LinkedIn Just Stepped It Up Introducing LinkedIn Profinder

LinkedIn Just Stepped It Up Introducing LinkedIn Profinder image via www.linkedin.com You think it’s silly to make a profile since you still have a lot of schooling left and need to acquire more experience for the field you want to go into. But what if I told you that it’s more important now than ever before to make a LinkedIn account? LinkedIn just made a huge change to accommodate the ever-adapting workforce, and this is a bandwagon that you definitely want to jump on. LinkedIn just launched a new service called LinkedIn Profinder, which connects consumers with independent service providers. That’s right freelance people, this one is for you! This is a place where short-term gigs and freelance handiwork will thrive. I was so excited to see this addition, because on the regular platform, it was extremely hard for me to find anything in writing and editing that worked for me, but now I’ll be able to offer my writing service as a freelancer, and can also simply search for something temporary if I am short on cash. This is a goldmine for college students, because a lot of us will have more freelance experience as we earn our way towards our degrees so we will look good on these applications. This is calling all of you creative folk who like to design wedding invites, you life coaches, you math whizzes who can do people’s taxes, and so on. And who is to say that you only have to offer your own services? This is a great way for you to find local freelancers if you ever need help on something. Maybe you are trying to make a name for yourself with your art and need a professional looking website, which you don’t know how to really do, so you go on LinkedIn Profinder and get matched with the perfect web design freelancer for the job. There are over 150 service areas to choose from so far, and I’m sure this will grow as LinkedIn gathers more data on what the public wants. But how does it really work? Well, you get to put yourself out there for free until you hit 10 places, and then LinkedIn is going to require that you get a membership for $60 a month. This isn’t all bad since after you sign up, you can then submit your resume and profile an unlimited amount of times, meaning more business/services for you! The great thing is that LinkedIn is so popular and widespread that tons of people will be clicking on your freelance services, and you know that it’s a site that you can trust since people have to give their names, a photo, and you’ll be able to review their profile before agreeing to anything. If you are the one requesting a service, LinkedIn Profinder will try and get about five professionals to respond to your inquiry in 24 hours. This is really nifty since it would take you much longer to research all of the freelancers yourself, and LinkedIn can help highlight the good ones for you so you can save time and won’t get frustrated. pexels.com So what does this all mean? Well, if you haven’t already, you need to make a LinkedIn account, like right now. No seriously, stop reading this for a second and go make one. You can use it for a freelance job now, build up some credibility and get some endorsements, and then use it later on for a 9-5 job, or continue with freelance. You don’t have to pay right away, so you can beef up your profile and check it out before you commit if you are still a bit unsure. When thinking about what you want to put on your profile for Profinder, you might want to tweak it a bit from what you merely have printed on your resume. Sure, a client needs to know that you are qualified, but also seeing your dedication and how your service will be their best bet is a great thing to have in there as well. Make sure to be professional and friendly if a client contacts you, and if you have samples of your work, make sure there is a link or a photo on your profile so a potential client knows what you are capable of. The sooner you learn how to navigate this job marketplace, the more prepared you will be. Even if you are doing job and freelance job searches outside of the LinkedIn site, a lot of online applications let you link your LinkedIn account to them so you don’t have to type out all of your experience and things like that, so that is a great time saver as well. In a world that moves as quickly as ours does, you always want to be one step ahead of the competition, and LinkedIn Profinder is here to help with that. Check out this article by John Nemo for more information!