Short answer, yes, in most industries a LinkedIn profile has basically become expected, even if you are not actively job hunting.
Many recruiters search LinkedIn before they even post a job opening, and some hiring managers will look you up there before an interview, just to get a sense of your background. Having a profile that is at least filled out with your work history and a short summary can make a real difference in whether you get noticed at all.
Bryan set up his LinkedIn on the day he applied for his very first job here, mostly because a friend told him recruiters would check it before reaching out.
That said, the field matters. In more traditional trades like construction or in some creative fields where a portfolio speaks louder than a profile, LinkedIn tends to matter less. But for office jobs, healthcare, tech, and most professional roles, it is worth the thirty minutes it takes to set one up properly.
If you already have a resume ready How to Write a Resume for the US Job Market: A Step by Step Guide – Life at work turning that same content into a LinkedIn profile is a quick next step.
Work in progress.