LinkedIn has tools and resources that can help you boost your career and build a professional network of friends and business associates.

There are over 100 million registered users on LinkedIn, which unlike other social media platforms, is focused on professional relationships and business contacts.

Here are five ways to take advantage of what the LinkedIn site has to offer:

1. Find a Job. LinkedIn is a favorite haunt of recruiters and headhunters. Career sites such as TheLadders or Monster are nice too, but LinkedIn adds the element of networking. You can let potential employers know about your skills and background through your LinkedIn profile – just as if you were posting your resume on a job site – but it also helps when you can get a credible referral through your LinkedIn network.

2. Build professional relationships. Success or failure can often be measured by the size of your Rolodex (or Google contacts). LinkedIn provides a platform for you to branch out and make new connections within your field or your company, and to leverage your connections’ connections when necessary.

3. Conduct research. LinkedIn can be an invaluable tool for gathering information. Its search tools support searches for LinkedIn members in a particular industry, or for a specific company. You can also research a company before you go in for an interview or accept a job with a new company.

4. Seek advice. You can use LinkedIn Answers to pose a question – big or small – to your entire LinkedIn network. Whether you’re trying to decide which laptop is best or you want advice on the best photo editing app on a smartphone, you can turn to your network of business professionals for guidance.

5. Establish a community. You can form a group on LinkedIn dedicated to a specific topic or industry, and then invite others to join that group to debate, discuss, and share ideas. Such a  group is also an opportunity to demonstrate your own knowledge and expertise by sharing what you know.

While you can do many of these same things on other platforms, such as Facebook or Twitter, LinkedIn lets you focus on professional business relationships using the rich set of tools available to LinkedIn members.