Grads and Job Seekers…Get Online and LinkedIn!

I spent a day recently meeting with company recruiters.  What struck me is the pace of change that graduates (and any job seekers for that matter) now face as they enter the marketplace.  It is costly and time consuming for companies to find good people.  Employers, understandably, are looking for low cost, accurate measures of quality hires.  Enter LinkedIn – a powerful online platform that allows graduates and job seekers to load information online in a professional context, so that they can be found as well as research and locate opportunities themselves and network with other professionals.

As a career professional, often working with youth and graduates, I am known to preach…”it’s not what you know (although that is a good start), it’s not who you know (although important too)…it’s WHO KNOWS YOU!”  And yet, I’m astounded by how many young people don’t know about LinkedIn. It’s dangerous to only take job hunting advice from parents (who may have limited experience, decades old) or people who may mean well but have not have worked in industry themselves for quite some time.  It’s a well known fact that the majority of jobs go unadvertised. Perhaps they think it’s for the ‘oldies’….news alert – the oldies (aka industry professionals, of all ages) are hiring.  Connect in person, connect online.. and get LinkedIn!

Lois Keay-Smith

Director, Career Wisdom