I was pleasantly surprised to find that LinkedIn Premium was completely worth it if you are trying to be very active in your job search. That's the spoiler of this post... if you're trying to get serious about your job search, you should try the free trial of LinkedIn Premium.
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The Facts
LinkedIn Premium has three different tiers of memberships but I chose the one that costs $24.95 a month. It's called "Career" and I'm sure that is the one most people choose because it is geared toward people looking for jobs and career advancements.When you sign up for 'Career' on LinkedIn Premium you are granted access to new features that are going to be beneficial when it comes to applying for jobs. I'll go into more detail in the 'pros' section of this post but for now, these are the major differences in LinkedIn Premium compared to regular LinkedIn.
- You get unlimited InMail messages meaning that you can message anyone on LinkedIn, even if you are not connected to them.
- You can see how you measure to other candidates applying for the same job
- Full access to who has viewed your profile
- Instant access to salary insights
- You will be seen as a 'Featured Candidate' to recruiters and hiring managers
The Pros
Truthfully, everything I listed above is a pro. All the features you get through LinkedIn Premium is going to help you stand out but also understand the job applying process a little more.
My favorite parts of LinkedIn Premium and what I found to be the most useful was the unlimited InMail messaging and being able to view everyone who looks at your profile. I'm almost positive I was able to see the job poster more often than when I was a regular LinkedIn customer.
For example, if I was applying for a job and I see the job poster, I was able to InMail them and introduce myself. It definitely led to a few interviews so it was very positive. People on LinkedIn expect to be messaged and it's totally normal, especially if they are the job poster.
Another example is that if I applied for a job, and saw that someone from the company viewed my profile, I knew that they were semi-interested in me. It did wonders for my confidence levels but it was also useful because it helped the job stand out in mind and if I wanted to, I could InMail that person as well.
The salary insights as well as seeing how I measured up to other candidates helped immensely. It helped me understand the type of job I was really looking for if a job was worth it to me, and/or if I was semi-qualified for the position.
Applying for jobs on LinkedIn was always a lot easier for me than any other website because I felt like I didn't get lost in the applicant pool. You are able to see if your application was viewed, you can see who is interested in you and you're able to message people who have similar career paths. I just find it so much more effective in finding a job than any other website (this isn't sponsored LOL) so to me, LinkedIn Premium is like regular LinkedIn on steroids and worth every penny.
After I completed my free trial, I did, in fact, pay the subscription fee because I wanted the service throughout my job search. I did find my current job on LinkedIn and am confident that LinkedIn Premium helped me do that.
Let me also say, if you are not searching for a new job, I do not think the subscription is necessary. While it is a hefty price tag for a subscription, if you are serious about spicing things up in your job search, I cannot recommend it enough. Cancel another subscription of yours for a few months or move finances around until you get the job you deserve... LinkedIn Premium is amazing.
If you're interested in a post about how I used LinkedIn for my job search, outside of premium, please let me know!
xoxo
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