LinkedIn is a social network and recruitment platform used by millions across the world. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, the website was launched in May of 2003. The company’s revenue comes from member subscriptions, advertising sales, and talent solutions. LinkedIn is soon to be acquired by Microsoft (2016).

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The Good

Price range
Reach
Special features
Experience
Customer support

Price Range

LinkedIn offers free public individual profile and company pages as a form of social networking. Company pages can showcase a business to potential employees or customers. Personal profiles allow workers to make connections, give recommendations, and search for relevant employment opportunities. Users can share articles, videos, comments, and ideas with followers and connections. Additional services must be purchased. The basic LinkedIn premium plans and prices are as follows:

Job Seeker: 1 free month, then $29.99/month
Business Plus: 1 free month, then $47.99/month
Sales Navigator Professional: 1 free month, then $64.99/month
Recruiter Lite: 1 free month, then starts at $99.95/month

Larger companies with more extensive recruitment or advertising goals can upgrade to sponsored content to get their company's updates to more people, attract new followers, and get their message out on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. These plans are set up based on the company's budget and can be cost per click or cost per impression. Similar to the premium plans' option for a free trial, a free demo is available for sponsored content.

Reach

LinkedIn has over 433 million account members, with 106 million unique visiting members each month. There are 128 million members in the U.S., but the majority live in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Special Features

Accounts upgraded to premium have a number of additional avenues available to successfully network. These premium accounts are Job Seeker, Business Plus, Sales Navigator, and Recruiter Lite. Larger businesses with more recruiting needs as well as ad agencies can find additional plans and opportunities through LinkedIn's sales team. Job Seeker features:

Direct messaging to recruiters with 3 InMail credits
Move to top of recruiters' applicant lists
See who's viewed your profile in last 90 days and how they found you
See how you compare to other candidates with applicant insights

Business Plus features:

15 InMail messages to contact anyone on LinkedIn
Business Insights: access to key metrics and trends of company
See who's viewed you in last 90 days and how they found you
Unlimited profile search

Sales Navigator features:

15 InMail messages
Sales insights on accounts and leads, job changes, company growth
Advanced search with custom lead lists and advanced search filters
See what prospects interested in you in last 90 days
Unlimited profile search
Lead recommendations and saved leads

Recruiter Lite features:

30 InMail messages with templates
Advanced search for finding candidates
Track candidates and open roles with Projects
Recruiting-specific design
See who's viewed you in the last 90 days
Unlimited profiles from search results and suggested profiles
Access all of Job Seeker Premium consumer features

LinkedIn has a number of mobile apps for both iOS and Android devices. The apps are:

LinkedIn-website functions adapted for mobile app
Job search-search for and apply in one click
Lookup-find, learn about, and contact coworkers
Lynda.com-expert-led courses available for download
SlideShare-access to over 18 million presentations, infographics, and videos
LinkedIn Groups-industry conversations (iOS only)
Pulse-daily professional news source

Premium Apps:

Recruiter-search and review profiles of potential hires
Sales Navigator-find leads and accounts in target market, connect, and get updates
Elevate-find and share interesting articles

Experience

LinkedIn was co-founded in 2003 by Reid Hoffman and a team of colleagues he had worked with from SocialNet and PayPal. The company began as a way for professionals to connect with each other, like an online address book. The following year they introduced groups, and in 2005 job posting and subscriptions became available. With a little over 11 years of experience in the job search industry, LinkedIn isn't the longest-standing company, but it's been around long enough to make major progress over the years, especially with its reach.

Customer Support

LinkedIn has a help forum discussion board where users can ask questions and receive responses from other users as well as LinkedIn staff. Users can sort discussion threads by most active, most votes, and newest, and apply more specific filters as they search for similar inquiries. The preferred contact with customer service directly was via an online form. After requesting information, customers immediately receive an automated answer acknowledging receipt of the issue. Responses are generally answered within 24 hours.

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The Bad

Resources and learning materials

Resources and Learning Materials

LinkedIn provides surprisingly little educational content to free account holders. Of course, their social network platform is a great avenue to find and share materials, lists, and tips on job-related items from other sources, but there are many other job search websites that have a more broad and deep reservoir of articles on their blogs. Paid job seekers get access to Lynda.com, a partner site and app with over 4,000 expert-led employment and business courses. Anyone can access a free trial to Lynda services through the website or app before needing to pay.

