Online professional networking platforms are widely used and may help workers to search for and obtain jobs. We run the first randomized evaluation of training work seekers to join and use one of the largest platforms, LinkedIn. Training increases the end-of-program employment rate by 10 percent (7 percentage points), and this effect persists for at least 12 months. The available employment, platform use, and job search data suggest that employment effects are explained by work seekers using the platform to acquire information about prospective employers and perhaps by work seekers accessing referrals and conveying information to prospective employers on the platform. (JEL J22, J23, J24, J64, M53, O15)

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Young people face myriad obstacles in finding work, leaving more than 71 million unemployed globally. Digital professional networking platforms, such as LinkedIn, may give youth an effective way to find, retain, and advance in work. We explore platform use in developing economies and present new data on a low-cost, successful way to teach youth how to use these platforms. We end by drawing policy implications for the education and workforce development field.

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