by Before discussing LinkedIn alternatives, let us first talk about LinkedIn. When it comes to international business connections, LinkedIn is in a class by itself. In the year 2020, LinkedIn boasted over 660 million active user accounts. This elevates LinkedIn to the same level as other major social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
It’s important to note that LinkedIn is still behind the two giants mentioned above because registered users do not necessarily translate to active users. At the beginning of 2020, LinkedIn had about 260 million users who visited the site at least once a month. That makes Microsoft-owned LinkedIn the most popular social media platform worldwide for professionals.
In this article, we’ve listed some of the best LinkedIn alternatives for professional networking purposes.
Best LinkedIn Alternatives For Job Seekers
Although LinkedIn may be the most well-known platform for such activities, it is not the only one in this field. Check out our list of the best free LinkedIn alternatives below.
1. Meetup
This is the place for you if conferences, seminars, and other similar gatherings fall under the umbrella of “professional networking” in your mind.
Meetup, founded in 2002 by Scott Heiferman, is a platform for organizing and attending in-person social gatherings.
People with similar interests can connect through the Meetup website. Different types of events are categorized. Career and business-related gatherings are typically a combination of formal presentations and casual happy hours.
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Meetup is a great resource for learning about in-person gatherings where you may expand your personal network. The promotion of both oneself and one’s business is facilitated by this platform.
2. Slack
There’s probably no need to introduce Slack, a free virtual workspace, team collaboration, and communication platform.
The site’s primary purpose is to improve internal company communication and collaboration. But it’s also a great way to meet and keep in touch with people in the business world.
It’s no secret that Slack has been used by corporations and people alike to form interest-based communities.
As an illustration, Online Geniuses hosts a Slack channel community of 25,000 marketing professionals. Or, you might join Marketers Chat, a community for independents and those who operate in the startup and small business sectors.
3. Jobcase
Using Jobcase, job-seekers may build an extensive profile to highlight their greatest strengths in front of potential employers.
You can include a personal summary, information about your work preferences, personality qualities, volunteer activities, and more in your resume, provided that it is relevant to your chosen profession.
Jobcase’s benefit is that it powers over a hundred current job-listing websites, whereas LinkedIn only permits some of these more detailed information types.
That implies that users can choose from a larger pool of potential companies and job openings on those sites.
Jobcase’s chief executive officer Frederick Goff said the firm’s mission is to use its data analytics expertise by building a user-friendly, unified platform for the employment process.
4. Facebook Group
Finally, Facebook is another option to explore instead of LinkedIn. Facebook may not market itself as a professional networking platform, but it does host several useful specialized groups.
Content marketers, PPC managers, and others will all find communities to call home. Google searches and Facebook’s own navigation tools are your best bets for discovering relevant Facebook groups.
These days, networking is an essential part of any career. Both the employee and the employer will benefit from giving them chances to connect with people who can help them grow professionally by sharing ideas and techniques.
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Even if LinkedIn is the most popular platform for professional networking, other alternatives provide even more features.
There are some fantastic virtual communities whose members primarily communicate via Slack and Facebook, just two examples.
5. Xing
If you speak German and want to use LinkedIn, you should sign up for the Xing platform instead. It has over 10.1 million monthly visitors from Germany alone and over 900,000 from Switzerland and Austria combined (800,000 users).
In Europe alone, there are close to 12 million subscribers. The site isn’t just aimed at people who can speak German, though. Members come from all around the world and can communicate in various tongues.
Xing is a professional networking platform where users may make connections with other users and search for and apply for jobs.
Learn about industry events such as conferences, seminars, and workshops. This is a fantastic option if you’re looking for something to replace LinkedIn.
6. Atleto
As a means of socializing and getting to know one another, working out quickly becomes the new “happy hour” in the business world.
Atleto is a social sports network that brings together businesspeople with similar fitness goals, athletic interests, and geographical areas.
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According to Atleto, it helps its staff and the local community live healthier lives. A quick break for a game of tennis or a spin class can do wonders for morale and camaraderie between employees.
Employees can use the site during their lunch breaks or any other time to bond as a team and release stress.
7. Angel List
AngelList is a platform that aims to unite investors and prospective employees with new businesses.
Companies and investors may meet and do business; even more importantly, startups can recruit talented people to work for them.
So, whether you are interested in working for or investing in a business, AngelList is the place to go.
Even though it’s a smaller, more specialized competitor to LinkedIn, it has over 8 million users and helped 6 million investors and job-seekers find opportunities with expanding businesses.
8. Nexxt
Brand, a previous job search platform, rebranded as Nexxt in 2017. Millions of job-seekers have benefited from the site’s ability to connect them with businesses that are actively hiring people with the right talents.
To help people find jobs in their chosen field and location, the organization connects them with a network of over 500 industry-organized talent groups across the country.
Nexxt is more than just a job board; its members also have access to carefully curated original content, making it easy to zero in on the precise recommendations and references required.
9. Shapr
There’s a good chance you’re familiar with Tinder, the ubiquitous dating software that helps you meet potential romantic partners in your immediate vicinity.
Shapr is the same idea applied to the business world. The app lets users establish profiles that include their bios, work experiences, fields of study, and educational backgrounds to facilitate more meaningful connections.
The app will then suggest people who share your interests and background with whom you might form meaningful relationships in your immediate vicinity.
Like on Tinder, you can choose to “pass” or “meet” a person and go on to the next, or you can “meet” someone who seems like a good match and have a meaningful chat. It’s a great method to network with other professionals.
10. Sumry
The finest way to introduce yourself to the world is with Sumry, the first and only of its kind. Better connections are made based on your own narrative.
Create online portfolios to showcase your work and resumes with its support. It emphasizes your credentials, degrees, certificates, and professional experience.
It’s also a great place to feature testimonials from former employers or coworkers.
As you find a job that interests you, you can introduce yourself to the hiring manager even before filling out an application.
