LinkedIn has become known to be one of the best social networking websites for people in professional occupations. Some of the main purposes of LinkedIn are to make connections with other people in the professional world. Once this takes place and people upload their resumes to showcase their work within their communities, it can then be used to look for jobs. Employers can also list jobs and search for potential candidates based on what people put on their personal profiles. It is highly recommended to have a LinkedIn profile. It is important to stay on top of your profile; you want to make sure it is up to date so you look like the “ideal candidate” for your possible future employers. Here is a list of 5 ways/ tips to get noticed on LinkedIn, using that profile you worked so hard to create and keep polished.

1.)   Spruce up your career summary with relevant keywords. Recruiters and employers often look for skills and expertise a candidate obtains so highlight your qualifications by including certain keywords in your career summary.

2.)   Participate in discussions. LinkedIn is full of different groups you can join, so find ones related to your industry and occupation and respond to comments and questions using the discussion and message boards with intelligent/articulate answers, these may attract recruiters which may lead to a possible interview or job offer down the road.

3.)   Build up your connections. Connect with as many people as possible, from entry level employees to vice-presidents. Recruiters look at the number of connections you have, as well as who you are connected to, to evaluate your networking skills.

4.)   Post recommendations on your profile. If you solved a problem or contributed to an important project at work and a co-worker of yours writes a recommendation about you, make sure it gets posted to your profile as well, not just theirs.

5.)   Regularly update your status. Everyone you are “linked” to or who is in your network sees your updates when you post them, so make yourself more visible. It’s not a bad idea to post the fact that you are looking for work because all it takes is getting noticed by one person, the possibilities are endless!

Take these tips and suggestions into consideration when you start or continue to use LinkedIn. They could be extremely helpful to you getting more connections and hopefully getting that dream job you’ve been searching, waiting, and working so hard for. Good Luck!

References:

http://www.blueskyresumes.com/blog/the-top-5-ways-to-get-noticed-on-linkedin/

http://work.chron.com/noticed-recruiters-linkedin-9316.html

http://www.professiondirection.net/social-media/7-ways-to-get-noticed-using-linkedin-groups/

 Posted by Carly Larson, Career Services Assistant