LinkedIn Career Expert Says to Get Your Next Job, Your LinkedIn Profile Should Have These 7 Simple Things

By Peter Economy

Your LinkedIn profile serves as your first impression with potential employers. And 65 percent of people believe that the impression you make online is just as important as the one you make in person. So, making a great first impression is key to landing your next opportunity.

Check out seven tips from LinkedIn career expert, Blair Decembrele, on how to perfect your LinkedIn profile.

5. Ace your summary.

Think of your summary as your "about me." Try to sum up your experience in about 40 words and make sure you include any keywords and/or skills that you've seen featured in descriptions for jobs that seem interesting to you. A robust summary section makes your profile more likely to show up in a hiring manager's search and gives you the opportunity to share more about yourself.

6. Ask for recommendations or referrals.

Asking for recommendations from a peer, manager, direct report, professor, or client on your profile is a great way for hiring managers and recruiters to see what others say about your work. Or even better, if they are connected to someone at the company where you want to work, ask them to refer you. Job applicants who are referred by an employee are 9X more likely to get hired. 

7. Put your profile to work.

Once you've set up or refreshed your profile, start searching the 20+ million jobs on LinkedIn, and set up job alerts so you're among the first to be notified when a relevant job is posted. Applying for a job within the first 10 minutes of receiving a relevant job notification increases your chances of hearing back by up to 4X.

See all 7 things and the complete Inc. article