• The official blog of Abacus Group — a place to share our knowledge and thoughts on trends in recruiting •

It’s no surprise that LinkedIn is the top professional social networking site, connecting 200 countries worldwide. With over 130 million users in the United States alone, utilizing LinkedIn is one of the best ways to make connections and speed up your job search.

There is no denying that LinkedIn is the leader in professional social networking and can be an incredible tool for job seekers. While many applicants focus on finely tuning their resume and cover letter, it is important not to disregard your LinkedIn profile.

It can’t be reiterated enough that LinkedIn is a tremendous resource for job-seekers, employers and recruiters alike. It’s important however that users leverage its vast features and by doing so, eliminate any behavior that doesn’t best serve their brand.

The fact of the matter is that LinkedIn accounts in any capacity are incredibly powerful, however, this will highlight the difference between the basic and premium options, reinforcing the immense capabilities of a paid LinkedIn subscription. LinkedIn Premium is very popular among recruiters but there is a lot of value there for job seekers and networkers in general.

LinkedIn gives users the option to privately signal to employers and recruiters their interest in new jobs. Recently, the career networking platform expanded the function for professionals to specify if they are looking for contract work. This modification has already facilitated better-aligned connections between job seekers and recruiters.

There is so much buzz around LinkedIn’s utility for job seekers that the platform’s value for employers gets lost in the chatter. For hiring managers, HR professionals, and other business leaders, the social network is often underutilized. The website or mobile app is one of the first destinations that candidates visit to learn more about a company.

Regardless of your place in the job search process, recruiters will only reach out to you if your professional background appeals to their clients’ needs. Clients compensate recruiters to identify top-tier professionals that meet high-level qualifications. Accounting & Finance Recruiter Gary Glassman offers five possible reasons why you’re inadvertently discouraging recruiters from initiating contact with you.

Earlier this quarter, LinkedIn published its Global Recruiting Trends 2017 Report detailing hiring around the world. The professional networking site surveyed 4000 talent acquisition leaders in 35 countries to provide public access to important recruiting metrics and trends. Findings indicate that hiring will increase and that employer branding is the strategy of choice.

Consumers overwhelmingly depend on verified peer opinions to make informed choices. If employers, too, are buyers and job seekers are products, the social proof principle applies on a larger scale. We recommend taking advantage of LinkedIn’s Recommendations feature to preserve positive testimonials of your accomplishments, skills, and character in one convenient place for public viewing.

We are proud to announce that today, October 5, 2016, LinkedIn recognized Abacus Group as a Top 25 Most Socially Engaged medium-sized staffing agency in the United States. We’d like to thank our client and talent networks for helping us achieve this incredible milestone.