As layoffs continued to pound the economy in January, one beneficiary was job networking site LinkedIn. According to the latest January data from comScore, the LinkedIn’s U.S. unique visitors shot up 22 percent to 7.7 million, up from 6.3 million in December. Total minutes spent on the site doubled in January to 96.8 million, from 47.6 million in December.
Part of what is driving all the activity is people looking for job, and helping friends who are out of work. Recommendations are up 65 percent since December, says spokesperson Kay Luo. LinkedIn’s improved people search, which it launched at the end of November, is also driving a lot of activity on the site. The company is seeing a 50 percent increase in activity on the new search platform.
When times are tough, networking is a survival skill.
I think of all the web 2.0 hoolpa over social networking, Linkedin is theonly one that looks like a real business.
Anjali Sen
Glad to see those stats, very interesting about recommendations. Aside from job seekers I am sure there are more recruiters using the site (fish where the fish are, right?) as well as employed professionals.
I’m my presentations I talk about blogging, Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo Groups, LinkedIn, etc.
Of all of the social spaces, if you are a professional LinkedIn is THE ONE that is NOT optional… others I think are optional, but LinkedIn is not (for professionals).
LinkedIn is important, yes, but Twitter is far more valuable for professionals. LinkedIn helps you maintain your resume; Twitter helps you develop and maintain relationships. You may not see it now, but you will within probably 18 months.
Mike – I agree about Twitter and maintaining relationships… it’s an amazing tool, and allows you to learn about and communicate stuff in a way I don’t see anywhere else… I think it’s quite relevant, but of course different than LI and FB, etc. So no argument there.
@jasonalba
I disagree about twitter as a way to maintain relationships (from a professional/business standpoint.
I checked it out recently per friends nudging me…all I see is
– 12:05 — Going to Lunch at the Deli.
– 4:30 — Going to the bathroom, realize I can’t hold it anymore.
– 8:30 — Very tired and going to bed.
Twitter…again…huge waste of time and energy. You think I want to follow 100 people to hear stupid shit like that like above?
Twitter?
So prospective employers can see how you are wasting your working hours by sending meaningless text messages to your “followers?”
I am certain that the Twitstream of most prospective employees will be as damning as their teen years’ Facebook archives are.
mg555 & El Comenarista – I’m not sure that you are following the right people on Twitter. Yeah, there are some meaningless Tweets, but there’s also a whole lot of useful information being exchanged, such as recommended articles. The best Tweeters use the medium to inform & help, not to constantly give their day-to-day. I’ve found TweetDeck to be the best way to keep up with the good stuff and sort out the noise.
All that being said, I think a good combination of effective Twittering (with the right followers) and a strong LinkedIn profile will help job seekers looking for new employment. Allow yourself to be found in a professional atmosphere, then follow up by building relationships so lots of people are helping you look.
Stop trying to get in at the top of the comments on all of the new TechCrunch Blog posts, no one cares what you have to say.
The Internet itself IS a Social Network and ALL Media is Social Media because people talk about it.
Happy Valentines Day (Hallmark Holiday)!
LinkedIn is a “Professional Networking” site and very good for senior hires, this is what most people I talked to say.
Check out http://www.JobsByRef.com it is purely a “Job Networking” site, no pretensions whatsoever. Here you build your resume online, connect to build your credibility score, search for jobs, and apply.
For companies, to manage the job respondents is just simple and easy, no more opening attached word and PDF resumes. They always get a “Live Resume” and get to see candidates who match their job description first always.
“As layoffs continued to pound the economy in January, one beneficiary was job networking site LinkedIn.”
SINCE WHEN did correlation become causation?
Jesus…
Linkedin is indeed one of the most accessed sites these days, mostly by people who are looking for jobs. It has gained popularity even among people who are not looking for jobs right now. It is important to keep your resume updated because you never know when the axe might fall on you!!!
Its good to start networking on LinkedIn while you’re still employed. Like you said, it good to keep your resume updated (and contacts close) even while times are “good”.
The freelancer market has grown, what with all the layoffs in the IT sector.
Linkedin is a great network for freelancers.
yeah this is right time for linkedin to growth
I’ve been using LinkedIn for about 5 months for business networking and it is phenomenal.
My husband recently used LinkedIn to network with businesses to find a job, after we relocated back to Wisconsin from Colorado.
He was referred to a local company from someone else on LinkedIn. Within a month, he was offered the job.
In this type of economy, you have to get into massive action.
LinkedIn is good for professional networking but facebook is fun. I am all for facebook and twitter
That’s interesting, could you tell us more?
what were you drinking?
Yes you are rite…though LinkedIn have more than 30 millions subscribers globally…they have not reached actual potential..for instance Indian market size for LinkedIn is expected at around 20 million subscribers, whereas they have they have only 1.2-1.8 millions subscribers in India…
So economic meltdown + growth from emerging countries like India will result in excellent growth path for LinkedIn in short and medium term.
Yes, definitely.
Anjali Sen
LinkedIn will become BIG and a “Money Machine” for sure.
