Almost half (46%) of UK adults think that having a professional online profile is important when trying to secure a new job, according to a study by online network LinkedIn and Opinium Research.
Nearly a third of UK professionals (29%) now have an online profile of their business life, as opposed to a profile of their social life on Facebook or MySpace.
Of these individuals, nearly a quarter (22%) have made new business contacts as a direct result of their online presence, while 17% claim to have secured new business or sales leads.
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According to the report, 61% of workers in the advertising, media and publishing sector believe that having a professional online profile will help further their career, and more than half (53%) see them as useful when on the hunt for a new job.
Just a quarter (25%) of public sector workers see professional online profiles as an aid to furthering their careers, and 37% think they have the potential to help in the recruitment market.
