Many of LinkedIn’s newest features makes it feel less like a job-seeking platform and even more like Instagram. But that seems to be what it’s going for.
The company today announced that LinkedIn profiles will now include an optional field at the top next to a user’s name to specify their preferred pronouns. Additionally, the company is building on tools that help showcase the specific skills of its users, including a new “creator mode” as well as a dedicated services page that will prove useful especially for freelancers and contractors.
When enabled, creator mode turns LinkedIn users into veritable industry influencers. The “connect” button on the top of a user’s page can be changed to a “follow” button to help build engagement. Featured and Activity sections will be more prominently displayed with creator mode, and users can add hashtags to their profiles for topics specific to their interests.
LinkedIn already supports a Stories feature, but the platform will now allow users to add short “cover letter” videos to their LinkedIn profiles. The company said in a press release that nearly 80% of hiring managers view video as an important tool for vetting potential job-seekers, and LinkedIn’s CPO Tomer Cohen said the feature will allow users to “personalise your first ‘hello’” to fellow community members and recruiters.
Profiles that have video cover stories on their profiles will show an orange ring around their profile photo, and the video will auto-play within the frame. The company said support for captioning will be arriving “soon.” LinkedIn also said to be on the lookout for additional “enhancements” in the months ahead.
Hey, whatever helps you get the job.