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The Bottom Line

LinkedIn has a great reputation with business professionals and companies across nearly every industry, and it is a clear leader in its own industry of job search and recruitment. Users have access to people, jobs, news, updates, and insights that can help lead to relevant jobs or potential employees. Job seekers do have to pay to access many of the features on LinkedIn, like their InMail messaging system, whereas most companies do not charge job seekers. But where it seems like everyone is on LinkedIn nowadays, it's probably worth the investment.

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User Reviews

Star Rating

4.2

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532 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

56%

4 grade

31%

3 grade

2 grade

1 grade

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Maria Fernandez Arguello

I know the company because I were subscript on the professional area to get connected with the companies where we're interested to connect for jobs. At the beguinning all was good, but when was making bigger the company, started to create regulation and collecting more and more money as monthly Payment. I considered that it wasn't what I was looking for. And I retired from the.

3 months ago

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Sharon Las Vegas, NV

I use LinkedIn for professional networking, to connect with business leaders, and to find employment. LinkedIn has an online platform called LinkedIn Learning, where you can learn from experts utilizing video courses in areas such as business and technology. This platform was helpful to me when I was advancing in my career. There are even courses where you can gain certifications. LinkedIn is a trusted site for all my employment needs.

11 months ago

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Kevin Ortiz

There is absolutely no competition for LinkedIn as a social media platform for professionals! I believe the community is what makes the platform, so good however, there is always a fine line between sharing content from a professional standpoint and individuals sharing content related to their success is not necessarily in a professional manner. The consistency of the interface throughout different platforms is great for example, iPad, iPhone, and Mac OS have very similar navigation design as well as the linked in website. I also like how the app is able to suggest different types of connections, for example, people you may know from work, people you may know from university or college, or people who are in the same field as you. I believe it is a great tool for networking. I periodically pay for the premium app, especially to see who has viewed my profile or when I’m trying to recruit new talent. However, for the valuate as I’m leaving a little expensive.

1 year ago

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Janessa P Logan, UT

I liked LinkedIn because it allows me to make connections and have a network of people I know and can find a job through. I find it very convenient. I also like the opportunities to learn more and about finding a job and tips for interviewing and finding a a job. I appreciate the options it gives. I do not like that it seems so locked down with logins and requires you to add so much information about yourself. I also dislike the subscription service!

9 months ago

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Amani Patel Harrisonburg, VA

Probably one of my favorite search engines for jobs. Most jobs are relevant and applicable, based on my profile. I find that sometimes searching certain keywords does not yield relevant results, but I can usually find the ones that fit my profile after picking through a few. The ease with applying and saving jobs is also a huge plus, and makes LinkedIn one of the first sites I use!

10 months ago

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George 97 North Bergen, NJ

Linkedin helped me get my first full-time job. I had spent months going from one part-time job to another trying to make ends meet. A friend told me about linkedin. I signed up and completed my profile, that's how my employer contacted me. I was invited for interviews and I was hired full-time. Thank you linkedin.

10 months ago

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Tri Ngo

LinkedIn allows creating company page, it is easy to create and marketing of service or products is easy on LinkedIn after subscription. I meet new people from the same profession,we connect and chat on experience gained in the same profession this has increased my knowledge.

11 months ago

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Ashley D Tallahassee, FL

Honestly, LinkedIn is the best place to network and connect for your career. Every company uses it and there's so many features to truly showcase your profile, such as showing other powerful people you're connected to, your certifications, etc. Most places usually send you certifications that go directly to your LinkedIn profile, like my adobe cloud certification. There are also tests on LinkedIn you can take to demonstrate your proficiency or mastery in that particular area which is really cool. I do think everyone should have LinkedIn and just continue building on it. For me, it took me a while to make use of the features available to me but after you get the hang of it, networking becomes much easier. I have connected with doctors from all over the country!

3 years ago

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Abril Hunter Tallahassee, FL

LinkedIn is my favorite professional development social media app at the moment. I love the way it allows for you to connect with friends, family and Your professional net work in order to increase his ability to jobs. I really enjoy the job search feature as well as I feel that it is one of the most up-to-date applications in that regard. Additionally the hashtag that you can follow on LinkedIn are substantially helpful and a job search, but also and staying up today on topics that you were interested in. Overall, I always find myself going back to LinkedIn because I have such a positive experience was not only the job search parts of the application but also the media interaction.

