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How to Really Stand Out With Your LinkedIn Profile

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There are more than 225 million professionals on LinkedIn - the world's largest professional networking site. What can you do to make your profile stand out above the rest? LinkedIn's career expert, Nicole Williams, shares her best tips for getting a leg up on the competition.

Add Your Full Employment History
Your profile is 12 times more likely to be viewed if you have more than one position listed. It really is worth taking the time, ejob search, stand out on linkedinven if you worked in a different industry. One great example is a friend who said, "I used to work in nursing years back and now I'm in marketing. There's no connection between it." It turns out that Proctor and Gamble was looking for someone who had a background in medicine and that was what ended up putting her ahead. So list positions including internships and volunteer work. Recruiters are on LinkedIn and by virtue of the way they're searching, using key words and the duration of your career, they'll be able to find you better.

Get Into the Habit of Sharing
On your profile page there is a 'Share' component. Say you've read a great article - share it with your community. You should be sharing so that you're top-of-mind. You're illustrating the fact that you're learning things and you become known as an influencer within your community. Statistically speaking, we know that if you share once a week you increase your chances of having your profile viewed by a recruiter tenfold.

Upload a Profile Pic
Your profile is seven times more likely to be viewed if you add a photograph. We use the analogy of, you're looking for a house and [the listing] is fantastic and you're like, "This is perfect for me," and then there's no picture. The question is, "Is this legitimate?" That's what ends up happening on your profile. A photograph legitimizes who you are. And smile. Add some energy to it.

Establish at Least 50 Connections
Fifty is the magic number in terms of making professional connections and taking advantage of a second- and third-tier relationship. But the whole strategy is really about quality and not quantity. It's all about having relationships that matter, people who you can actually call on if you need them. It's not like Facebook or Twitter where numbers indicate influence. Really, this is about who you could actually pick up the phone and ask for a career-related favor.

Make Personalized Connections
If there is someone in your industry who you'd like to get to know, don't use the standard connection request. Send a tailored note. Create some kind of reference that you have in common. Some examples are whether or not you went to the same school or perhaps you've read something about this person in an industry magazine. You can say, "Hey, congratulations! That's great work. I'd really love to follow your career. You're doing something really interesting and I'd love to learn from you." That kind of connection request is going to garner a response so much more so than the standard request.

About the Aunicole williamsthor:
Nicole Williams is the bestselling author of three books, the latest of which is Girl on Top: Your Guide to Turning Dating Rules into Career Success. Nicole is also LinkedIn's career expert. The company she founded, WORKS by Nicole Williams, is the go-to resource for career-minded individuals and was named one of Forbes magazine's Top 10 Career Websites. You've seen her on TV-as a regular guest on "Today," "Good Morning America," and CNN-and in print, where her advice has appeared on the pages of SHAPE, Redbook, ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Marie Claire, and The Wall Street Journal. Visit NicoleWilliams.com, and follow her @TheGirlOnTop and on LinkedIn. (Photo by Michelle North)

 

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