Did you know 75% of people who recently changed jobs used LinkedIn while making their next career decision? LinkedIn has evolved from primarily being a platform to update resumes to one for professional networking and personal branding. Savvy users tell their story in a way that encourages ongoing engagement with their online professional community through status updates, videos and comments. They are building their audience through mutual connections and networking opportunities. Here’s what you can do to improve your LinkedIn Personal Profile.

Why You Should Use LinkedIn

81% of U.S Americans have some kind of social media profile. Most profiles help individuals stay connected with friends and family, but LinkedIn is THE platform for professional networking.

Networking

It’s estimated that 85 percent of job openings are filled through networking. Just as recruiters use LinkedIn to find potential employees, you should be using LinkedIn to target specific referrals, prospect for your ideal buyers and connect with colleagues, customers, alumni and friends.

Staying Connected

Requesting to be connected with past or current colleagues and employers may lead to job or business opportunities. These individuals know you, and their recommendations are seen as credible. Conversely, your endorsements and recommendations are also valuable to your colleagues’ networking opportunities, so return the favor and endorse others.

Finding Jobs

There are about three million active job listings on LinkedIn at any given time. You can use LinkedIn to search for specific positions or target certain companies. Employers can post job openings on their company page.

How to Use LinkedIn

Personal profiles with unique and interesting content help add value and set you apart from the rest. Consider using these key strategies to improve your LinkedIn Profile.

Profile Photo

LinkedIn profiles with professional headshots get 14x more profile views. Choosing the right profile picture will help attract visitors and make a good first impression. Have someone take a photo of you with good lighting and a neutral background. Wear clothing that reflects your industry, and crop the photo from just below the shoulders to right above the head.

Create a Headline

Be memorable by writing a strong and engaging headline, using keywords related to specific jobs or industries. Make sure it has a benefit. Headlines are limited to 120 characters, which gives you room to say something meaningful. Don’t shortchange yourself.

Add Skills

You should add at least five skills to give the viewer a better idea of your expertise and capabilities. Adding skills related to specific job titles will help you get noticed. Avoid adding general skills like “hard worker” and “people person," which will not differentiate you from others.

Summary

Your LinkedIn profile summary should make the reader want to know more. Start with an attention-grabbing statement. Write in first person and write a narrative, giving people a glimpse into who you are. Don’t bore people with a laundry list of jargon and job responsibilities; rather, give the reader of sense of how you work and what’s important to you. Don’t forget to add notes about hobbies, volunteering and other details that make you interesting. Finally, create a call-to-action to tell the audience what to do or where to find more information.

Update Your Profile

LinkedIn profiles are a work in progress. They are never finished because of the experiences and relationships gained over time. Some important areas to improve and update include resumes, jobs, skills and connections.

Resume

Updating your resume online is much easier than updating the paper version. Online resumes quickly reach a larger audience. It is important to keep your resume updated to be prepared for new career opportunities. Posting new skills shows that you are active and interested in your industry and will give you an advantage over others.

Jobs

As your career grows, older positions aren’t as relevant. Update the positions and titles you have held related to your field to show your expertise. Be sure to include relevant metrics to prove your value.

Connections

You’re always meeting new people, whether it’s colleagues, employers or people that you meet socially. Stay connected with these people and grow your network as much as possible. Did you know that 28% of LinkedIn members have up to 300 connections?

LinkedIn is a great channel for connecting with others and promoting yourself. Remember to give your audience a sense of who you are, while leaving them curious about getting to know you personally. Give yourself a competitive edge and create an engaging LinkedIn profile today.