3 years ago

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Samara Jakavicius Sydney, NSW

I have been a member for a few years and through their service have maintained or begun professional relationships I would otherwise not have had the chance to develop. When employers are looking at hiring someone with my expertise and use LinkedIn I will quite often show up in their search. I am then notified in the app that this has happened and I can then look at who is searching and if interested I can then send them a message. Being able to follow people or companies of interest is also a great feature as this can sometimes be informative or beneficial to my career or life in general. Very well thought out app that has been a great tool to furthering my career.

3 years ago Edited December 30, 2021

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Emma Morrill

LinkedIn has been my go to job search site! They provide a lot of good accurate information for employees to look at. I wish they would post better salary information though. Many times they will list the “average pay” for a job instead of what the actual company is offering. Going into an interview and being told you’ll be making less money is not fun. I like the feature where you can review companies you’ve worked for. This is extremely helpful to see how the company was for other employees before accepting a position.

1 year ago

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Heather H Sanford, FL

LinkedIn is an excellent tool for job searches where both employers and employees benefit from networking. The ability to customize profiles and interact with businesses and people is outstanding. The searching and navigation on LinkedIn is valuable.

1 year ago

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Ricardo Ortiz Fredericksburg, VA

I use LinkedIn because it is for professionals, free version is excellent and if you can pay better. Customer service is excellent, great people to help you step by step. Many companies and people to share excellent information. Best of all is it professional presentation and outcome.

1 year ago

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Jason Atlanta, GA

Linkedin was very helpful when looking for jobs out of college. I still get on Linkedin everyday to keep up with other professionals. Now, I also help with recruiting at my company and we use Linkedin and we have found some pretty good candidates.

1 year ago

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Darrin Pelham Rincon, GA

LinkedIn has a wide array of jobs that you can narrow your search from and you can add your own parameters to help you. There is also a feature that you can be alerted for jobs in the range that you are looking for so you don't really have to search it brings the jobs to you. The features are free but I really like what all you can do on the site that others might charge you for.

3 years ago

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Cade Boudreaux , FL

Linkedin is a great website. It’s easy to make your profile and get your name out there to local jobs. My favorite thing about it is how personalized you can make your prolife to where it feels like it’s not just generic.

4 years ago

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Michael Martinez Belleville, NJ

LinkedIn is the best site for career advancement, finding new jobs, keeping up with the latest news in your field and just being able to network in general. LinkedIn also allows you to post your resume online so that recruiters and others can see exactly what your job title is and what you're currently doing/done in the past. You can also post your skills, be endorsed for what you're good at and can have others write recommendations for you about your character and personality.

8 years ago

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Mary Fernandes New York, NY

LinkedIn seemed to start out slowly but has in recent years been a very useful tool in the workplace and for recruiting. I like that it has remained very professional in terms of the postings, and I have found this to be a great tool for networking in my field. While I do not use the subscription services, I do like being contacted by the company about their new offerings. I love seeing individuals’ qualifications and skills upfront, and now LinkedIn is a daily part of my work routine.

2 years ago Edited January 3, 2022

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Thomas Nuffer Lindon, UT

Very good too make connections with people you do or dont know. And making connections is a huge part of getting good jobs, and with LinkedIn you can see jobs that are hiring and you can see what jobs other people have. You can also post your resume to there and have people see it and recognize your skills which may allow you to get a job. This website have many uses which are all beneficial to everybody.

2 years ago

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Happy Life Doha, DA

Linkedin is a more practical social media platform than many other, with mostly professional and respectable people hanging out here. Another best part is that so many companies trust and place genuine job vacancies here. Linkedin sends me relevant job ads exactly matching the criteria I had set rather than generic one. The only disliked feature is that high profile members cannot be messaged to unless we have enough followers ourselves.

3 years ago

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Randie S. Edmond, OK

I like LinkedIn. I can view my coworker's profiles, keep in contact with references, and easily update my resume. As an added bonus, I can save that resume directly to my computer and phone so I always have it (since everyone seems to be doing digital applications now)! Lastly, I haven't seen any drama like there is on Facebook. It's social interactions between employees and across nations but without the unnecessary things. Very professional!

