Viable Professional Networking Replacements To LinkedIn

For years, LinkedIn was considered the default networking service for professionals. From posting jobs to making connections, the property that Microsoft recently acquired allowed millions of workers to come together. However, it’s not the only player on the block when it comes to connecting professionals since there are now some services trying to take LinkedIn’s place.

As AdWeek noted, Instagram is becoming a rather hot option for younger workers as a means of determining where they want to work. This makes a lot of sense since a recently conducted survey found that when it comes to researching potential companies to work for, both Facebook and LinkedIn are in the overall lead, but Instagram has younger job hunters in the bag.

Surveying over 2,000 workers, the study found that 25 percent of overall participants preferred using Facebook while 23 percent used LinkedIn. On the other hand, for those in the 18-29 years old category, Instagram got 28 percent of interest.

Another up and coming option for job hunting is an app called Shapr, which basically works like Tinder and LinkedIn combined. Users swipe right to meet with prospective contacts and perhaps talk over coffee.

Free to use, the idea is simple enough. Just as users would swipe right to indicate that they are interested in becoming a pair on Tinder, users would do the same with Shapr to indicate that they want to build a professional network.

Aside from job hunters, the app can also be used to get in touch with potential investors for their startup or partners for their businesses. Users can connect with as many as 15 potential contacts every day. Once the swiped profile decides to reciprocate, a meet-up can take place. It doesn’t have to be a physical place, however, as a Skype video call can work just as well.

Now, it’s worth noting that Shapr is relatively new, so the number of potential contacts is understandably going to be small. Using this app also doesn’t mean giving up on LinkedIn since the platform is still a major player in job finding.