Other people think it too...

It's not just us. Others continue to weigh in on the importance of LinkedIn for professionals or in the job search. 

Five Things Your LinkedIn Profile Says about You (published by the Little Pink Book). 

Apathetic, unprofessional, inconsistent and outdated – is your Linkedin profile implying all the wrong things?

LinkedIn is the best way for people to get to know you professionally to get an accurate representation.

Here are the five most common profile mistakes and how they translate, according to Julie Bauke, career strategist and president of The Bauke Group.

You have a profile, but it' not 100 percent complete. "You don't want employers and other professionals to think you're not committed to finishing what you start," says Bauke.

You have family or a dog in your profile picture. "There is a big difference between LinkedIn and Facebook," she adds. "This is one of them."

How to keep your picture professional? "No kids, spouse, dog, boat or wine," says Bauke.

You have five connections. "Making consistent, ongoing LinkedIn connections as you meet new people and reconnect with former contacts will steadily build your professional network," advises Bauke.

Your information is outdated. Old or irrelevant information on your profile implies that you're not detailed or don't care about your professional life.

You don't have a profile at all. Bauke says it's even more important to have a profile if you're over 40. "If you're not up to date in using technology tools, one may wonder if you're up to date in your ideas and knowledge about your profession and industry."

Show that you're proactive and strategic about your career, and create a profile.

Bottom line? She says creating a strong profile shows that you're proactive and strategic about your career.

LinkedIn - make it a must do in your job search.

It's true... your job search will suffer if you do not have a LinkedIn profile. It is hard to admit that social media is so prevalent in today's job search process, but there is no denying that it plays a big role. A role that is getting bigger and bigger every day. There are tons of articles on career websites about how to leverage social media to connect with companies and recruiters who are hiring in today's market. 

But, let's not forget or underestimate just how much recruiters use social media to find and cross reference candidates. We do. We collect as much information as we can about someone through an interview, background check, reference check AND taking a look at someones LinkedIn profile. Now, for us the social media component is secondary to the information that we gather first hand about a candidate, but it does not go unnoticed when a job seeker does not have a profile or if the profile is vague at best. 

Recruiters are looking to these social media tools to help paint a picture of who you are (like it or not). So, don't let the opportunity pass you by. Create a LinkedIn profile and make it a good and thorough picture of who you are and the work that you have done. Otherwise, the right job just might pass you by.