LinkedIn is more than a job board.
Stop lurking. To get the most from this tool, you need to understand how to use it…the right way.
Build Your Profile
The first step, is building a complete profile. LinkedIn walks you through this and reminds you to address incomplete sections. But what LinkedIn doesn’t do well is helping you with your headline. By default, LinkedIn pulls your most recent job title and employer. Yuck!
Here are examples and help for writing a better headline.
The Right Keywords for Your LinkedIn Profile Headline by Brenda Bernstein | Career Thought Leaders
Is Your LinkedIn Headline REALLY Helping You? by Wayne Breitbarth | Power Formula
Learn more about what the right keywords are for your role and industry.
How To Identify Exactly the Right Keywords For Your LinkedIn Profile by Susan P. Joyce | Job-Hunt.org
Get Active
Lurking is fine. It helps you understand how others are using the tool and gives you a sense of how to interact. However, if you want to see some results (new connection requests, job leads, etc.), you need to join and participate in groups, meet new people, share status updates and perhaps even blog.
What Happened To LinkedIn Groups by Alicia Dodd | Business 2 Community
Use LinkedIn’s Publishing Platform to Tell Your Story
LinkedIn Offers Help
Yes, in case you didn’t know, LinkedIn offers free training.
You can also find resources for students (and job seekers).
LinkedIn Help for College Grads
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Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
