This is a continuation of last week’s post on optimizing your LinkedIn Profile.

One of the many features on LinkedIn is upgrading your profile to “jobseeker”. By subscribing the user pays a nominal fee, which includes a briefcase icon next to their name. This opens the door to others on LinkedIn to let them see that the user is seeking employment. But does this have any effect on actually getting a job, and is the fee is worth the investment?

The short answer is yes. The fee ranges from $19.99 to $24.99 per month, with no contract. Careerbuilder.com and Monster.com have pricing up to $150 per month which only includes ad placement, simply defined as your information being one of the first results when an employer searches for possible applicants. Strictly speaking, this has no value.

LinkedIn, however, is an online network with internal communication links to other professionals across the corporate spectrum. The major difference between using LinkedIn versus other employment sites is that your professional connections speak for you. If a potential employer sees that you are connected with another colleague or company they have worked with, the simple fact is they will notice you over someone else. It is akin to being in a massive room full of employers with all of your professional contacts and references in tow, using them as examples of your performance. Currently, LinkedIn has over 150 million users, and because the website is geared toward professionals one has to assume that high percentages are using it to find employees.

Additionally, there are links on LinkedIn in which direct the user toward furthering their online education in relation to a job search. If specific jobs require online training the employment posts specify what is needed, as opposed to other job sites which give the user no clue as to what they need to know. During a recent job search, I was able to eliminate some time applying to jobs because educational information was listed, so I could focus in on opportunities which more closely matched my education level.

In a direct comparison, LinkedIn is far superior for job searches than any other employment website. It is about who you know and how they can get you that first interview. To simply send out one’s resume does nothing but add frustration and doubt to an already stressful process. Furthermore, there is also the truth that in today’s job market – or lack thereof – it is useful to utilize any and all resources. Simply put, for the price and network, upgrading could do nothing but help.

If there is still a question of “is it worth it”, consider this personal example. This author personally sent out over 300 resumes to prospective employers before finally getting the right advice by using LinkedIn. Using this network, it only took four emails to get an interview. You do the math.

Joseph Baker’s business experience in management spans more than 15 years. A leader of development and management teams, he also implemented budget reductions professionally and as an independent contractor. Joseph led strategic planning and systems of implementation for nine organizations, public and private, and worked extensively with small businesses.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management.