Finding a job can be a tedious process that requires a lot of time with thousands of applicants vying for the job you want. Online platforms such as LinkedIn have made it easier for applicants to find jobs or build relationships that can surely help their future professional life. Here are the top tips from experts for using and optimizing your LinkedIn profile that will surely help find a suitable job for you.

1. Be Proactive

If you’re just starting your LinkedIn profile, your natural tendency is to be protective of your account — adding your friends and your previous company. But to get the most out of LinkedIn, try to be open and vocal. Add as much work experience on your profile as you want and consider accepting and adding new requests from people you don’t already know. Keep in mind, the best way to expand your network is to meet new people.

2. Engage

To start your professional brand online in LinkedIn, you need to be engaged in related content in your area of expertise. Search for influencers that has the same expertise as yours — then like, comment and share their content. People really like it when others acknowledge their content. Plus, it’s a great way to start a conversation and get some connections.

3. Create a Genuine Profile

Always remember that your LinkedIn profile isn’t an exact replica of your resume. You need to utilize some relevant keywords and make sure that you don’t sound like a robot — leave out all those boring and unrelated information. If you’re going to interact with people, don’t be stiff, always converse and voice out.

4. Post a Nice and Professional Photo

Make sure you’re not just using a selfie for your profile picture. Profile pictures are the first thing employers and recruiters will see in your profile. It determines your personal brand, how professional you are and maybe a bit of personality. So better bring your A-game and change your LinkedIn profile picture to a more professional yet emits a pleasing personality.

5. Optimize Your Profile

To increase your chances of being viewed by an employer, you need to improve your profile more. Populate all the sections that the platform constantly suggests because it will surely help your profile to be more visible. While adding more information in your profile, focus on your strengths and how employers will benefit when they hire you. Already sell yourself before they get in touch with you.

6. Post Related Content

It’s easy to communicate with people, share and comment on posts, but please don’t go all out. Don’t be lulled into oversharing and confusing activity with your connections. Make sure every comment you write and any articles that you post or share will be beneficial to everyone in your following, not just mindlessly sharing anything that you see.

7. Consider Upgrading to Premium

If you want to stand out from the crowd, you can go for a premium membership from LinkedIn itself. There are features like InMail which allows you to contact anyone in the platform even if they’re not following you. It also has some search filters if you really want to get into details and you’ll get to see more results when you search for someone. It’s like having a sales agent all day for yourself. We recommend doing this if you have the budget.

8. Show Off Your Work

To get a competitive edge over someone else for a job, post samples of your work and let recruiters know what you’re already capable of. Some people don’t know this yet but you can attach documents to your profile and even upload a video. It’s your job to show off your skills and how well you can compete with other people vying for the job.

9. Click “Open to New Opportunities” Button

This button tells the whole platform that you’re considering a career move. Don’t worry, it can only be seen by recruiters outside of your current company so no need to explain to your current HR why. Activating this button is a sure way to generate a number of interests among recruiters.

Conclusion

By following the tips above, we’re confident that you’ll have an increased chance of being followed and contacted by relevant recruiters. Just remember that this is only half-way of landing an actual job — you still need to have the knowledge in your field of expertise with the soft-skills that companies look for.