Many of LinkedIn’s users will notice the option to upgrade to a Premium account whilst using the social media site. Many calls to actions for joining the Premium service are located around the site, whether you’re trying to see the anonymous users that have viewed your profile or whilst you’re job searching. LinkedIn Premium makes itself clear from the start, but how do you know if it’s worth the monthly payment? Will I fail to make use of the Premium features? Will upgrading vastly improve my career? This blog explains the different tools inside LinkedIn Premium and what the membership can offer you.

Like most products, you’re offered a 30-day free trial before committing to anything; this is a great way to use the tools yourself and really decide whether you’re ready for LinkedIn Premium. I suggest using this trial and getting some hands on experience with Premium (once you’ve finished reading this blog of course!)

Different Premium Types

LinkedIn Premium Professional
This is the “introductory” level of the different Premium subscriptions; its main features are the ability to stand out from the crowd with a larger profile photo and header image, and double the visibility in search results. Arguably both good features to have when catching employers’ or potential business associates’ attention. You also receive InMail credits, which gives you the ability to reach out and send direct messages to potential business contacts. Along with these features you get better search and discovery rankings and analytics to see your overall profile progression.

LinkedIn Job Seeker
This account offers similar features to the Premium Professional account in terms of visibility and profile image sizes but where it separates itself is in its job search functionality. The Premium account gives you the option to move to the top of a job application list as a ‘featured applicant’ potentially giving you the cutting edge. The ability to see the full list of people who have viewed your profile also has its uses during a job search. With this account you’re given 10 InMail credits per month, which can be used effectively to reach hiring managers and recruiters. You can also filter job listings by their salary range; a company called PayScale offers this data to LinkedIn and is a feature offered to users across the UK and USA. Discussions are also available to Premium users so you can discuss ideas and get useful insight on your application techniques.

Recruiter Lite
This Premium subscription gives you the ability to see 35x more LinkedIn accounts when looking for potential job candidates. A tool that is vital for a recruiter. It also offers eight Premium-only search filters and search alters which will help you find the perfect candidate. LinkedIn has a wide variety of apps for different types of users, this comes in to use with the Recruiter Lite subscription as it grants you access to the Recruiter Mobile app.

Sales Navigator
The sales navigator account gives you a wide variety of sales focused features. The ability to save a member as a lead and manage prospects is a useful tool for the right user. You also get Premium search tools similar to the other accounts and lead recommendations, and are able to connect with those out of your network, enabling more potential leads.

After researching each account type, it shows that each is useful in their respective area. If you’re a recruiter looking for more engaging leads then the Recruiter Lite account is for you. However, if you’re a job seeker and you’re finding the traditional job search laborious, the Job Seeker account is for you. Their features and LinkedIn’s ranking puts you a cut above the rest when using a Premium account. But If you’re supplementing LinkedIn with your career and you aren’t looking to leave your position any time soon, your standard account holds enough features to keep you content.