Yes, you can create a LinkedIn profile for free. LinkedIn offers a basic free account that allows you to create a profile, connect with other professionals, join groups, follow companies, and search and apply for jobs. Here’s what you need to know about creating a free LinkedIn profile.
Signing Up
To get started on LinkedIn, you simply need to go to www.linkedin.com and click on “Join now.” You’ll be prompted to enter your first name, last name, email address, and a password. LinkedIn will then send a confirmation email to the address you provided – just click on the link in the email to confirm your email address and complete the signup process.
Setting Up Your Profile
After signing up, you can begin setting up your LinkedIn profile. Your profile functions as your professional resume and portfolio on LinkedIn. Here are some tips for setting up a complete profile that properly represents you:
- Add a professional photo – LinkedIn profiles with photos get up to 21 times more profile views.
- Include your experience – List all your work experiences, similar to a resume. Be sure to include company names, job titles, employment dates, and descriptions of your roles and responsibilities.
- Provide your education – List all post-secondary schools you have attended along with your field(s) of study and any degrees or certifications earned.
- Share your skills – Use LinkedIn’s skills feature to showcase your top skills, abilities, and areas of expertise.
- Customize your public profile URL – Claim a unique LinkedIn URL to make your public profile web address clean and professional.
- Write an informative summary – Use your summary section to provide an “elevator pitch” overview of who you are professionally.
Making Connections
One of the key benefits of LinkedIn is being able to connect and network with other professionals. Here are some tips for starting to build up your network on LinkedIn:
- Import contacts – LinkedIn allows you to import your email contacts to see which ones are already on LinkedIn.
- Connect with coworkers and classmates – Search for your current or former coworkers and fellow alumni to connect with.
- Follow companies – Follow companies you are interested in to get their job postings and other updates.
- Join groups – Become a member of professional groups focused on your industry or interests.
- Connect with recruiters – You can follow recruiters in your industry to stay up-to-date on job openings.
- Get social – Engage with other members by liking and commenting on their posts to build relationships.
Finding a Job
One of the most popular uses of LinkedIn is for job searching and recruitment. With a complete profile, you can take advantage of LinkedIn Jobs to find openings that match your experience and interests. Here are some tips for using LinkedIn to aid your job search:
- Turn on “Open to Work” status – This adds a tagline to your profile showing recruiters you are actively job searching.
- Follow target companies – Get notified when your desired employers post new openings.
- Apply through LinkedIn – Many posted jobs allow you to apply directly through LinkedIn in a few clicks.
- Message recruiters – Directly contact recruiters at companies of interest to inquire about potential openings.
- Watch for headhunters – Recruiters may reach out to you directly if they feel you are a good fit for openings they are trying to fill.
- Attend LinkedIn events – Network with professionals at industry and recruitment-focused events.
Premium Accounts
While a basic LinkedIn account is free, LinkedIn does offer premium paid subscriptions that provide additional features and benefits. Here is an overview of LinkedIn’s premium options:
| Account Type | Price Per Month | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Premium Career | $29.99 | Unlimited profile searches, 3 InMail messages, profile highlight options |
| Premium Business | $59.99 | Unlimited InMail messages, analytics insights, employee targeting |
| Premium Sales | $64.99 | Lead and account targeting, sales messaging tools, expanded network reach |
| Recruiter Lite | $119.95 | Limited recruiting and pipeline management tools |
| Recruiter | $239.95 | Full suite of recruiting tools and pipeline management |
As you can see from the table, the paid accounts offer features tailored toward either job seekers, business professionals, salespeople, or recruiters. The features aim to enhance networking capabilities, job searching, lead generation, and recruitment activities on the platform.
Popular Premium Features
Here is an overview of some of the most popular premium features on LinkedIn:
- InMail messages – Send direct messages to any LinkedIn member, even if you’re not connected.
- Profile highlights – Prominently showcase endorsements, certifications, or custom background media.
- Expanded network reach – Message 2nd-degree connections with unlimited InMail messages.
- Advanced profile searches – Use precise parameters like years of experience, company size, and geography.
- Recruitment tools – Manage job postings, applicant tracking, pipeline organization, and more.
Who Can Benefit from Premium?
Here are the types of users who can get the most value out of LinkedIn’s paid premium accounts:
- Active job seekers – Premium Career helps job hunt more efficiently.
- Business owners – Premium Business aids lead generation and partnerships.
- Sales professionals – Premium Sales provides tools to identify and engage with prospects.
- Recruiters and HR – Recruiter accounts optimize talent sourcing and hiring.
- Freelancers/consultants – Great for building clientele and professional brand.
Conclusion
In summary, LinkedIn offers an extensive free account with profile, networking, job searching, and other capabilities. Premium paid subscriptions provide additional features suited for various professional needs at prices ranging from $29.99 to $239.95 per month. With a customized, complete profile, consistent engagement, and smart utilization of LinkedIn tools, the platform can be invaluable for building your professional brand, networking, recruiting, and advancing your career – all without needing to pay anything. The premium features simply enhance and optimize certain activities but are not essential for using LinkedIn effectively.
