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Returning to STEM
Returning to STEM

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1.2 About LinkedIn

LinkedIn has over 400 million users and has been designed to enable you to build and make the most of a network of contacts. By building a profile, you will be increasing your visibility and building your chances of finding jobs that you want and employers that want to hire you. As with a conventional paper-based CV, expertise (skills) and experience (work history) represent the primary components of your online identity on LinkedIn, and recruiters scan these sections when they are looking out for appropriate employees.

While many social networking sites tend to be dominated by young people, LinkedIn is ideally suited for returners. According to the Pew Research Centre (2015), LinkedIn is the only major social media platform where usage rates are higher among 30- to 49-year-olds than among 18- to 29-year-olds. This means that people with more professional experience are more likely to be on LinkedIn, making it a great place to build networks with others in your field.