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It doesn’t matter if you are a recent graduate looking for your first job or a seasoned professional who wants to upgrade your career. If you aren’t active on LinkedIn, you are missing plenty of chances to get all that you can out of your job search efforts. Then again, even if you are active on LinkedIn, you might be missing out on some great opportunities.

7 LinkedIn Tips to Help Maximize Your Job Search

1. Ask Your Connections For Recommendations 

Let’s be honest, anybody can claim to have whatever skills they want to on LinkedIn. Because of this, it is normal for recruiters and HR pros to be a bit wary when they are looking for qualified talent to fill positions. One way that you can improve your chances of finding a great opportunity through LinkedIn is to ask former coworkers and employers to write recommendations for you. These provide a sort of certificate of authenticity that lets potential employers know that your claims are trustworthy.

2. Like Companies to Receive Constant Updates 

If you are looking for a job, you probably know the industry that is most attractive to you. Hopefully, you’ve also created a dream list of companies that you would love to work for. Connect with these companies, and click on ‘like’. You will receive regular updates on changes within the organization, and most importantly, new job openings.

3. Use Keywords That Work in Your Headline 

What kind of job are you looking for? Get the attention of potential employers by including industry relevant keywords in your headline. If you aren’t sure which keywords to use, go to a job board that features jobs in your chosen field. Then, pay attention. The ads that you see will show very specific keyword phrases repeated over and over again. You want your profile to be viewable when people search for those keywords.

4. Complete Your Profile 

This isn’t Facebook. It’s LinkedIn. Complete your profile so that you don’t leave potential connections without important information relating to you, your experience, your connections, and your goals. Completing your profile makes you more searchable and LinkedIn. Perhaps even more importantly, it demonstrates thoroughness and attention to detail.

[RELATED: How to Rock Your LinkedIn Profile in 8 Steps]

5. Make Lots of Connections 

500! That is the golden number. If you have 500 or more connections on LinkedIn, you are seen as someone with industry influence, and a bit of someone to watch. So, reach out to friends, family members, and others. Don’t worry about connections that turn out to be dubious. The platform provides ways for you to disconnect from people and businesses if you need to.

On the other hand, if you do reach that magical number, don’t squander it. Reach out to your connections. Think of it like this. By getting 500 followers, you earn what might be the equivalent of a 5-star rating for a restaurant. You still need to cook up great things and impress folks.

 6. Share Your Opinions 

Thought leadership, if you have that, you can significantly increase your likelihood of finding a job. So, how do you establish thought leadership? That’s easy. You put yourself on the line. You offer up advice, opinions, and other content that relates to your industry. Even better, you can do all of this by taking advantage of LinkedIn’s self-publishing feature. Write posts and articles, then share those with your connections.

7. Write Recommendations 

So, it’s full circle time, ladies. LinkedIn is all about forging connections with others. You’ve asked for recommendations from former employers, coworkers, alumni, and instructors. Why not step up and pay that back by writing up some positive recommendations of your own? The good will that you create just might pay off in your job search.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to making connections that can truly help you to find the job of your dreams, LinkedIn is the premier platform. Put these seven tips into play, and you can broadcast your talents, passions, and connections to the anybody who just might be your lead to your new dream job.

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