5 Tips for LinkedIn

Swello

How should I let LinkedIn know about my status?

Change your settings to “open to: finding a new job” and select “recruiters only.” Recruiters will be able to find you more easily. When you make this selection, your profile will be visible to recruiters who have access to LinkedIn Recruiter, which is an expensive subscription service that companies and/or headhunters may purchase. The “open to work” selection is different and places a badge on your profile picture to alert everyone on LinkedIn that you are looking for jobs. If you are currently employed, we do not recommend using this badge.

Are there ways to improve my About section?

First, you need to know who your audience is, i.e., what do employers you're targeting want to see? Pay close attention to job postings. This will help you understand the skills and strengths to highlight. 

Second, consider what colleagues say about you and/or what your unique combination of skills is because that will help you stand out from the competition. Adding personality and hobbies can also help you stand out. 

How can I build my network?

Don't only think about connecting with people you know. If you're contemplating a career transition, find people who do what you want to or may want to do and try to connect. Send a meaningful message with your connection request. You can also seek out people who work at places where you want to work (target people you think are high enough up that they are decision makers when it comes to hiring). 

What should I avoid doing on LinkedIn?

Don't try to connect with someone without writing a personal message about why you want to connect. When inviting members to connect, you can add a personalized message for up to five of the connection requests that you send each month, each with a character limit of 200.

Don't spam people with marketing material or share non-work related information or stories, unless it’s personal AND related to work.

How can I make myself more visible to recruiters or potential clients?

The LinkedIn algorithm is not public, but to the best of our knowledge, it will rank you above others and place you higher in search results if you are an active LinkedIn user. To be considered an active user, you need a minimum of 500 connections and to do 5 pieces of social activity per day. That includes posting, liking, commenting, or sharing other posts. Applying for jobs or sending messages to people does not count as social activity.

If there are people in your field or field of interest you admire, comment on their posts with additional expertise or share an article. Well-written comments with over 15 words have 2.5 times more impact. Commenting on 10-20 accounts a day can increase profile views by 50 percent.

You can also create your own posts about things you're learning or share articles in your area of expertise, adding your opinion.