Greater Jakarta is ranked the fourth most-connected city in the world according to business and employment-oriented social networking platform LinkedIn.
In Indonesia, LinkedIn has around 8 million members, mostly students and young professionals.
“They use LinkedIn to explore opportunities and connect,” the company’s Asia Pacific managing director Olivier Legrand told The Jakarta Post via phone.
“High school students use LinkedIn to connect with their parents, their parents’ friends, or professors.
These students realise that their first job will come from these connections.”
Legrand also said that between 2020 and 2030, the younger generation would drive a lot of growth in the Indonesian economy.
This has led LinkedIn to focus on the younger population who are looking for their first or second job.
Legrand offers four tips for young professionals who want to maximise their LinkedIn account.
1. Build a meaningful profile
Storytelling is extremely important. Instead of listing down job experiences, Legrand suggests that young professionals give examples of what they are doing and how it has driven the success of the company.
Furthermore, do not forget the simple things, such as uploading a picture.
2. Connect with the right people
To build the network effect, LinkedIn members should also consider connecting with their classmates or colleagues.
3. Access the professional content
Use the network as a tool to access professional content.
“There are many [experts on LinkedIn] who are publishing and sharing their perspectives [on the platform],” said Legrand, adding that members could use the platform to find interesting content and improve themselves as professionals.
At the same time, he suggested that young professionals share relevant articles with their network.
4. Learn new skills
In addition to helping people build networks, LinkedIn also offers learning and development features.
For instance, LinkedIn Learning is available for young professionals who want to improve specific skills.
