With over 740 million members worldwide, LinkedIn is the largest professional networking platform. As one of the leading sites for networking and job searching, LinkedIn aims to connect professionals around the world.
LinkedIn offers several tiers of paid subscriptions under LinkedIn Premium to unlock additional features beyond the free basic account. But is going premium really worth it?
What Does LinkedIn Premium Offer?
LinkedIn Premium provides users with additional capabilities not available with the free version. Here are some of the key benefits of LinkedIn Premium:
- See Who’s Viewed Your Profile – View the full list of who has checked out your profile recently.
- InMail Messages – Send direct messages to anyone on LinkedIn, even if you’re not connected.
- Profile Badges – Display badges on your profile to highlight skills, interests, volunteering, education, and other achievements.
- Advanced Search Filters – Use additional filters like location, company size, job function, and more to narrow your search results.
- Learning Courses – Access over 15,000 expert-led video courses covering business, creative, and technology topics.
- Salary Insights – See estimated salary ranges for jobs to negotiate with confidence.
LinkedIn Premium is available in four different plans: Premium Career, Premium Business, Sales Navigator Professional, and Recruiter Lite. The plans range in price from $29.99 per month for Premium Career up to $99.95 per month for Sales Navigator Professional.
Who Can Benefit from LinkedIn Premium?
Here are some of the professionals who can get the most value from a LinkedIn Premium subscription:
- Job Seekers – View insights on hiring managers, unlock advanced filtering for job searches, display profile badges to stand out.
- Freelancers/Consultants – Reach clients directly with InMail messages, display expertise with badges, access online courses.
- Small Business Owners – Research competitors, advertise to targeted audiences, showcase thought leadership content.
- Recruiters/HR Professionals – Search profiles with advanced filters, send InMail to passive candidates, post jobs.
- Sales Professionals – Uncover lead contact info, identify connections at target accounts, build relationships.
- Marketers – Analyze audience demographics and preferences, discover influencers, amplify content.
Key Benefits of LinkedIn Premium for Job Seekers
For job seekers, LinkedIn Premium provides several advantages to enhance your search and stand out from other candidates. Here are some of the top perks:
- See Who’s Viewed Your Profile – Monitor companies that have looked at your profile so you know who’s interested.
- Advanced Profile Filters – Narrow your job search by commute time, experience level, company size, job function, and more.
- Application Insights – See how you stack up against other applicants and get tips to improve.
- Interview Preparation – Access videos and resources to practice and get ready for job interviews.
- Profile Badges – Highlight your skills, certifications, volunteering, education, and other achievements.
By leveraging these tools, you can tailor your profile, find better job matches, see behind-the-scenes hiring insights, and stand out as a top candidate.
Benefits of LinkedIn Premium for Recruiters
For recruiters and HR professionals, LinkedIn Premium can streamline sourcing and outreach. Key features include:
- InMail Messages – Contact passive candidates directly even without a connection.
- Advanced Profile Filters – Quickly drill down into niche sets of candidates by experience, skills, location and more.
- Contact Insights – See the best time and method to reach candidates based on their past activity.
- Recommendations Search – Discover qualified candidates based on who colleagues have endorsed or worked with previously.
- Company Page Insights – Analyze employee demographics, followers, job post performance, and other metrics.
By leveraging LinkedIn Premium, recruiters can source quality talent faster, contact passive candidates, and gain data-driven hiring insights.
Is LinkedIn Premium Worth the Cost?
At the end of the day, is the investment in a paid LinkedIn Premium subscription worth the price? Here are some factors to consider when making the decision:
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For most professionals, the free LinkedIn account provides enough functionality for casual networking and profile building. Premium adds the most value for those actively searching for a job or sourcing candidates.
Tips for Getting the Most from LinkedIn Premium
Here are some tips to maximize the value if you do invest in a paid LinkedIn Premium subscription:
- Set aside time weekly to use advanced search filters to find relevant jobs or candidate profiles.
- Leverage InMail messages to directly reach out to key connections or potential employers.
- Customize your profile headlines, add media samples, display badges to showcase your differentiating skills and achievements.
- Use analytics tools to get insights on profile visitors, post reach, and content engagement.
- Take online courses to build in-demand hard and soft skills.
- Export search results and profile data to CSV/Excel for further filtering and analysis.
Conclusion
Overall, the additional capabilities unlocked with LinkedIn Premium can provide real value in the job search and recruiting processes. But the free account may be sufficient for more casual LinkedIn users who just want to build connections and maintain an online presence.
The premium features are most beneficial for those actively networking, searching for jobs, or sourcing candidates. Individuals can evaluate whether the monthly or annual costs justify the increased visibility, advanced search power, communication abilities, and insights provided by the paid tiers.
With over 150 million premium members, LinkedIn has demonstrated there is demand for paid subscriptions and the ability to upgrade capabilities beyond the base free account. While not necessary for all users, Premium unlocks functionality that can translate into real world results and value for the right professionals.