5 Things LinkedIn Can't Do For Your Career

Often here on my blog, I talk about how important joining a professional social networking site like LinkedIn is to your career. There are so many benefits to having a strong professional network; you can get job leads, do research on companies and connect with other people in your industry. It's almost like a networking event that never ends. It can be so useful and so much fun, it's easy to get carried away.

However, there are still some rampant misunderstandings about what professional networking can and can't do. If you've been confused by all of the hype, here are 5 things LinkedIn can't do for your career:

LinkedIn can't get you a job - This is the sad truth. Nothing can do the work for you. It's a great tool and can help you find job openings in your area, but you have to do the work. Setting up an account and waiting for the job offers to start pouring in is just silly. Even with the best LinkedIn profile, you still have to know what your talents are, have a sound marketing plan and a strategic job search plan of action. The site can be an amazing tool to help you torward your goals, but you have to know exactly what those goals are.

You don't have to work on your profile - Just because it's online doesn't mean that professional rules don't apply. You have access to a powerful tool that can help you demonstrate why you are a professional and show the world why you are someone they should notice, but you have to give them the information. Spend some time thinking about how you can present yourself in a way that screams "Hire Me!". If an employer or recruiter takes a second look at you, don't waste it by not having any compelling information about yourself and what you have to offer.

Having lots of new connections means new opportunities - This is only kind of true. Having a lot of connections can be a good start, but what you need are a few, very connected and engaged friends in order to have any productive results. Just gathering connections doesn't do anything for you, but each connection is a new opportunity for you to network and get involved.

Professional networking sites like LinkedIn aren't magic and just having one doesn't help your odds of finding a job. Even though you have lots of connections, you still have to do the work, market yourself and research your industry.