As ITWorldCanada’s Job Board undergoes a renovation, the other established job networking site to look at is LinkedIn. Growth at LinkedIn, and for social networking sites in general, is slowing. Twitter was the first to report slowing user activity in its quarter, while LinkedIn’s Talent Solutions unit failed to add as many customers as expected. As user engagement and revenues from LinkedIn slow, it could mean job seekers will have an even harder time finding employers that fit for them.
Mobile traffic grows
LinkedIn said that total page views totaled 11.5 billion in the last quarter. Desktop-only page view traffic grew 13 per cent last quarter, but this pales in comparison to mobile traffic growth. When LinkedIn includes mobile traffic, total page views grew by 43 per cent. Similar for Facebook, mobile engagement represented the quickest pace of growth for LinkedIn. Unique visitors on mobile devices grew by three times. It’s one thing to “LinkedIn” a new contact at a networking event. It’s even more relevant when members are using their mobile device to search and review contacts. LinkedIn thinks mobile traffic will account for more than half of all traffic this year.
Enhancements
LinkedIn improved its “who’s viewed my profile” to help members, through the help of a dashboard, build their brand. The company is adding long-form publishing features. This will enable members communicate more noticeably to connections in their network, since content becomes more engaging to the audience.
Recruiters get mobile
To transform the way recruiters find potential hires, LinkedIn launched Recruiter for Android and iPhone. Business customers grew by 1,400 in the quarter. LinkedIn now has over 25,000 total accounts under contract. On the job seeking side, Premium Subscriptions grew by nearly one-half, but it only accounts for a fifth of LinkedIn’s revenue. Overall, when the site expects to generate over $2 billion in revenue in 2014, it’s hard for job seekers and employers to ignore using the site.
Online job search market is massive
LinkedIn views recruiting and HR professional work is a market worth up to $10 billion. It is clear that LinkedIn will continue to make valuable solutions in connecting job seekers with potential employers, but the site is not for everyone. Many potential job opportunities are hidden, and the only way to find them is to network outside of the online world. Web sites that cater to specific industries have message forums and comment sections. This is another way for job seekers to get themselves known. For example, a database administrator would benefit from joining PASS – the Professional Association for SQL Server – to improve on skills and to connect with other DBAs. Conversely, LinkedIn may post many jobs, but since it is easy to apply for jobs online, the competition is fierce.
Despite the challenges for finding work on LinkedIn, the site is useful for new graduates and younger professionals. LinkedIn is looking at ways to cater to a user base that does not have as much work experience as seasoned professionals.
Should you be on LinkedIn?
Happy employed people and job seekers alike should have a profile on LinkedIn. There are interest and professional groups in LinkedIn that are useful. Lately though, posts in general groups are impersonal. It would be more useful to find specific interest groups, build a rapport, network, and build connections. These activities should also be applied outside of LinkedIn.
