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10 Tips to Help You Master LinkedIn

As the most popular social network for job-seekers and professionals, LinkedIn can be fairly confusing, and there’s not much help available through the site. Worry not—below are some of the best tips to ensure your profile is as visible and searchable as possible.

How to optimize your profile

1. Customize your URL
Rather than having a complex URL full of numbers, change this to your name so it’s easy to remember and tidier looking. Simply head to your profile, click ‘edit’ and on the left, underneath your photo there is your current URL. If you click ‘edit’ next to the URL a new page will open and on the right hand side there is a link to ‘customize your public profile URL’. This will also make you easier to find.

2. Publish work examples
You probably know that sharing published work is a good way for your connections to admire your skills, but did you know that you could add links and files to your work experience to show off your achievements? Simply click ‘edit’ and the ‘+’ sign to boost your LinkedIn portfolio

3.   SEO your profile
You may already be familiar with Search Engine Optimization, so fill your profile with buzzwords relating to your industry. Search engines will associate your profile with these key search terms and place your profile higher up in their search results.

4.   Make your website links more appealing
You may add  links such as your personal blog under ‘edit contact info.’ To make it more appealing and clickable choose ‘other’ under link type. For instance, you can change the link’s text so you can put ‘Check out my personal blog: __.’

5.   Create a resume directly from your profile
It’s simple enough to do, but users often miss this feature. Simply click the downward arrow next to ‘edit’ on your profile and choose export to PDF.

How to network effectively

6.   Adjust your privacy settings
When you’re looking over others’ profiles to see if you know them or if you’ve found the right professional, you can easily change your visibility. Just head to settings and click ‘Select what others see when you’ve viewed their profile’. If you choose to be visible you can also see who has viewed your profile.

7.    Export your connections
If you need to transfer your LinkedIn contacts to another contact management system, you can easily export this information as a .csv or .vcf file. Head to Network > Contacts and then the cog icon, which takes you to Settings. On the right hand column click ‘Export Linked In Connections.’

8.   Join LinkedIn Groups
Take advantage of groups by either heading to Interests > Groups and seeing which groups LinkedIn recommends for you, or by typing an interest into the search bar. You are therefore more visible to other group members and being in a group with someone allows you to send them a message without having a first-degree connection.

9.   Find connections easily
You’ll probably have realized that syncing your email address with your profile can help you find connections, but how many valuable contacts do you really have? Try some of the other tools under the Network tab such as filtering Alumni by location or university.

10.   Accept connection requests
It might seem strange when people you don’t know ask to connect, but what is the harm? Facebook is reserved for your friends and acquaintances, but the purpose of LinkedIn is to connect with business professionals for networking purposes. Who knows, they may be able to introduce you to other professionals or help you find your perfect career.

This is a guest post by Lizzi Hart, a marketing assistant at the Graduate Recruitment Bureau, the UK’s leading consultancy for graduate jobs.