1. Profile photo of Amy Turman
    Amy Turman said

    LinkedIn has become the number one spot for professionals looking to network. With over 100 million users now actively on LinkedIn, you can follow your favorite companies and get introduced to new professionals in your area. Whether or not you are currently looking for a job, your LinkedIn profile should be like your online resume: up to date, professional, and self-promoting. There are particular aspects of LinkedIn that some people will benefit from more than others. Regardless of whether you are using LinkedIn to find a job, to network with professionals in your field, or to find new clients, it is important to promote yourself well on LinkedIn.

    • Fill out a complete profile. It is important to have a complete and up to date profile on LinkedIn in order to attract the types of people you would like to attract to your profile. A less-than-complete profile makes it look like you are not putting effort into your LinkedIn profile, which could make other professionals think that you do not put effort into other aspects of your professional life. (Want to know How to Make a Strong LinkedIn Profile?)
       
    • Make quality connections. It is not important to know 100% of the people who ask to be your connections. For example, once a few years ago, I became connected to someone on LinkedIn that I had not known previously who then offered me an internship. Screen the people that you do not know well before you add them on LinkedIn. Make sure that they are people that you would like to be associated with. This even goes for friends. If one of your friends is a complete slacker, don’t add them to your professional network. It’s called a professional network for a reason.
       
    • LinkedInFollow companies that interest you. This is self-explanatory. If you are interested in a company, follow them on LinkedIn! It is a great way to network and get your name out there. It’s amazing what a little name recognition can do to a career.
       
    • Make yourself searchable. This is a little bit controversial. Some people do not want to make themselves searchable on LinkedIn for privacy reasons. However, if you are looking to promote yourself, you definitely want to make your profile searchable. If you search for my name on Google, my LinkedIn profile will pop up as one of the top links. In my opinion, this is a good way to expand your online presence, and it’s better for your LinkedIn profile to pop up when someone searches your name rather than some unrelated link.

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