photo from Unsplash, Marvin Meyer

LinkedIn is my favorite form of social media. I’m constantly scrolling LinkedIn because the people post the best content. It’s encouraging, authentic and fun. 

LinkedIn has created a global network of individuals, job boards and professional development. Not only is it the best social media, it’s also my favorite place to scroll the job boards. 

But how did LinkedIn make its way into my heart? And why should you be a super fan too? Let’s dive into who LinkedIn is by looking at its mission, competition and values. 

1. LinkedIn’s Mission

“The mission of LinkedIn is simple: connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.” It’s used by organizations and individuals, primarily for networking, job hunting and professional development. 

How does LinkedIn accomplish its mission? 

• Job postings and easy applications on LinkedIn
• Profiles that act as living resumes 
• My network, which connects you to people you may know or have mutuals  
• Messaging to talk to other professionals 
• Social stream so people can share professional life experiences
• Creative mode so people can share their work 
• LinkedIn learning (paid) 

Ultimately LinkedIn’s vision is “to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.” As more companies join the LinkedIn network, LinkedIn gets closer to providing a clear, direct way to grow, connect and belong to the professional workforce. 

2. The Competition

So who’s competing with LinkedIn? In comparison to the professionalism of LinkedIn, other social media outlets barely compete. 

The few places I want to pay attention to: 

ZipRecruiter: “The number one” job hunt website  

Facebook  Meta: Connects people together like LinkedIn 

Google: Can share job postings and search for jobs easily 

Monster: Job finder and resume tools

As we pay attention to the ways people find jobs, these are the top companies to pay attention to.

LinkedIn differentiates itself from its competitors through its ability to network, find jobs and grow as a professional.  

3. Attitudes and Core Values of LinkedIn

LinkedIn hosts a large number of attitudes and core values, including:

• Members first 
• Relationships matter
• Open, honest and constructive
• Inspire excellence
• Take intelligent risks
• Act like owner of #OneLinkedIn
• Embody diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging 

In addition to values, LinkedIn strives for a culture focused on transformation, integrity, collaboration, humor and results. 

With their member’s first approach, LinkedIn provides a variety of free services for everyone on LinkedIn. 

How to maximize your LinkedIn experience 

If you haven’t ventured into LinkedIn or have been inactive for a while, I’d recommend diving into its many features. Students, you can use LinkedIn Learning to gain knowledge on skills you haven’t ventured into yet.

I would highly recommend updating your resume and filling out your profile completely. It’s helped me a couple times to point people to my LinkedIn to learn everything about me. 

I also would recommend following organizations and people you admire. Some of my favorite people to follow are Forbes and The Harvard Business Review because they constantly post new and engaging content. 

Finally, try to connect with people in your industry or the people that have the job you want. Unfortunately for me, finding the right people in Trader Joe’s marketing department is hard when there are thousands of grocery Crew Members on LinkedIn, but keep reaching for the moon and you’ll hopefully be able to land among the stars 🙂