By Stephanie Burt, Social Media Manager

LinkedIn is a mystery to a lot of people. “I don’t see the value in it,” or “It’s a waste of time,” are a couple of common statements I’ve heard when talking about LinkedIn.

Similar to Facebook, there are member profiles, though profiles are more of a resume. Members can connect with past employers, co-workers, classmates and professionals they have done business with. LinkedIn is a record of your career, helping current employers and future employers learn more about you and your goals.

With over 70 million members, LinkedIn offers almost instant contact with a growing number of business decision-makers. A number of businesses use this platform as a job-recruiting tool, but I’ve found LinkedIn as a way to connect with like-minded individuals who are in the same profession as I am. With Groups, LinkedIn makes it easy to find other members to share your thoughts, ideas or even ask industry questions.

This social platform provides a level of professional networking unlike any other Web site. For instance, out of curiosity, I searched for Apple under companies. I personally don’t know anyone at Apple, and I’m not aware of anyone I’m connected with on LinkedIn who does either. Upon searching, I immediately found three people that are connected to me, who are also connected with employees of Apple. What an incredibly useful way to find people who can provide feedback about their company and profession. Social Media has established itself as a barrier-crusher and gateway opener, and LinkedIn capitalizes on this spirit of social networking.

It’s understandable if people don’t want another social platform to keep up with, but with 150 countries represented, 1.5 million average daily users and executives from Fortune 500 companies to interact with, doesn’t it make sense to at least spend an hour a week perusing this site accessing knowledge, insights and opportunities?