Be-Found-on-LinkedInLinkedIn is rapidly becoming one of the most popular business networking sites online, with 80% of companies now using it or planning to use it shortly to find employees. That’s a huge number of businesses looking for someone to work for them . . . but are you ready?

If your LinkedIn profile and networking isn’t up to par, guess who is going to miss out on those new positions? You need to get your social media mojo going and make sure that it is your profile companies find when they need to hire someone. Here’s how to do just that:

  • Create a tagline. This appears under your photo in searches, so make sure it represents you to a T. It should be catchy and let people know what you do immediately.
  • Add your RSS. If you have a blog, then it is usually worth adding the feed to your LinkedIn profile so any potential employers can learn more about you quickly and easily. Just be careful not to post anything that could lose you a job . . . which you should be careful of, anyway.
  • Enhance your resume. No, not by padding it with jobs you’ve never had, but by adding descriptions of your previous positions. Resumes can be very dry, so add more description and make it a bit more interesting and eye catching to a potential employer.
  • Use an optimized URL. The URL generated for you when you sign up for LinkedIn is not very search engine friendly, but you can edit it. Use your name or your profession to add a little oomph to the link and make it easier for people to find you online.
  • Edit default labels where possible. For example, under “My Website”, you can change the title to something a little more eye catching and SEO friendly. Do this where possible to make your profile stand out more.
  • Build a strong network. Not only will you be the first to know if anyone has an opening, you will also be more valuable to future employers. They are going to be looking for well connected people, so boost your value by building that network.
  • Offer a glimpse of your expertise. You can do this by answering commonly asked questions within your bio or description. It will let those headhunters know that you really do know what you’re doing.
  • Be yourself. The best way to stand out in a crowd is to be unique, so be yourself and you’ll get far better results.

Whether you are using LinkedIn to network with others or just find work, you need to make it work for you. Just an average profile isn’t going to get you very far, so amp it up a bit and get real results.

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