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Social networking is the biggest buzz right now around the Internet with many of the most popular websites and companies having their own dedicated profile buttons leading to their respective social networking profiles. Early sites like YouTube and MySpace took the center stage and now there are buttons for LinkedIn as well.

This is a big surprise because LinkedIn has a targeted crowd unlike the other social networking sites. If you visit the LinkedIn homepage, you will see that professionals are the main target. If you are already a member in LinkedIn now, you’d probably agree and consider yourself a professional as well.

But the fact that LinkedIn buttons are made visible to the public leads people to believe that they are showing off their LinkedIn profiles for everyone to see. As a professional, you can say that your own profile is for professionals to look at, but how would non-professionals react to your profile if you expose it to them. If you don’t see yourself as a professional right now and saw someone else’s LinkedIn profile, you too might be wondering if LinkedIn is the next social network to hop into. In general, the main question here is: Is LinkedIn for non-professionals too? Despite what how LinkedIn describes itself, LinkedIn is definitely a network where anyone can get involved. Although it is obviously not for kids, there are a few facts that back up this claim.

There are No Strict Requirements to Join LinkedIn

There is no need to be intimidated in joining LinkedIn if you are not a member or inviting a non-professional person in your network. Registration doesn’t cost a thing unless you decide to take on the upgrade plans which aren’t recommended until you are more familiar with LinkedIn. You don’t have to submit any special documents or credentials either. Filling up your profile with useful documents to share will help in networking with others, but there is no major rule that is enforced.

High School and College Graduates may find LinkedIn Useful for a Head Start

A high school and college diploma are two things that must be present in any profile if you are hoping to get a good job. This happens to be one of the fields that you can enter in your LinkedIn profile. Even if you haven’t started with your first job as a professional, you can still slowly fill up your profile and connect with others early. LinkedIn doubles as a people finder and you might even hook up with others that graduated in the same school as you.

LinkedIn is like a Modern Job Directory

Professionals are not only searching for other professionals, but they are also searching for ordinary people who are willing to become professionals. Therefore if they see that your profile doesn’t have much credentials, but has a lot of information highlighting how ambitious of a person you are in relation to your interests, other LinkedIn professionals may come to you. LinkedIn could be the site to thank when you finally become a professional.

LinkedIn will continue to say that it is a site for professionals. But understand that anyone can and make full use of the services that they offer for their own benefits as long as it doesn’t violate their Terms of Agreement.