3 “Hidden” LinkedIn Features to Help You Advance Your Career

LinkedIn is a robust platform full of features designed to help you stand out, connect, and grow your career.

However, even if you’ve been using the platform for a long time and consider yourself fairly well-acquainted with its features, there may be a few hidden LinkedIn features under the surface that you have yet to stumble upon.

Here are three especially useful tools that may help position you for career advancement.

Note: All three of these features can be accessed under the “Work” dropdown menu on the main LinkedIn navigation bar.

3 hidden LinkedIn features to know about…

LinkedIn Salary

With over 500 million users, LinkedIn is a treasure trove of data. The new salary feature leverages this for your benefit! Users can anonymously opt to share their salary information, along with location and title. When you do so, the data is added to the “vault” and you get free access to the entire salary database for a full year.

Once you click on the “salary” icon, enter a title and location, and LinkedIn will tell you the average base salary. Once you’ve completed your own (private and secure) salary review, you get access to much more detailed information, including salary variances by industry, company size, education level, field of study and location.

This data is incredibly useful when negotiating for a new job or a raise. Most employers know how important it is to offer competitive compensation, so cold hard facts can be very persuasive.

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Also read: How to Create Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn

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LinkedIn ProFinder

The ProFinder functionality helps match freelance service providers with people in need of their services. If you’re interested in starting a side hustle or growing a new business, this is a great way to find opportunities and allow them to find you as well. Getting started as a “Pro” is easy. Just visit this page and complete your application.

Once you have Pro status, you will receive email notifications about proposals that match your offerings. You can then respond using a basic form provided in the system and start a dialogue with the prospective client. Unlike other online marketplaces, you’re not locked into using the platform for managing the entire project. It’s just a way of connecting. People can also reach out to you directly for a quote by browsing ProFinder providers with skills that match their needs.

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Also read: Why, How and When Should I be Active on LinkedIn? The Science & Strategy Behind Content Sharing 

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LinkedIn Learning

In 2015, LinkedIn acquired Lynda.com and its sizable library of e-learning courses. Since then, LinkedIn has continued to create new high-quality professional development content. Courses cover a wide variety of topics related to business, creative fields, and technology. Predefined learning paths outline the series of courses needed to achieve a certain goal such as, “Become a Digital Illustrator” and, “Become a Small Business Owner.”

Online courses can be a great way to keep your skills sharp and demonstrate your commitment to ongoing professional growth. In some cases, LinkedIn courses even qualify for professional development units with various certifications and professional associations. You’ll need to do the research to see if yours is included.

With thousands of individual courses available, you’re sure to find something to spark your interest.

Even if you consider yourself a LinkedIn super-user, it’s easy to miss great new features! Often, we go blind to things that are right in front of us simply out of habit. All three of these features are easily accessible from the “work” icon on the main navigation menu. If you haven’t explored it before, now is the time!

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For Further Reading on Career Advancement
Check out the Advancing On The Job Series

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