This new year, let’s all activate and make use of Linkedln. Lots of recruiters make use of LinkedIn to source and hire candidates. You could use LinkedIn to your advantage if you are spending time there. Optimize your profile to impress your recruiters and beat other candidates.

UPDATE YOUR PROFILE

Your employer wants to see your recent career achievements and skills. Did you know that employers review your profile just to have an insight of who you are and what you can offer them? You get an extra mark when that potential interviewer checks out your profile and sees an updated profile showcasing your experiences and professional achievements. This is often not considered a hack because most job seekers overlook it. Before applying for a job on LinkedIn, update your experience, leave out any unnecessary details, post regularly about your abilities, showcase your past works, and let your potential employer see how valuable you could be to their organization.

HAVE A CATCHY HEADLINE

Standing out from the crowd would not hurt anyone. Therefore, your mission is to stand out from the rest. Take out time to work profoundly on your profile, make sure your headline is catchy and attractive. Who are you and what do you do? Your headline should answer that. This gives your potential employer a clue of what position you could hold in their organization. Also, you should use keywords that are relevant to your job description.

BE AN EARLY BIRD

There are millions of job applications on Twitter every month, however, being an early bird increases your chances of getting the job. Set up your job alert feature to receive notifications on recent jobs that are available within your niche. Once you do this, you will receive relevant job postings daily. Do not procrastinate, apply the job as soon as the notification comes in, get your CV available and send it out.

ENDORSE YOUR SKILLS

LinkedIn allows you to have up to 50 skills on your profile, but you should not. It is not very unnecessary to be skilled in fifty different areas because it takes away from your real skills. If you are highly specialised in something, this should be your pride and joy, you want to be recognised for this. I would say have no more than 15-20 skills.

According to LinkedIn, “Skill endorsements are a great way to recognise your 1st-degree connections’ skills with one click. They also let your connections validate the strengths found on your own profile. Skill endorsements are a simple and effective way of building your professional brand and engaging your network.”

Ask for your skills to be endorsed from your family and friends. You can also send messages to your connections on LinkedIn, personalize your requests by making note of a specific project you worked on with each person you ask. Gently remind them of your contributions and ask them to offer comments on the project in the form of skill endorsements.

CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH YOUR EMPLOYER

One of the best things about LinkedIn is that it allows you search for professionals with specific position that aligns with your career. Find such people and connect with them. After applying for the positions, you can send them a short message telling them how you are the best candidate for the job and what you have done to prepare for the role.

Activate your LinkedIn today!