George Wilhelmsen ⋅ Rochelle, IL Sargent & Lundy ⋅ 38 years experience

As a hiring manager, I use LinkedIn to get insights on a candidate. The recruiters use it for their purposes as described above.

For me, it's another source of information that can help me make sure you are the right fit for my company and the job I have open.

Best wishes, and thank you for your service.

Donald Truss ⋅ Bridgewater, NJ Solidus Services Group ⋅ 31 years experience

Yes. When we recommend a candidate we include a link to their LinkedIn profile. IN fact, the easiest way to create a resume is to build your linkedIn profile and then download it

John Green ⋅ Cary, NC Information Technology ⋅ 40 years experience

This question pertains to a wider, more broadly scoped issue. LinkedIn is only one online point-of-presence.

A job seeker needs a comprehensive online presence which includes more than just a LinkedIn profile. A well-established professional will have a custom Web Site (see Template monster for templates), presence on all major job boards like Monster, Indeed, CareerBuilder, etc. and routinely blog or participate in online forums of the chosen profession.

In addition, the earnest job seeker will diligently email and interact with recruiters daily. Someone who applies for less than several hundred positions in a day is not an earnest job seeker, IMHO. This requires a fully thought-out and well proof-read profile and resume. Its pointless to send out resumes with grammar problems or spelling problems. Its equally pointless to send out resumes or post profiles that do not follow the tried and true rules of composition, where you start your sentences with an impactful verb and such sentences contain quantifiable and measurable results of your efforts. "Led a team" or "Managed a team" is not useful; whereas, "Reduced expenses thirty-eight percent through reallocating units of work within a team of six professionals." makes a direct application of your skill.

Dan Dalton ⋅ Hayward, CA Defense Industrial embedded computer systems ⋅ 30 years experience

It is very important to have a strong profile with unsolicited and solicited recommendations. You also need to put in the keywords for your field. Many recruiters search Linkedin ahead of any contact. Use a good current photo.

David Aron ⋅ Washington, DC Commodity Futures Trading Commission ⋅ 23 years experience

A number of recruiters use LinkedIn to recruit people, so a LinkedIn profile can help you get recruiting calls even when you're not looking. You might even be interested in some of those opportunities. It's probably best to use a picture of you wearing professional clothing.

Jason Alexander ⋅ New York, NY BNY Mellon ⋅ 4 years experience

Your LinkedIn profile should be an extension of your resume. A place where you can include the details regarding your experience, education, skills, and the organizations that you have been a part of that cannot fit onto a 1 page resume. I view LinkedIn as an important networking COMMUNICATION tool and not as a substitute for actual networking events and meeting people in person. As far as photos go, I have heard from HR people that non-military photos tend to be preferred over uniformed ones.