_You do not need LinkedIn!_ I can not put enough emphasis on this. So many people think you can't be a professional without a LinkedIn account, it's depressing.

_You do not need LinkedIn!_ I can not put enough emphasis on this. So many people think you can't be a professional without a LinkedIn account, it's depressing. Word of mouth trumps everything. Build up your _real_ social and professional network, and you will never be at the mercy of any of these so-called tools. And yes, I built mine up without LinkedIn.