Launched 15 years ago, LinkedIn has emerged as the most popular social media platform for professional networking, with more than half a billion registered users from all over the world. However, while most of the features are available to users for free, one of the things that many users detest is the $59,99 subscription fee that has to be paid to make use of more advanced features of the website.
People stay with LinkedIn because they don’t know about alternative solutions, but many of them started looking for other platforms to create professional connections. In case you are one of them, you should totally take a look at our list of the top LinkedIn alternatives worth checking out.
The German alternative to the U.S. based LinkedIn; Xing also claims to have members from all over the world, and their multi-language interface backs it up. Xing offers professional profiles, discussions and groups.
Another useful element to Xing membership is the ability to attend networking events hosted by the website’s so-called ambassadors, where members can meet, pitch ideas and get business advice from each other. The unique feature of Xing is its stringent anti-spam policy which helps to guarantee that offers you receive are credible.
Meetup
Meetup is an online social networking site that claims to facilitate “offline group meetings in various localities around the world”. Like Linkedin and most of the other platforms on this list, Meetup recently became available as a mobile app. One of the modern features of Meetup is that users can join groups based on shared interests, which may include movies, arts, sports, politics, etc. According to the company’s reports, the platform is currently available in over 280 countries (more than has LinkedIn) with over 32 million members. While average users can join any group for free, organizers of groups have to pay a subscription fee.
Upwork
While not strictly a ‘networking’ site unlike LinkedIn, Upwork offers a wide array of job opportunities for freelancers around the globe. The site is a product of the mega-merger between Elance and oDesk in 2013. The site acts as an intermediary between employees and employers looking to hire professionals on a contract rather than on a full-time job. Users can choose to hire or get hired either on a short- or long-term basis, so whether you’re looking to pay per hour or project, Elance has got you covered. It’s a great site to find a short-term job, but it’s not useful for those who are looking for something more prolonged.
Netparty
Netparty is an event-based networking platform. These events have more of a social mixer environment as opposed to professional or industry meetups. Networking events take place all over the world, with most of them taking place in large cities of the US and Canada. It is primarily targeted at a young crowd, and most of these meetups have more of a casual, relaxed atmosphere rather than formal networking events. It is a fantastic platform for a smart way to spend Friday night, but that’s it.
Four platforms on the list have their advantages and disadvantages. What if you want an aggregate account will ALL benefits from these platforms for networking opportunities and an efficient job search?
Aworker
Meet next-gen solution. Aworker is the platform that helps to find the most suitable company and job position based on your psycho-type, professional skills, and work achievements. There is no need to be afraid of blockchain technology because the decentralization provides the best opportunities for creating the new professional ecosystem. Also, all information is securely stored, and all the actions are transparent which exclude the chances of getting trapped with expensive yet unnecessary obligations. Aworker develops a disruptive solution by putting blockchain-driven technologies at the core of the Work 2.0. Now each person will receive a reward for his job-related recommendation.
You can read the case study about the Aworker algorithm on the HackerNoon.
What is your go-to networking platform? Write in the comments section!