Overview
LinkedIn is the world's largest professional networking service, founded in 2003 and acquired by Microsoft in 2016 for $26.2 billion. It now has more than 1 billion registered users across 200+ countries and regions. LinkedIn is the primary platform for overseas job hunting, B2B lead generation, employer branding and industry insight sharing. For anyone going global, a polished LinkedIn profile is effectively an international professional identity.
Core Features
Professional Profile
Build your online résumé and personal brand with education, experience and skill endorsements
Job Search
Massive listings of remote and local overseas jobs with 1-click apply and recruiter chat
Business Networking
Precisely build connections by industry, company or role for sales, hiring and partnerships
Content Feed
Post articles, videos and industry takes to build influence and reach prospects
Sales Navigator
The essential B2B sales tool with advanced search, CRM integration and prospecting
LinkedIn Learning
Online course platform with 20,000+ courses across business, tech and creative fields
How to Use
Sign Up
Sign up at linkedin.com with your email. Accessible in China but unstable — a VPN is recommended
Complete Profile
Upload a professional photo, fill in experience, education and skills to reach 100% profile completeness
Build Network
Proactively send connection requests to alumni, coworkers, target clients or recruiters
Post Regularly
Post 1-2 industry takes or reflections per week and engage in comments to grow reach
Founding Story
LinkedIn was founded in Reid Hoffman's living room in late 2002 and officially launched in May 2003. As one of the earliest Web 2.0 social networks—predating Facebook—LinkedIn carved out a differentiated niche around professional identity, avoiding head-on competition with Facebook and steadily growing into the world's largest career platform. LinkedIn went public in 2011. In June 2016, Microsoft acquired LinkedIn for $26.2 billion, one of the largest tech acquisitions in history at the time. In recent years, LinkedIn has heavily invested in its content ecosystem and AI features, making it a key surface in Microsoft's AI strategy.
FAQ
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