Description
LinkedIn is a social network for professionals. People using LinkedIn can be marketing executives at a major company, business owners who run small local shops or even students looking to explore future career options. LinkedIn is for anybody and everybody who’s interested in taking their professional lives seriously by finding new opportunities to grow their careers and to connect with other professionals. It is very similar to a networking event where you can meet other professionals, talk and exchange business cards. In fact, LinkedIn helps users to create their digital network of contacts, to interact with recruiters, to find out more about companies and to share content related to their profession or to the labor market in general. Finally, the platform LinkedIn Learning allows users to follow short online courses.
Key functionality
- Compatibility: Accessible through computers & mobile devices
- User accounts: Users need to register to be able to use LinkedIn
- Connections: The user can add “connections” by inviting someone or accepting someone’s invitation.
- Post privacy options: Users can choose who may see their posts. If the profile is set to “public”, all LinkedIn users and people who are not registered on the platform have access to the content. Users can also decide to remove the possibility to leave comments on their articles.
- Personal profile: Provides personal information about the user. It can be designed and used as a resume.
- Job opportunities: Employment offers are posted daily and the system aims to show the ones that are more suitable for the user according to his/her experience and interests.
- Recruitment: By using the Advanced search tools, recruiters can find candidates that fit their purposes. They can reach out to them by sending InMails.
- Publishing platform: LinkedIn allows its users to publish their posts, so that they can demonstrate their competencies and experience in their professional field.
- LinkedIn Learning: “Lynda” is a learning platform that has been acquired by LinkedIn, where people can find courses in different disciplines. There are courses focused on soft and transversal skills and others more job-specific as well. A special section of the platform is dedicated to higher education.
- Private messaging: Users can send messages to their connections in the specific messaging page or the connection page. Multiple conversations up to 50 people are also allowed. Upgrading to a premium account, it is also possible to send InMail to other users that are not in one’s connection.
Who uses the tool
Platform
Age Groups
Gender
Users:
Students in vocational training could benefit from using this tool, in particular the learning platform. However, those who are enrolled in the last few years of education could get the most relevant advantages out of LinkedIn since this tool could also give them an insight of the labor market and job finding process.
Pedagogical purposes:
LinkedIn can be used by students to develop both soft and hard skills thanks to online video lessons. These videos can provide an individual reinforcement of specific competences that can be different from one student to another. Indeed, teachers can help students in assessing their specific weak points and their interests, so to find out online courses that can match their needs and wishes. Nevertheless, the learning platform can also be a support for the teacher when working with his/her class as a whole.
Platforms
Privacy & User data
The app collects the following types of information from all users:
- Information users provide directly to LinkedIn;
- User content from posts and everything users share on LinkedIn;
- Information gained through questionnaires ad surveys;
- Information about personal contacts;
- Information about the personal calendar if the user synchronize his/her email account or calendar with LinkedIn
- Analytics information;
- Cookies and similar technologies.
- Information about visit to other websites, which contents can be shared on LinkedIn;
- Information about user’s preferences for videos, contents and job offers.
The app uses this information to:
- Help users to efficiently access their information after they sign in;
- Provide personalized content and information to users, which could include online ads or other forms of marketing;
- Diagnose or fix technology problems;
- Help to show content which is relevant for the user;
- Remember user’s preferences;
- Offer a personal experience, highlighting specific job offers and contents;
- Show advertisements.
Terms and conditions of use can be found on these pages:
Terms and condition: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/user-agreement
Privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy
Using the tool for PROMOVET
Advantages
- Young learners could have a direct insight on the labor market before they complete their education.
- They can booster their professional development with the support of a qualified teacher.
- Teachers could use LinkedIn Learning platform to suggest specific video lessons to students, so that they could enhance their competencies.
- Suggestions could be addressed either to the class as a whole or to particular students that need to strengthen some abilities.
Disadvantages
- LinkedIn Learning platform is accessible for free only during the first month, while it costs 22 Euros per month after this trial period. Therefore, schools need financing methods to support the project;
- It takes much time to develop a successful LinkedIn profile; therefore students’ motivation may decrease quickly.
- In order to establish effective connections, keeping a private profile is not advised; however a public profile may threaten students’ privacy and security.