But on the other hand: Did you guys noticed what happend to delicious.com?
http://tinyurl.com/dhanyc
I love LinkedIn but I have to think they can do much more to get their audience to use the site more often. While i use it it is very spuratic
Just a guess but I think that lack of vision for getting the audience to engage more often or even daily, is the reason the former CEO was sent packing.
So you think it should do what Facebook did?
*POKE!*
If LinkedIn actually helps people find work there’s a business model. The recruitment business.
Facebook? *POKE!*
hello
when r u coming
sms now
kishan nunkoo
say my friend harish lobind@hotmail.com
visit when
could u have some girls young
what u do
as we able for argue for nothing
sms on 2307901016
bye
Of all the social networks, this is teh one that I had the hardest time grabbing onto when it first came out years ago, but it is the one that I spend the most time on now.
I find it very interesting interesting to follow the activity feed in RSS for LinkedIn as well, I notice when people are contacting recruiters. It’s been giving me tip offs to other layoffs inside of companies that I know people in.
My linkedin: http://www.link...m/in/synstelien
what some call “popularity” others call “desperation.”
LaborLocator.com – slave yourself
Another useful career site is http://www.careervote.com. It’s a good place to research prospective employers and find the highest rated, and perhaps most stable, in your area.
Alright, I just rated my company on careervote.com after seeing that one of my co-workers apparently slammed it
.
The traffic is getting good boost up but did you noticed the job listing is decreasing greatly in Linkedin?
Actually overall jobs posted to linkedin have been steady and had a increase from December to January.
LinkedIn has the highest signal-to-noise ratio of any of my sources of information (email, twitter, facebook, RSS, telephone).
No doubt. They have the most valuable demography as their users. But don’t they make money out of selling job listings?
It is great to see the growth at Linked In, but not surprising with the huge down turn in the employment market. Personally, I have found Linked In great for keeping in touch with former colleagues and providing credibility to my resume via connections.
However, I still wonder about the level of networking actions that are facilitated on the site (e.g. people getting introductions via their extended network). This is where I see the true value for professional networking sites.
Mike
http://www.favorang.com/
interesting trend!
very interesting facts ..
Despite the increased popularity of LinkedIn as a job searching site, I’m still finding it very difficult finding relevant positions that match my background and expertise. Seems like massive amounts of second rate recruiters are polluting things and making it almost impossible to filter them out.
Although jobs are being posted on LinkedIN, it is not a job board, it’s a networking site and a fantastic tool to access the hidden job market. 60% of positions are filled through networking, another 30% through informational interviews, only 7% of the jobs are filled through traditional ways (that includes job boards).
LinkedIN requires creative and proactive thinking, just like face to face networking.
LinkedIN provides tools to research target companies, to access contacts in these target companies, to research interviewers, it is also a powerful business tool if you know how to use it.
If you are single without financial obligations and out of a job you can either spend the next year looking or just take a year off and travel. Come back when things are better. Your interview pitch will sound a lot better than explaining why a) you got fired and b) you couldn’t find a job.
If you are really lucky, take your also-fired spouse or partner with you. If you have kids, you are pretty much out of luck – get a job.
http://www.trip...o-Gambling.aspx
“When times are tough, networking is a survival skill.”
Craigslist is the best place for jobs. I got my awesome job on there, and so did Scoble. I think Scoble snagged a NEC job on there. Or was it DEC, who cares really.
Just go to craigslist if you want a job.
There are still plenty of software jobs to go around. QA testers too. I heard from QA gamer friends that a lot of people are needed for the newer guitar hero games.
San Francisco
http://sfbay.cr...gslist.org/sof/
LA
losangeles.craigslist.org/sof/
If I had to pick 1 job to apply for in SF, it would be this one
http://sfbay.cr...1032606173.html
I would not leave my job, but if I was jobless I would apply for this one. There are Android jobs too, but mobile jobs are the best, because you can keep your skills sharp.
Any business logic or web or DB work you do will leave you ill prepared for the mobile revolution. If you get a mobile application development job you can sharpen your skills for the future while you get paid.
Everybody else has to do it when they get home and on weekends.
One interesting question is whether the usage trend for LinkedIn will continue. From my understanding, they’ve seen steady growth for awhile, but the article suggests usage to be spiking in the down economy. What happens when the economy turns around?
From my perspective in the tech consulting business, LinkedIn has been a very good tool for getting access to decisions-makers at companies where entree would have been difficult otherwise.
It’s also useful in recruiting, both for locating candidates and for gathering more information about candidates who initiate contact with the hiring firm via other sources.
As a long-time LinkedIn user, the major change I’ve seen (aside for increased functionality on the site itself) is contacts from all kinds of people I haven’t heard from in years who are looking for work.
I completely agree that the bad economy is probably giving LinkedIn a push, but I also think part of it is just the fact that LI is starting to hit critical mass among more than just the early adopters.
Its been interesting to see the progression — three years ago, I had about 4 early-adopter type friends on LI. Yesterday, I noticed that nearly everyone I know is onboard, and most of them are people that are slow to jump on internet bandwagons.
–
Unemployed? More than just a job site. Network, meet others, find things to do during the day.
http://www.freeagentnet.com
Why is their traffic news? What about Revenue? Do some digging and I’ll bet you will uncover some real news:
- Ad revenue? (Nobody is advertising on social networks – particularly a network of people looking for jobs.)
