The Top 5 Ways to Get Noticed on LinkedIn

The Top 5 Ways to Get Noticed on LinkedIn The Top 5 Ways to Get Noticed on LinkedIn Ive written before about why its so important to be on LinkedIn, but just setting up a profile isnt enough. Once youre there, you need to get noticed (otherwise whats the point?).Primarily when looking for a job, you should be using LinkedIn to stay in touch with, and expand your network. but there are also what I call passive benefits. Just by being on the site and being visible, you can attract the attention of recruiters, HR executives and hiring managers who use LinkedIn to find candidates.The problem is that these people wont find you if all you do is create an account, fill in some of your details and then sit back and wait for the emails to come in. But there are easy things you can do to make yourself visible on the site. Here are my top 5Fill in a complete profileUnless you complete all sections of the profile, you will miss out on opportunities. Create a strong introduction, put as many keyw ords as you can into the specialties, list and write about every job you have held, and include all schools you attended, as well as any trade associations you belong to. Theres no way of knowing which of these criteria a recruiter will search on, so making sure everything is there is the fastest way to high visibility.Heres more from me on how to write a great LinkedIn profile.Add as many connections as you canLinkedIn provides easy tools that allow you to find people you know. Make use of all of them. The more people you are connected to, the more visible you will be in searches.Join groupsLinkedIn groups allows you to network with other people in your field or industry, but it also gives you the opportunity to increase your visibility by joining in the discussions. Take that opportunity Recruiters will often scan groups looking for good candidates show them you are one by proving thoughtful answers and comments.Answer questionsLinkedIn Answers is a feature that allows anyone to ask a question. Find it under the More tab along the top of your home page after logging in. You will be able to search for questions in your area of expertise (for example marketing) and you can also see recent questions asked by people in your network. Answers are an excellent way to demonstrate expertise as well as to help others a key secret to successful networking.Regularly update your positionEveryone in your network sees your status updates when you post them, so this is an excellent way to make yourself visible to those who know you. If you are currently looking for work (and that isnt a secret) its a good idea to post updates on your search once in a while. All it takes is for your update to be noticed by one of your contacts who knows about an available opportunity and you may secure yourself an interview.LinkedIn is an amazing job search tool but its only as good as the effort you put in. For lots more helpful advice on the subject, check out Jason Albas great site Im o n LinkedIn. Now What?Photo by aeroix