How Millennials are using LinkedIn [InfoGraphic]

According to recent research conducted by Carat, Millennials are perceived to be connected 24/7, love celebrity, be “over-educated,” and tend to overshare. In an effort to dispel many of those stereotypes and shine a light on all the positives of being a Millennial, LinkedIn's Associate Content Marketing Manager, Alex Rynne, has produced the  Millennial Playbook, to help Millennials realize their full potential on LinkedIn. 

Explains Rynne: 

Millennials are defined as the generation born between 1980 and the mid 2000s. And I’m one of them. We’re the largest, most diverse generation around the globe. In fact, research shows we are more tech-savvy, creative, and career driven and have invested more in human capital than previous generations.

LinkedIn analyzed millennials’ use of the professional network for an eBook, and our friends at Column Five shared some of its findings in infographic form. The findings by LinkedIn included:

• There are some 2 billion millennials globally, and 87 million of them are on LinkedIn, accounting for 38 percent of its user base.
• More than 11 million global millennial decision makers are on LinkedIn, accounting for 12 percent of total millennials.
• The top millennial job on LinkedIn is salesperson, at more than 2.7 million.
• The top three things millennials look for in a job are advancement opportunities (67 percent), better pay (60 percent) and challenging work (51 percent).

In particular, the LinkedIn Millennials Playbook identifies four key trendsets driving Millennials' behavior in the workplace. 

Millennial Trendset 1: 

There are a grand total of 2 billion Millennials out there in the world. Their economic influence is nothing to sneeze at: Millennials claim purchasing power of $1 trillion annually. With a predicted 6.4 billion connected devices by the end of 2016, there is more opportunity than ever for Millennials to influence purchase decisions, influence each other, and be influenced.

As for LinkedIn, Millennials make up 38% of the professional network's user base globally. Not only are Millennials on LinkedIn actively engaging on the platform, but over 11 million global Millennial decision makers are on LinkedIn.

Millennial Trendset 2:

Millennials are taking the workforce by storm. In fact, by 2020, Millennials will
make up 50% of the workforce. They are hustlers: entrepreneurial, motivated and ambitious. This is reflected in what millennials want in a job: 

• 67% want Advancement Opportunities
• 60% ask for Better Pay
• 51% crave Challenging Work

Says Page Williams, Senior Manager, Member Marketing & Communications at LinkedIn: 

We are not a generation of suits and ties, but rather creators and entrepreneurs.

Millennial Trendset 3:

Personal Branding clearly is the most appealing feature on LinkedIn for most millennials. Says Mel Carson, the Editorial and Social Media Manager at BitTorrent: “Your personal brand is your responsibility. Never before has there been more of an opportunity to use technology, social media, and common sense to tell your professional story, stand up, and stand out in an increasingly crowded digital space.”

If there is one piece of advice to guide millennials take full advantage of the world's biggest professional network, in my opinion it should be these words from Mel's colleague, Lauren Hockenson, the Editorial and Social Media Manager at BitTorrent:

“Becoming known as a thought leader shouldn’t be your goal. It’s just the icing on the cake of creating something truly innovative. When you’re willing to take risks and do things that are unconventional, you’ll find others in your industry looking to mimic you and learn from you, and eventually you may earn the respect that labels you a thought leader.”

Millennial Trendset 4:

This section features the top millennial influencers to follow on LinkedIn and Twitter: 

• Top Millennials in Marketing to Follow
• Top Millennial Entrepreneurs to Follow
• Top Millennial Influencers in Career Advice
• Top Millennial Influencers in Tech

And finally, here is the promised InfoGraphic on the magnetic influence Millennials hold on LinkedIn 

To download the LinkedIn Millennial Playbook, go here