- Job Posting revenue? This is the heart of LinkedIn’s revenue model. Guess What? Nobody is hiring.
-Memberships revenue? Why subscribe when you can essentially connect to anyone on the network through a few Top Linked people who will refer you to everyone for free anyway?
Nice try…
It would be interesting to know how much money linkedin made up to now.
Good article.
This is impressive, I am sure sites like Monster.com, carreerbuilder.com are also doing well for sure.
Apparently craigslist as well.
Whether it be LinkedIn or another professional networking site it is critically important that you use tools like this to build and maintain your professional network of contacts.
It is less about the recommendations than the connections you make, as each of the individuals you connect with is potentially the key to finding your next job.
I’ve blogged quite a bit lately about professional networking, and as the economy continues to decline there is much more to be said about the subject.
-Mike D
http://www.daileymuse.com
I wouldn’t mind seeing that graph next to all the other social networking sites. It’s great LI is on the up but there could be more factors in play here.
Opposed to just layoffs – like the explosion of mainstream exposure of social networking, more people getting faster internet access, the explosion of smart phones (particularly in areas where they don’t have a high rate of computer ownership), more employers seeing the benefit of social networks within the workplace.
Thanks Brett.
Linkedin certainly has the business model to succeed.
LinkedIn is pretty powerful. I’d say about 40% of the people I’ve ever worked with in the past 25 years is showing up on it or is already on it. I noticed a pretty cool feature on the site the other day where you can see who’s been looking at your profile. It was all employers! Kinda cool considering I’m self-employed and not even looking…
I myself ,is a new born company that build connections and reputations trough linkedin networks Power,I have figured out that only this is the social networking in which people “really make money “for it,since it is clear some of them do linkedin to look for a new career,perhaps some of them is “desperate for being fired ,however since it is the easiest way to “get out of the recession,I think it is Normal people do so,just to look for not to be unemployed
It appears that most people only really look at LinkedIn as a virtual CV that can used to find jobs or find candidates for jobs.
I have used it for:
Over 60 biz dev deals.
Market intelligence research.
Education about best practices.
For me, its a much more important space than twitter. Most of my twitter followers are random people that have a website I may have looked at once. My LinkedIn network is a global pool of talented people from around the world,
I totally agree with you, LinkedIN is a powerful tool when you know how to use it. Most of the comment I have seen show traditional in the box thinking rather tan out of the box thinking
using LinkedIN in a passive way, as a virtual CV will not generate much activity, but if you are proactive, learn to use it, LinkedIN is a powerful tool for job search, networking and to generate business.
I actually seen this on the news how eBay, Craigslist and such online sites are bringing in more profits because of the economy, I have seen such growth in my site to, which falls in this category.
It’s also time to start taking care of your Google CV (the first results page for your name search). LinkedIn, Naymz & LookupPage are some of the sites which can help you achieve a professional Google CV.
It is the right time to use linkedin advertising.
well, at least they dont have to worry about the economy.
Difficult times.
Everyone is looking for a job today and they are going online!
you see this same trend with indeed.com which has about the same amount of UVs as linked in and almost the same trajectory
The same trend, sure, but the same rate of growth? I agree that it’s unsurprising that, to as per the post’s title, sites associated with job hunting gain popularity as the economy sours. I think the real story here is that LinkedIn’s growth greatly surpasses the trend. I’d love to see the comparative data.
Yes, a trend that follows logically from economic shifts. When people feel their employer is in some rough weather, they tend to look around a bit and enhance their own business network and hence opportunities.
Long live the internet, for that possibility!
I predicted this in December;-)
steve
http://www.link...activity-grows/
LinkedIn recommendations helped me a lot getting a great job in really short time. Since there was a big layoff in my past company (unfortunately I was one of them), we helped each other by honest recommendations. This increased our credibility to the potential employers and hiring managers. Nonetheless the LinkedIn professional networking feature has played an important role to represent myself to the hiring managers.
With the current economic situation I believe LinkedIn has been a great tool for the professionals who are seeking for opportunities. Thanks to the LinkedIn Team.
Interesting – facebook connect test.
We lean on LinkedIn in our business and recommend it to our clients. Glad to see it taking off like this…
And when times are not tough, networking is a thriving skill. It’s still just as important. LinkedIn deserves this boost and I bet they won’t come crashing down traffic-wise when (optimistic here) the economy does come back.
I love LinkedIn, and even during times when I’m not looking for work, I still check it pretty regularly.
For me, it’s kind of turned into my official career canon. Instead of trying to find old resumes from a couple years ago, I just keep my online one updated and polished, and it becomes super easy to repurpose that data into a traditional resume when the need arises.
I also don’t bother writing the completely useless “References available on request,” instead I’ve been just including a URL to my LinkedIn page where they can view recommendations. It’s just damned convenient.
And I heard awhie ago thiat considering their audience, their CPM is crazy, ike $20-24.
LinkedIn deserves success, they’ve been a good company with a good business model.
They just need to get started on the feature where you can turn your career history data there into a printable resume!
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