Microsoft owned LinkedIn has fast become THE place for professionals, and is often seen as a platform where the working class can expand its business network. It lets employees and employers get in touch in a safe place, and has become the go to social media platform for professionals. And as social media platforms go, LinkedIn also keeps adding new features over time to entice new users (including Stories, something I never expected to see on LinkedIn). Now, apart from just showcasing your experience and resume to a broad user base, LinkedIn is also looking to add features that appreciates the users’ individuality.
The company announced a set of new features today that it will incorporate into the platform over the next few months. The most notable among these is the video cover story. Through this new feature, a user will be able to replace his/ her existing profile picture with a short video where they tell the profile viewer about themselves and their personality. This feature will help users let the world know about their personality traits, which may not be otherwise clear in their resume. It would also give potential employers a glimpse into their communication and oratory skills. The video will automatically start playing when someone visits a profile, which only reminds one of the ways the pictures would move in Harry Potter’s magical newspaper, Daily Prophet – though these would be in color and sound.
Another new feature that would let users show their individuality is the new pronoun section. Users can opt to reveal their pronouns in a particular place right alongside their names using this feature. ‘
Other features include an updated version of LinkedIn’s Influencer Mode- The Creator Mode. This mode will allow users to change their profiles to Creators and add post and lives of their work. Other users have the option of following said creators.
Similarly, LinkedIn has also announced a feature for freelancers- who will now be able to attach a Service page to their profiles.
Apart from these new features, LinkedIn is also extending the time limit for its free training program, that it launched amid the lockdown, till the end of 2021, while also pitching Career Coach – a brand new MS teams linked app for students.
LinkedIn reached 740 million users this year, and it is only natural that it would want to update the platform to keep up with the times. However, only time will tell whether these new features will disrupt the platform’s professional demeanor in any way or not.
