevant resource in today’s business world.