Is LinkedIn Premium worth it for job seekers? Let’s find out

Ever since its inception in 2002, LinkedIn has been used to highlight talented job seekers. The popular professional networking site now generates millions of dollars in revenue through memberships, advertisements, and recruiting tools. 

While basic LinkedIn is free to sign up, LinkedIn also offers a premium plan for a monthly subscription. This plan allows job seekers to directly message recruiters, and it also includes access to a wide variety of professional development courses. However, this raises an important question: Is LinkedIn Premium worth it for job seekers?

In this blog post, we’ll discuss:

• The differences between basic and premium versions of LinkedIn

• How LinkedIn helps job seekers

• Whether LinkedIn Premium is worth it

What’s the difference between LinkedIn Premium and regular LinkedIn?

Think of LinkedIn Premium as a more advanced version of basic LinkedIn. Apart from all the features of basic LinkedIn, the premium version allows you to message people outside of your regular network. So, if you want to send a message to a recruiter or hiring manager, you don’t have to add them to your network.  

LinkedIn Premium also provides more insights into profile views. You can easily find out who has viewed your profile within a certain time frame. Finally, LinkedIn Premium requires a paid monthly subscription; the basic version is free.

It’s worth noting that there are different versions of LinkedIn Premium. For example, their Premium Career plan is ideal for job seekers. Similarly, Recruiter and Recruiter Lite are designed for hiring managers and headhunters. Sales Navigator Professional is tailored for businesses and business owners looking to generate more leads. 

What does LinkedIn Premium do for job seekers?

LinkedIn Premium offers several benefits to help people with job hunting and networking. Here are some of the key features of LinkedIn Premium and how they benefit job seekers:

Direct messages

LinkedIn Premium offers a feature called InMail, which allows you to send messages to people who are not in your network. This is especially useful if you want to reach out to recruiters and hiring managers for jobs that interest you without having to send a connection request.

InMail also comes in handy when you simply want to connect people within an industry and expand your professional network. InMail offers a high character limit, which allows you to create a unique introductory message to state your reason for messaging someone.

Certification courses

If you want to expand your skills and stand out among other candidates, consider taking one of the many professional courses offered on LinkedIn Learning. These courses are available to all LinkedIn Premium members, and they’re prepared by renowned experts in different fields. 

Prepare for interviews

Job interviews can be nerve-wracking, even for the most experienced individuals. After all, everyone wants to put their best foot forward to make a solid impression on the interviewer. So how does LinkedIn Premium fit into all this?

The premium plan offers an Interview Preparation feature, which is designed to help job seekers navigate through the complexities of job interview preparation. It includes tips on answering interview questions, practice questions, and other material to help you prepare for an upcoming job interview.   

Advanced analytics

What sets LinkedIn Premium apart from the basic version is its abundance of valuable data and insights. For instance, if you have LinkedIn Premium, you can easily compare your qualifications and skills with any job posted on LinkedIn to determine whether you’d make a good fit.

Another key feature of LinkedIn Premium is that it allows you to compare yourself to the other job applicants for a particular job that’s posted on LinkedIn. You can access comprehensive insights on any job, including the total number of job applicants and their education and experience level. This way, you can decide whether you should apply for the job or work on your skills before applying for similar roles. 

Is LinkedIn Premium worth it in 2024?

The answer to this question really depends on two things: your needs and your budget.

LinkedIn Premium has a monthly subscription fee. The company is currently offering a one-month free trial version, and you can cancel your subscription before the end of the month to avoid paying any charges. While the premium version goes a long way in helping you expand your network, look for the right job, and reach out to people, it comes with a cost. If you can budget for the monthly subscription fee, then you should consider giving it a shot. 

The premium version of LinkedIn is not just helpful for job seekers. It includes several features that help recruiters look for the right candidate, as well as a sales tool to help generate more leads for a business. If you’re a recruiter in search of the ideal candidate for a job, then you should consider using LinkedIn Premium. Its advanced search feature can help you look for candidates on the basis of their education and industry experience. 

How much is LinkedIn Premium for a year?

LinkedIn Premium has different plans for different users. For most job seekers, they have a LinkedIn Premium Career plan which is priced at USD $39.99 per month as of 2024. Other plans include Premium Business ($59.99 per month), Sales Navigator Professional ($99.99 per month), and Sales Navigator Team ($149.99 per month).

LinkedIn Premium prices are likely to vary. It’s best to review the website to learn more about prices and plans. 

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for job hunting, but only if you’ve developed the right job search strategy. Get in touch with us at Career.io today to learn more about job strategies. 

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Key takeaways

1. LinkedIn Premium is a tool that’s designed to help you stand out among other job applicants and provide you with advanced analytics to further improve your job search.

2. Unlike the basic version, LinkedIn Premium has a monthly subscription fee. However, the company is currently offering a one-month free trial.

3. Before signing up for LinkedIn Premium, consider your budget and your needs. If you feel that this subscription is helpful and affordable, then it may be worthwhile for your job hunt.