3 years ago

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Brittney Mac Gregor Louisville, KY

Linkin is a great social media networking app/site. I have met and expanded my network by leaps and bounds. These days in my field, IT, potential employers want to see your linkedin profile before they will even invite you in to interview. I have also used the linkedin premium for sometime and when actively searching for a job, feel that it's actually worth the fee to use.

3 years ago

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Anne Sainsbury Salt Lake City, UT

LinkedIn was a life saver while looking for a job for my husband during the past year. We turned on a number of alerts to help him find jobs that he was interested in within our area. It was so easy to message recruiters back and forth on the platform and most people already have their resume on there which made the process of filling out applications fairly straightforward. A number of recruiting platforms are also integrated with LinkedIn so that you can quickly apply for positions using the information from your LinkedIn profile which also was a huge perk!

3 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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jonesaw Houston, TX

LinkedIn should be your one stop location for job search and resume building. It is an excellent place to build a large network of people and stay current with the latest trends in various industries. One of the best tools you can utilize is the job search tool: it has gotten me many interviews over the years and also connected me to many people (including recruiters) who have given me job referrals. Remember it isn't what you know, it is who you know!

3 years ago

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Jackie Hanko Tampa, FL

This website is more effective than any other website when it comes looking for jobs because you can see that you have connections that can help you talk to somebody in the company and it’s nice that you can apply street from LinkedIn and I have to put in all your information over and over again in each website that you’re applying to… I’ve been able to reach out to friends about positions at other companies and get information from them to know whether it would be a good fit or not

3 years ago

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ISMAIL MUSOSI Kampala, 102

Since 2009, I have been on linkedIn and I can only say, that this is the real deal, it is a job social network that enabled me to connect with old students I went to school with on top of giving me the ability to build a professional profile online. In the beginning I had no idea of what I could achieve from linkedIn, but from posting my experience, achievements and numerous articles, I can instantly share my profile with a potential employer without even sending them my resume. Thank you linkedIn.

4 years ago

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Jaci Rhoades Irving, TX

I like that LinkedIn allows you to show a timeline of your personal and professional life. You're allowed to disclose information about your achievements based on your personal and professional life. This allows the potential employer a full perspective of things that were going on in your life while obtaining your career and pursuing your dreams.

4 years ago

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Brennan Orem, UT

LinkedIn is amazing for anyone trying to find a job especially being able to use your network to do so. The ability that LinkedIn gives a job searcher to network with people they know gives them a huge advantage in getting their foot in the door. I feel like LinkedIn offers something that other job searches can't. I will always use LinkedIn for any future job search.

5 years ago

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Brody B Orem, UT

The best part about using LinkedIn's Job Search feature is the fact that you have a network to get your foot in the door. This is something that no one else offers and is very valuable. Getting an introduction to the right people is exactly what every job seeker needs and LinkedIn allows for that. Build a network and start to connect to make your job search easier. LinkedIn=Amazing

5 years ago

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Katie Howard Pleasant Grove, UT

The great part about LinkedIn, as opposed to other job sites, is that the jobs often come to you. Recruiters have contacted us many times about potential jobs even when we haven't been looking, and they almost always find us on LinkedIn. The other sites are important if you're out looking for work, but it's essential to have a profile on LinkedIn even in those cases.

6 years ago

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Adam Crawley Pleasant Grove, UT

I recently updated my LinkedIn profile. The platform has been easy to use and very helpful in getting an internship for me. I've been able to connect with several potential employers and other recruiting folk. Althgouh the platform is great, I would love for the platform to have more tools on how beginners like myself could use it to its full potential. I also don't like how the default settings allow people to see who has viewed there profile.

6 years ago

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Elyse Bradley Provo, UT

This is a great website for professional networking, and it's FREE! Why on earth wouldn't you join? I've been a member for over 5 years and made some decent connections and even gotten contacted directly about potential job opportunities. The user interface is easy to navigate and helps you polish your resume. Highly recommend for any professional looking to get a step ahead.

