LinkedIn Premium Career is LinkedIn’s paid subscription plan designed specifically for job seekers. It provides additional features and services to help job seekers stand out during their search for new career opportunities. In this article, we will look at the cost of a LinkedIn Premium Career subscription and the key benefits it offers.
The Cost of LinkedIn Premium Career
LinkedIn Premium Career is available on a monthly or annual payment plan. Here are the current pricing options (as of October 2023):
- Monthly plan: $29.99 per month
- Annual plan: $239.88 per year (or $19.99 per month)
The annual plan offers savings of about 17% compared to paying month-to-month. LinkedIn occasionally offers discounts and special offers which can drop the price further for the first year.
There is also a free one-month trial available so you can test out the Premium features before committing to a paid subscription.
Key Features of LinkedIn Premium Career
Here are some of the key features and benefits unlocked with a LinkedIn Premium Career subscription:
- InMail messages: Send unlimited messages directly to any LinkedIn member without needing to connect first.
- Profile viewing insights: See who has viewed your profile and how you rank against other applicants.
- Advanced profile management: Stand out by adding rich media, skills assessments, and other enhancements to your profile.
- Job insights: Gain insider info on pay, skills, and trends for specific companies and roles.
- Salary comparison tool: Benchmark and negotiate your next salary using aggregated data.
- Interview prep: Get tips and practice common interview questions before your next interview.
- Premium job search: Unlock preferences like remote roles and quickly save jobs to organize your search.
- Learning paths: Access curated expert content and over 16,000 courses to build in-demand skills.
Having a Premium Career subscription can help substantially in looking for a new job or progressing your career. The ability to message recruiters directly, showcase your skills, and get data-driven insights make it easier to stand out from the competition.
Comparing LinkedIn Premium Career vs. Premium Business
LinkedIn offers another paid subscription tier called Premium Business. This is designed for marketing, sales, recruiting and general business use cases rather than for individual job seekers.
Here’s a quick look at how the main features of Premium Career and Premium Business compare:
Feature | Premium Career | Premium Business |
---|---|---|
InMail messages | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Profile viewing insights | Yes | Yes |
Advanced profile management | Yes | Yes |
Job insights | Yes | No |
Salary comparison | Yes | No |
Interview prep | Yes | No |
Premium job search | Yes | No |
Learning paths | Yes | No |
As you can see, Premium Business focuses more on recruiting, advertising, and branding tools for companies rather than individual career development. Premium Career is specifically tailored for job seekers and their needs.
Is LinkedIn Premium Career Worth It?
Whether Premium Career is worth the investment depends on your individual job search and career goals. Here are a few things to consider:
- How urgently are you looking for a new job? If you need to find a new role quickly, the advanced tools can accelerate your search.
- Are you struggling to get noticed by recruiters? Premium gives you more ways to stand out and get on recruiters’ radars.
- Do you want to maximize your salary or benefits package? Premium provides the data to negotiate better offers.
- Are there skills you want to develop? Premium includes extensive learning content to help you gain new skills.
- How much time will you devote to your job search? If you’ll be spending many hours networking and applying, Premium can optimize that time.
For most active job seekers, the benefits of Premium Career make the monthly subscription fees worthwhile, at least for your period of searching. You can cancel anytime if you find the value isn’t there.
However, more casual job seekers who are just testing the waters may find the free LinkedIn account sufficient for their needs. The free version still allows you to create a polished profile, search jobs, build connections, and apply to roles.
Tips for Getting the Most from Premium Career
To maximize the value from a Premium Career subscription, here are some tips:
- Complete your profile – Premium gives you more ways to showcase your background, skills, examples, and media.
- Engage on the platform – comment, like, share, and post updates to expand your network and visibility.
- Use Premium search filters – tailor your job searches by title, date, location, company, salary, etc.
- Message recruiters about roles – use InMail to directly contact relevant hiring managers.
- Try the interview preparation tools – access common questions and practice answers.
- Follow up after applying – use insights to see who viewed your application and when.
- Learn new skills – work through Premium Learning courses and paths to gain abilities.
Invest time customizing your profile, engaging your network, and utilizing the advanced job search features to maximize your chances of success.
Conclusion
A LinkedIn Premium Career subscription currently costs $29.99 per month when paid monthly or $19.99 per month ($239.88 annually) on the annual plan. The key benefits for job seekers include unlimited InMail messages, profile enhancement tools, expanded search capabilities, interview prep resources, and more.
For active job seekers, the Premium Career features often provide enough additional visibility and insights to justify the pricetag. However, more casual job hunters may find the free account sufficient for their needs.
To get the most value from the Premium Career subscription, complete your profile thoroughly, actively engage on the platform, and take advantage of the advanced job search filters, InMail messaging, and learning content.