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What is LinkedIn? And why does everyone keep telling me I should be using it?

The World's Largest Professional Network (and the hottest recruiting tool!)

LinkedIn began in 2002 as an SNS for business people to help them keep in touch with colleagues and clients as people moved around and changed companies. Users make profiles with as much or as little information as they want about their employment history. Then users can search by a person's name or a company name and find their friends, to connect with.

Quickly, fast growing tech companies, like Google realized these profiles were a great place to search for new employees, and over the past 15 years, LinkedIn has gradually become the most important recruiting tool for international companies and career management tool for individuals. (And that is probably the main reason Microsoft acquired the company in 2016.)

Should I make my work history public?

You decide how much or how little you include in your profile. Many people will start with just with their name and some information about their current role - the kind of thing you would see on their meishi. (Without the phone number or email, of course!) That's all you need to get started. Once you have that basic profile you can start looking around and finding old colleagues. If you find a someone you know and trust, you can send them an invitation to connect.

Use it for research

Once you have registered your account, you can use LinkedIn to learn more about companies and people. Most international companies, large and small, have their own pages. You can find job openings. You can find friends and former colleagues who work there, who may be able to introduce you or help you prepare for interviews. You can look at the profile of the interviewer, before you meet them, to better prepare for the meeting.

Use it to be scouted

If you are interested in finding a new job, be sure to add attractive details: skills, licenses, and work details that match the kind of job you are looking for. If you have the right keywords, there is a good chance that recruiters from companies and agencies will find your profile. You don't need to include all the information in your resume in your LinkedIn profile. Focus on current and relevant to your target job.

Use it for free

LinkedIn has both a free (basic) and a premium service. There is no need to pay to use LinkedIn unless you are a professional recruiter. Jobseekers and people using it to keep in touch with colleagues can get everything they need in the free version.

If you are not using it, you are missing out

As more and more international Japanese companies, and almost all foreign-based multinationals use LinkedIn for their recruiting, if you don't have a profile, you are missing a lot of opportunities. At the time of writing, there are only just over 2 million users in Japan. (There are almost as many users in the tiny nation of Singapore!) These 2 million people have the chance to stand out and be seen by potential employers. Now is a great time to get in and be seen.

Our career transition services include both intro and advanced webinars on using LinkedIn along with individual support in identifying strengths and creating a strong profile. Contact us at Right Management of the ManpowerGroup for more details.