6 years ago

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Robert Horn II Pahrump, NV

When I was job hunting I placed my resume on LinkedIn. I received several good inquiries. LinkedIn is great for networking which is so important while searching for that perfect position.

1 year ago

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Allison Talbot Riverton, UT

Linkedin is a great search engine for finding jobs. The only downside is you are most likely going to the 100th applicant on a job posting and you will never be contacted. It's a great way to see who is hiring, but I'd most likely go to the company website to apply instead of through Linkedin.

1 year ago

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Allan Freedman Monrovia, MD

I have used linkedin for both searching for a job and listing jobs. It is a solid job platform for job seekers and employers. Well thought out and easy to use. Prices for job postings are reasonable. LinkedIn is a very good program.

1 year ago

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Mindy Clarke Tacoma, WA

I have a profile that I used to use for Job Search, now I use it for my Marketing Business. It connects me to like minded people who have the same focus as I, building a online business.

1 year ago

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Jasmin Mena

LinkedIn has been the only place that has led to contacts from employers without me having to initiate it first. It's positive for me to see that employers actually use the service and considered me a good candidate. Only negative, and not necessarily LinkedIn's fault, is that a lot of employers are not upfront about the salary. Nobody wants their time wasted just to find out in the end that what they can offer is not what you want to take.

1 year ago

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Who Knows

Linked In is a great website for job searching. They always have all the newer jobs listed. Linked In is what i use every time i job search. I've gotten many interviews. Absolutely recommend!

2 years ago

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Nashali Vescovacci Fort White, FL

I like this company because it allows people to showcase their skills and find more opportunities for jobs. The website is also fairly easy to use and provides a great atmosphere for the job searching process.

3 years ago

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Morgan Tennant Shelley, ID

LinkedIn is the perfect place to find jobs! It's easy to connect with employers and quickly send them your resume. I also love that you can get notifications via email about progress in the hiring process!

3 years ago

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Yolanda Queer Shelley, ID

LinkedIn is a way to more professionally connect with potential employers. I feel like I am set apart from other candidates when I apply via LinkedIn. It's more structured than other job search websites.

3 years ago

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Paige Stockard Wichita, KS

LinkedIn is a great way to make and keep connections with people that you go to school with or are in your workplace. It's also super easy to connect with people in your field of expertise or the field that you want to pursue a career in!

4 years ago

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Lizzy Puentes Tallahassee, FL

LinkedIn is very simple to use. You make your profile and once searching for jobs, you can just link your already uploaded profile, resume, and other tools you can use. There are many jobs on the website so there is a large variety of careers you can choose from.

4 years ago

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Thomas Hullinger Pleasant Grove, UT

LinkedIn has helped me professionally to stay in contact with a number of people and a number of groups that are easy to follow and I can stay up to date on the latest topic and also know what is going on in the job marketplace. It can also be very specific for me and adjusted to meet my needs.

6 years ago

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Tanner Hales Pleasant Grove, UT

Linkedin is a fairly decent social media platform, but in terms of job searching, I have never had a ton of luck. I think that once it catches on a little better, and more companies recruit through it, Linkedin will become an awesome tool for job searchers. The interface is easy to use, and the recommended jobs are always right in line with what I am looking for. Just needs a few more jobs to search for.

6 years ago

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William South Jordan, UT

I use this site every time I look for a job. I feel like it posts higher quality jobs than other job sites and the employers posting are much more responsive. Definitely my top choice.

7 years ago

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Lindsey American Fork, UT

I think it's a great website for finding jobs. The website is not as user-friendly as I'd like. I've had trouble uploading documents - but that's probably because I'm not a smart enough user :) Overall, I think it's a great and helpful website.

7 years ago

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Hayley Lambdin Orem, UT

LinkedIn is a great online resume resource! I have been able to get in to contact with some wonderful people and I love having an online, professional site to send to future or potential employers.

7 years ago

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Alex Murphy Reno, NV

LinkedIn separates itself from other job search applications in that you can connect through friends and peers. This allows you to get your foot in the door and find the right job for yourself.

7 years ago

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Sandra Dubas Salt Lake City, UT

Linkedin is a wonderful resource and very reliable. I like the jobs that the companies post. However, their website is a little bit confusing and it for sure should be simplified. Also, I like that you can search different companies and learn more about them on their profile.

7 years ago