make linkedin work for you

Story by: Erika Dawkins

Many people assume that LinkedIn is simply a place for those seeking employment, however, it is much more. LinkedIn is a tool that can be used to position yourself as a professional in your field and thought leader in your industry. LinkedIn holds more than 500 million professional profiles, giving you an unlimited supply of network connections. So, whether you’re using LinkedIn to recruit other professionals, build your professional network or brand yourself as a professional in your field, use these steps to make it work for you.

As a professional: Write Articles

Writing articles on LinkedIn helps you stand out as a professional in your industry. It is a great opportunity for you to create relevant content to share with others, whether you’re sharing information you just learned or information about things you’ve learned about the industry over the years. This is a great way to show others that may be interested in working with you or your company that you are knowledgeable and engaging.

Engage with Others

It’s not enough to simply, create your LinkedIn profile and leave it out to dry. It’s important to like, comment and share content so your connections see that you are active. If you come across a great article shared by one of your connections, comment letting them know you enjoyed the article. This opens up the opportunity for dialog and you may be able to provide additional insight for others.

Follow Other Professionals and Professional Organizations in Your Industry

This is exceptionally important in your quest to keep up with industry news. Following other professionals and professional organizations in your industry gives you access to the knowledge they share, as well as, articles and industry updates. It’s very important to keep tabs on industry trends and reports.

Keep Your Profile Up to Date

Even if you aren’t currently seeking employment, it is important to keep your profile up to date with your current employer, education, licenses & certifications, and skills & endorsements. These are all things that will help anyone who happens upon your profile to find out more about you. Remember, LinkedIn is not like other social media outlets, all of this information should be directly related to yourself and your career

Optimize Your Profile

LinkedIn has a very intelligent search tool. You are able to search a keyword in various categories, including jobs people and groups. This is why it

is important that you use keywords that pertain to your field when you write your headline, about you section, and your job descriptions. Adding these keywords will help when someone is searching for a professional with your experience or knowledge.

As a business:

As a business owner, it is also just as important to maintain your presence on LinkedIn as it is for a professional. One of the key things to do as a business owner when using LinkedIn for recruiting is utilize the Career Pages. As a part of a businesses Career Page, they have the opportunity to create a personality and display their company culture through the Life tab. This option allows you to tell a little bit more about what it’s like to work for your company vs. just what your company does. You are able to add modules about why someone would want to work with you, your company social responsibility, a note from the CEO, etc. This section also allows you to add pictures of your employees at work or at company events, link industry related articles written by your staff, and add employee testimonial. This option is vital to a company seeing great talent.