Make LinkedIn work for you

LinkedIn is taking over traditional resumes, and more companies are looking at your online presence before considering you for an interview so its important to be aware of what you have on the internet. Create a LinkedIn account today if you don’t have one already, master the platform to make sure you are utilizing all the tools that are available to you.

Completely fill out your profile

Many people miss entering in important sections to show off their skills and experience. Also make sure your summary stands out, this section is the first thing people read besides your name. This section makes people want to learn more about you and connect with you. Address these questions first: Who is your target audience, what do you want them to learn or do? How do you want them to feel? List your most important accomplishments, use numbers if it makes sense, and touch on your values and passions. Give facts and stats as well, do you know multiple languages, are you tech savvy and proficient in a variety of programs? Whatever will make you stand out from the crowd, use it to shine!

Highlight your expertise and skills under your job sections

Focus on your specific accomplishments, when possible use numbers and figures to back up your claims, use action-oriented verbs and phrases, look up job descriptions for similar positions to get ideas on best way to summarize each position.

Upload a photo

A photo on your LinkedIn profile is a must today, people will think its strange if you don’t have one. Make sure the photo is professional and good quality.

Optimize your profile in searches

To improve your profile’s visibility in areas you are potentially seeking opportunities in make sure that your LinkedIn profile contains relevant keywords. If you are in sales and are seeking new sale opportunities then your job title should include words like (sales rep, account executive, account manager and so on.)

Post content on a regular basis

Post status updates that are relevant to your personal or professional brand. If you are in marketing, read about the latest news trends and write a synopsis of your findings you think others would find interesting. If you are working on a side project like writing a book or volunteering at a local community group write about your experiences, something you learned, opportunities in the area to help out, events to go to. Just make sure your posts are professional, interesting and relevant to the audience you are trying to target.

Create and or participate in LinkedIn groups

Join groups that involve areas you are passionate about, this will connect you to like minded people, and expose you to great discussions and news in these areas that you may not find else ware. When you join groups it allows you to bypass LinkedIn’s standard requirement to be connected to someone in order to reach out to them. If you and another professional are part of the same group, you can communicate without restrictions.

Personalize your LinkedIn connection requests

Influential people receive a lot of LinkedIn connection requests daily, so it’s important to personalize yours to stand out from the crowd. LinkedIn is a great relationship-building platform so be smart and strategic about the people you connect with.

LinkedIn has more than 300 million members; around 94% of recruiters use it to vet candidates, and is present in over 200 countries and territories. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network and is by far on of the most important online tools to utilize.