HERE ARE FIVE REASONS TO JOIN “THE FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS”

ARE YOU also obsessed with seeing who has viewed your LinkedIn profile? I keep hoping that, one day, I will see that a Travel Channel or Food Network producer has checked me out. I dream that he or she would be so impressed with my profile, I would get a shot at being the next Anthony Bourdain!

The reality is — it hasn’t happened and, most likely, won’t. However, my profile is viewed by about 300 people in a 90-day period. This brings me to my first reason you should be on LinkedIn.

1 PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN THE “PROFESSIONAL YOU”

It is common for one to have a social media profile that allows friends, and, if set to “public,” everyone, to get a glimpse into one’s social behavior. Our timelines show us being social, with little room for presenting our professional accomplishments. LinkedIn offers you the ability to leave out the food porn, kid pics and concert videos. It allows you to post your professional expertise for the professional world to see. Think of it as Facebook for business.

2 IT ENABLES YOU TO STAY CURRENT WITH COLLEAGUES

LinkedIn keeps you up to date on who’s celebrating a work anniversary. It notifies you of a colleague’s new position in a company. It keeps you aware of the key players in the industry. Most importantly, LinkedIn allows for a simple, yet impactful, interaction to take place. It may seem small, but the transactional value of a social media engagement is compounded by time and helps further the networking process.

3 IT’S THE ULTIMATE RESUME

Do you remember the rule to keep your resume to one, maybe two pages? Not here! LinkedIn allows you to build a profile that includes sections on background, skills and accomplishments, among other things. It is a living document easily updated as you generate new content.

4 IT SERVES BOTH EMPLOYERS AND JOB SEEKERS

Both job seekers and employers find LinkedIn an effective platform. It utilizes all the data from users’ profiles and helps deliver you jobs you may be interested in. In my own experience, it has presented me with jobs I had never considered, but was very interested in upon learning about them.

5 IT’S THE NEW BUSINESS CARD

“Do you have a card on you?” is being phased out for “Let me add you on LinkedIn.” LinkedIn is not only a website, it also is an app. You can easily add a new connection right on the spot.

JOINING AND MAINTAINING IT

LinkedIn has grown from an online platform to hang your diploma to a robust platform of nearly a half billion users. It continuously adds new features and is worthy of your attention.

So, will you add me on LinkedIn? (Shout out to those whose brother/sister/cousin works at the Food Network.) OM

DR. BAZAN is founder of Park Slope Eye, in Brooklyn, N.Y. He is a member of the AOA, NYSOA and the American Academy of Orthokeratology & Myopia Control. In 2014, he received financial compensation for services from Allergan, Bausch + Lomb, Vision Service Plan, Luxottica, The Vision Council and Foster Grant.