Do I need a LinkedIn profile for job searching in Germany?

In IT, marketing, sales, finance, consulting and management: absolutely yes. LinkedIn has over 20 million users in Germany — according to LinkedIn Economic Graph 2025 it is the largest platform for active sourcing. Recruiters actively search for candidates daily — if you're not on LinkedIn, you don't exist for this group. Xing is still relevant in Germany but is losing market share. In trades, nursing and the public sector: useful but not critical. WEF Future of Jobs: Digital presence is increasingly valued as a professional competency. Restriction: GDPR also applies to LinkedIn — you have the right to data deletion and information about stored data.