Think LinkedIn Premium isn’t worth the cost? Depending on your current situation and needs from your professional networking experience, it just might be. Here is a closer look at the benefits of the service and how it could help an IT professional’s career in our modern era of social networking.
Start with the Basics
If you frequently use LinkedIn, particularly to connect with and learn about potential clients or job opportunities, LinkedIn Premium may be what you’re looking for. Keep in mind though that it doesn’t come cheap. Pricing for the service starts at $30 per month for jobseekers and unlocks a range of tools and programs such as high impact data about users all over the globe, sales and marketing tools, and eLearning programs after having acquired Lynda.com. LinkedIn has also made global salary information available to some premium users as well as employer data such as company hiring trends, turnover, and other very useful information. LinkedIn at its most basic has become the go-to source of connection for many job seekers and recruiters around the world. Access to these premium features makes it that much easier to find and connect with the right people.
Understanding the Value
All the bells and whistles aside, LinkedIn Premium does come at a cost. And not every job seeker will find the benefit of the service, particularly if they use the social networking platform in a passive manner. LinkedIn Premium is designed for those job seekers who are actively pursuing their next opportunity, often a very specific opportunity. For the basic version of LinkedIn Premium, called Premium Career, users can have access to three InMail messages, messages that can be sent to any LinkedIn user, no connection necessary.
Connecting Across Networks
These messages can be very helpful in making connections outside of your current network. If you are either new to the industry or are looking to expand your network in a meaningful way, the access to professionals outside of your immediate network is very valuable. However, three messages might not get you as far as you need. In that case, the next level up, Premium Business, might be the level of service that best serves your needs. This level includes 15 InMail messages per month, as well as advanced search filters, unlimited searches in your extended network and additional company data. The price for this top level professional networking comes in at just under $50 per month if billed annually, so if you’re just looking for a network boost to help you find your next job, this is a bit more than what you’ll need.
In fact, what you would most likely benefit from as a job seeker is short-term access to a wider network to help you identify the right opportunities and connect with the hiring managers who can help you get your foot in the door. Once they land the new job they’ve been hoping for, many job seekers who have gone Premium switch back to Basic. But it’s great to know the services are available when and if you need them again.
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