Are You Using The Right LinkedIn?

Join Isaiah as he walks PhDs through the major differences between a LinkedIn Basic and LinkedIn Premium account

In this week’s episode…

• First, Isaiah reminds PhDs about the features and benefits of a LinkedIn Basic account
• Next, he examines a LinkedIn Premium account and provides an overview of its advantages
• Finally, Isaiah offers his recommendation about which account is the best fit for PhDs searching for a job right now

Most Job Seekers Start Off With A Basic LinkedIn Account

Almost everyone starts using LinkedIn’s free account. 

And why wouldn’t you? It’s the most comprehensive directory for professional contacts for every industry you could possibly be interested in. 

LinkedIn is also the perfect way to build a professional brand, find job leads, keep in touch with your contacts, and the list goes on. 

With more than 58 million companies to connect with, it would be a huge mistake not to have a Basic account. 

But if you’ve been wondering about moving to a paid account, you might be asking yourself: What do I need this for? What are the benefits? 

39% Of LinkedIn Subscribers Pay For Premium Service

Here are the main limitations of a free account:

You can’t send additional messages to hiring managers or employees at your company of interest after your initial connection request. 

Even if you send a message in your connection request, it doesn’t show up in full in your target’s inbox until they accept the request. 

The problem with this is that most people who are employed only go to LinkedIn once or twice a month. 

On top of this, you’re limited to connecting to 50 people a day.

Another reason you might consider a paid account is that your searchability is limited. 

You can only do a set number of searches before being throttled, and you have limited filtering options. 

Another drawback to LinkedIn’s free account is that you can’t see everyone who has visited your profile. 

That might not sound like a problem. But being able to see who’s viewed your profile is very beneficial when it comes to seeing which employers are interested in you and when.

Premium Accounts Have Greater Influence On LinkedIn’s Search Algorithms

It’s also important to know that you have a reputation score on LinkedIn. It’s called your Social Selling Index or SSI score. 

LinkedIn Premium elevates this score in numerous ways. First, by increasing the exposure you have to connections in your field of interest.

Second, by increasing your profile’s visibility in LinkedIn Recruiter – that’s the LinkedIn that employers use.

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** For the full podcast, check out the audio player above.

If you’re ready to start your transition into industry, you can apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists. Apply to book a Transition Call here.