The Most Popular Blog Posts of 2014

As the editor of the Talent Blog, this is my favorite blog post of the year. It’s my chance to see what really resonated with you, our readers, and celebrate the content that has made a difference.

It looks like 2014 was the year of data-rich infographics, covering topics ranging from job titles that didn’t exist five years ago to what NFL players do after retirement (hint: it may be a good idea to befriend a few NFL players if you need top sales people). What all the five infographics on this list have in common is that they are based on LinkedIn data that our Insights team gathers and analyzes – aka our secret sauce.

Aside from data, other topics that hit home for you were recruiting Millennials (who wouldn’t like to crack that one), writing job descriptions, selecting interview questions, and of course, sage advice from Lou Adler. Jason Seiden's post on picking the right action-packed LinkedIn photo still continues to impress you, even though it went live in 2013.

But it's not all business for you. I am happy to report that the blog post asking recruiters "What's Not on Your LinkedIn Profile?" managed to crack quite a few smiles and expose hidden talents that we would have never guessed.

And without further delay, here are the 10 most visited blog posts we published this year:

1. 8 Millennials’ Traits You Should Know About Before You Hire Them – by Lydia Abbot

2. Top 10 Job Titles That Didn’t Exist 5 Years Ago [INFOGRAPHIC] – by Sohan Murthy

3. What Profile Photo Works Best on LinkedIn: A Real-Life Experiment – by Jason Seiden

4. Why More Employees Are Considering Leaving Their Companies [INFOGRAPHIC] – by Matt Grunewald

5. Unveiling The Bay Area’s 10 Most InDemand Startups of 2014 [INFOGRAPHIC] – by Brendan Browne

6. Here are the World’s 100 Most InDemand Employers [INFOGRAPHIC] – by Wade Burgess

7. Top 10 Dumb Things Companies Do to Sabotage Hiring the Best – by Lou Adler

8. What’s NOT on Your LinkedIn Profile? 16 Top Recruiters Respond – by Stephanie Howell 

9. Top NFL Player Careers After Retirement [INFOGRAPHIC] – by Peter Rigano

10.  Job Descriptions That Win: 3 Outstanding Examples – by Kate Reilly

Alas, I couldn't stop at the top 10 after publishing over 350 pieces of content in 2014. Here are a few more articles that were amongst our most read pieces, grouped by theme:

The useful tips you should know:

1. 3 Interview Questions to Ask Every Marketing Job Candidate -- by Geoffrey James
2. What Motivates Professionals to Switch Jobs [INFOGRAPHIC] -- by Sam Gager
3. 9 Questions The Best Candidates Will Ask You -- by Lou Adler
4. The 25 Hottest Professional Skills of 2014 -- by Maria Ignatova
5. Active vs. Passive Candidates: The Latest Global Breakdown Revealed -- by Leela Srinivasan

The LinkedIn-specific posts:

1. How to Create an Effective LinkedIn Profile -- by Jason Seiden
2. 7 InMails These Recruiters Wished They’d Never Sent -- by Sankar Venkatraman
3. 12 Small Ways to Delight Your Candidates -- by Kare Reilly
4. The 15 Most Sought-After U.S. Government Employers on LinkedIn -- by Sohan Murthy
5. 5 Tips for Picking the Right LinkedIn Profile Picture -- by Lydia Abbot

The most unexpected twists:

1. 24 People Apply to the World’s Toughest Job – See What Happens Next [VIDEO] -- by Maria Ignatova
2. The Most Terrifying Job Interview: Would You Do This to Your Job Candidates? [Prank Video] -- by Maria Ignatova
3. The World’s Most Unique Jobs -- by Maria Ignatova

With that, happy holidays and we will see you in 2015. If you want to become a blog contributor or have feedback, you can reach me at mignatova at linkedin dot com.

* Image by: Andrés Nieto Porras