Will LinkedIn be Relevant for 2017 Job Seekers?

Earlier in 2016, I wrote "Is LinkedIn Necessary to Get a Job", and it remains one of the most widely read posts on my blog, www.risingstarresumes.net. At the time, the answer to the question I posed was "yes;" I believe that LinkedIn is still relevant, and will remain so for the time being. While there's been so much change that may shatter its predominance - its impending acquisition by Microsoft, the rise in popularity of beBee.com as an affinity engagement site, and even the newest career-related social media site, targeted toward the niche of start-up and entrepreneurs, AngelList, LinkedIn remains the most relevant way for job candidates to find jobs.

While I love the ease of AngelList's interface, and I've been honored by beBee as one of its brand ambassadors, I am convinced that for the time being, at least, LinkedIn continues to be the more powerful job search tool than either beBee or AngelList, or, for that matter, than the traditional job search engines like Indeed, Monster or TheLadders.com.

Recruiters hang out mostly on LinkedIn, although many have established a presence on beBee, but when recruiters scour social media for passive candidates, LinkedIn remains the go-to site. Why? Well, it's not because literally everyone has a profile on the site; otherwise beBee's rapid growth of membership would eventually catch up with LinkedIn. No, I believe that LinkedIn is relevant because its revenues derive primarily from recruitment, so regardless of its overarching mission to be THE venue for professional networking, its underlying mission is to serve recruitment.

If for no other reason, job candidates need to be on LinkedIn, and they need to have a strategically written profile. That means each member's photo must be carefully selected, not randomly uploaded. It means not opting for your title and employer for your headline, but using relevant keywords to describe yourself within the 120 character allowance. It means having a compelling story in the Summary section that is richly embedded with those keywords, but also tells your story and invites further engagement.

Would you like help crafting a LinkedIn profile that connects you with your target employer? I'm Lynda Spiegel, founder of Rising Star Resumes, a job search coaching and resume writing service. With 15+ years’ experience as a human resources professional, I leverage my experience to help professionals in a variety of industries achieve their career goals. Bragging rights earned as a Wall Street Journal Expert Panelist. Email [email protected] or in the U.S. or Canada call (718) 897 – 5074