What LinkedIns IPO Means for You

What LinkedIns IPO Means for You Now that the dust has settled a bit on LinkedIns successful IPO, you might have wondered what the implications are for your job search. Will the site change? What will happen to your membership? Are more people expected to join? Will another networking hub overtake LinkedIn as the favorite of businesspeople and job seekers? Here are some musings on what the new state of LinkedIn can mean for you: Site changes. Interestingly enough, LinkedIn HAS changed its functionality significantly over the past 18 months, potentially in prepartion for its IPO. In case you didnt notice, the new Skills sections and search functionality appeared late last year. In addition, site functions that once were available from the top menu bar started to drift around. More notably, the Settings page became more user-friendly, with the Privacy controls a bit easier to understand. So, it IS possible that the navigation and menus will continue to shift but keep in mind that much of the change may have already occurred. More jobs.No, Im not referring to the sites job search engine, but the company itself. Its expected that the company will start to boost its technology workforce, and may even open offices outside of California meaning that a slot could open up for you. A burgeoning membership.Imitators and new social networking sites aside (Quora, anyone?), LinkedIn is on a tear with its growth, and most site watchers dont expect it to slow anytime soon. At last estimate, the site had around 100 million registered users, but this number is somewhat skewed from the volume of orphan and duplicate profiles. As many recruiters (more than 90% of all active headhunters, according to careers industry surveys) mine the site for the ultimate candidates, LinkedIn is still a mecca for those wanting to find (companies, jobs, services, etc.) and be found. The takeaway? Keep that LinkedIn Profile polished  for searchability and branding, and your radar up when it comes to maximizing the site. As business activity continues to grow, and the site continues to attract attention, more features and more active users can only mean that youre in the right place as a job hunter.