The benefits of LinkedIn

I was skeptical about how helpful LinkedIn really could be when it comes to finding a profession, making connections, etc., etc.
My skepticism has completely gone out the window in the matter of seconds.
The first pro of LinkedIn is that you can literally connect with anyone in your field almost instantly, automatically building relationships with people you otherwise might never actually know.
The second benefit is that it alerts you as to who is viewing your profile. While on other social networking sites that might seem extremely creepy and might frighten off some users, on LinkedIn it is extremely helpful because you know who your page is attracting and what connections are actually interested in you.
The third benefit comes with an extremely long list of smaller, additional benefits. When you join LinkedIn, you can also join groups within the site. I joined a journalism group and ever since I did I've been getting emails about forums, discussions and even job postings in my field. This is most definitely helpful because if I have any questions I now know where to turn to, when before I might have not been able to have my question answered for a long period of time... if ever. Also, getting emails about available jobs is also extremely helpful because now everything is in one place for me to access and I don't have to worry about missing anything.
If anyone was skeptical about using LinkedIn before, I highly recommend giving it a shot because it will definitely make a difference in your professional life.