I have one word for you: LinkedIn. There are so many articles out there from stating the right way to approach someone to what profile picture to post. But how do you cut through all the clutter to receive the information you need? The purpose of this post is to provide a breakdown of LinkedIn facts.

 

  1. Making connections

You should never send the general staple message provided by LinkedIn when you want to connect to someone you don’t know very well or at all. Where is the incentive in that for the recipient to accept? On the other hand, you don’t want to write a novel. Write a clear and concise message stating upfront what you are asking and remember to build a relationship. Show initiative and do some research on the person you are reaching out to.

  1. Professional headline

Your professional headline is the first thing a recruiter sees so make it count! Use the “|” to divide your text and create visual breaks. You’ll be surprised at how much easier it is to read.

  1. Selecting the right skills

Select skill sets that match the jobs you are applying to, find the exact same keywords in the “Skills & Expertise” section and select them. It’s important to choose the words that are the same because recruiters use these keywords to find you on LinkedIn. By matching up the two, you increase your chances of getting found! Here’s a tip – look for a handful of job descriptions to see what keywords are used the most.

  1. Settings

You may not want everyone to know every time you add a new skill or change your headline for a change. Click here to prevent this in the future.

 

To find out if all this work pays off, check your homepage to see if your search appearances and profile views have increased. A further indicator that your changes are working is if the people viewing your profile are in your target industry. The best indicator is if people start reaching out to you on and off LinkedIn. Once this happens opportunities begin coming your way and soon enough that long awaited job offer!