Why More and More MBAs are Coming to LinkedIn: #LinkedInLife
Since its 2003 launch, LinkedIn has been shaping the way people find jobs, becoming the most extensive professional social network on the planet. With over 530 million users, it is clear how the platform could pair job seekers with a multitude of career prospects. LinkedIn was just voted Company of the Year by HRDive for the comprehensive recruitment resources it offers its users. However, a network this expansive presents its own pool of opportunities. In fact, Glassdoor dubbed LinkedIn one of the 25 best places to work in 2017. For a company that prides itself on such a unique work environment, its employees even have their own hashtag (#linkedinlife). The company’s rising importance as a recruiting tool in the global economy (hence, over 30 offices worldwide) and its award-winning work environment make a career at LinkedIn an excellent option for MBA grads.
#LinkedInlife
LinkedIn takes a values-centered approach to building its employee culture. According to the company’s website, the values that define LinkedIn are: integrity, humor, transformation, collaboration, and results. Employees are entitled to a multitude of benefits, including 401(k) and Roth contributions, paid parental leave, 17 paid holidays, and an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP). The company also demonstrates its commitment to inclusive strategies by providing back-up childcare resources for employees whose children have special needs.
The Human Rights Campaign designated LinkedIn as one of the best places to work for LGBT equality in 2017. LinkedIn makes an effort to provide resources for its community’s LGBT members, including (but far from limited to) supporting gender reassignment surgery and ensuring that domestic partners and same sex spouses are included in U.S. Benefit programs.
In addition to a unique and inclusive set of standards and values, LinkedIn provides an environment that is far more exciting than that of the standard corporate job. According to The Undercover Recruiter, each floor of LinkedIn’s London office is structured according to a theme. The sports-themed floor has a Wimbledon Room with astroturf on the walls and an umpire chair.
Inside LinkedIn’s San Francisco headquarters/Photo by Eric Laignel.
Getting Hired
In recent years, LinkedIn has trended toward using its website and platform, as well as hosting regional events for recruiting as opposed to using traditional job fair settings. MBAs at LinkedIn can find jobs in sales, marketing, finance, product, and business development through the Student Careers program. At LinkedIn, the community is organized into teams, and each team has its area of focus. Professionals seeking careers specifically in business can choose from about fifteen possible teams. The Corporate Development and Strategy team, for example, leads the way in determining company strategy and analyzing market activity and opportunities. The Global Solutions team focuses on marketing, hiring, and sales. Those who wish to focus exclusively on marketing can look into the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions (LMS) team.
In a 2015 interview with Cosmopolitan, LinkedIn Global Talent Acquisitions Leader Tey Scott discussed how, despite its headquarters being located in Mountainview, CA, the company hires talent from everywhere—which can mean a lot for both domestic and international MBAs.
“We hire from around the world, and we have an amazing relocation assistance program that supports all levels of hires,” she says. “We offer temporary housing, and help employees find daycare, schools, or other things that suit their needs—whether it’s a student relocating from [the East Coast] to Silicon Valley, or someone who has to relocate an entire family and sell a house.”
Scott continues, saying, “We also try to help people get to know the new area they’re moving to. For recent graduates and students, we’ll put them in a LinkedIn group and start conversations with them so they can figure out what neighborhoods they want to live in, and even help them find roommates.”
The company has also made an active effort to convert interns into full-time employees, she adds. “The goal is to convert as many people who come through it into full-time employees. We have interns in all of our locations globally, and we even host interns from other Bay Area tech companies for an annual intern hack day at our headquarters. Undergraduate and MBA interns must be enrolled full-time in a program and return to the program following the internship.”
Find out more about LinkedIn’s MBA internship opportunities here.
