Why LinkedIn is for you, Marine Spouse!

Are you thinking about creating a LinkedIn profile but aren’t sure if it’s the right career move for you as a Marine spouse? Here are the top five reasons why you should join LinkedIn today.

Reason 1: You can include significantly more detail on your LinkedIn profile than you can on a civilian resume.  A great LinkedIn profile can help a hiring manager learn more information about you as person and a potential employee than they would be able to glean from a resume and cover letter. This information might include specific projects you’ve worked on, special skills, accomplishments, a profile picture, and other information of your choosing.

Reason 2: Many civilian employers use LinkedIn to recruit and screen potential hires. More and more, employers expect to be able to find evidence of your existence online and may question why none exists if they can’t find it. A professional LinkedIn profile can boost an employer’s confidence in your potential as a future employee.

Reason 3: You can search for civilian jobs posted on LinkedIn that might not be posted elsewhere and sometimes civilian employers expect potential hires to apply for jobs directly on LinkedIn.

Reason 4: You can easily keep in touch with your former coworkers, well after you PCS...even if they’re from three moves ago. It’s so easy to lose touch with people you knew and worked with, especially if you’ve moved multiple times. LinkedIn makes it easy to keep in touch and continue growing your professional network.

Reason 5: LinkedIn has many groups that focus on providing connections and resources for military spouses. The Military Spouse Employment Partnership is one group that is part of DoD’s Spouse Education and Career Opportunities initiative that has over 10,000 military spouses. The MSEP group on LinkedIn provides weekly training webinars on education and employment, and shares job postings from military spouse friendly employers.

Still searching for more in-depth assistance regarding your transition, education, or job search? Reach out to your installation’s Transition Readiness and Family Member Employment Assistance staff and ask the Marine For Life Network on LinkedIn.