1. Your profile

Your profile on LinkedIn is like a professional landing page for your personal brand. Ask yourself if all these questions are answered in your profile:

– Who are you?

– What do you stand for?

– What’s your experience? Why are you the expert in your field?

– What are your interests?

– What’s your motivation? What’s your vision? …

Make yourself interesting and outstanding. Don’t just copy and paste your CV.

Actually it’s obvious, but some people are still using profile pictures which are everything else but professional. Use a professional headshot and a banner with a logo of your current company or your area of expertise. If you don’t have a good business portrait, go and get one, it’s worth the money. And if you ask ‘Do I really need a profile picture?’, it’s stated members with a profile photo on LinkedIn can get up to 21 times more profile views that members without a photo.

Put your current job title, company and area of expertise in the headline. Avoid using phrases without a clear expression.

Make use of the ‘About’ section. Write a short summary about yourself and express your value, your personality, your mission and your vision.

The main part, your experience, is one of the most important sections. Try to list your former and current positions. Don’t forget to add the industry of the company. You don’t have to mention any internship, focus on the most important ones. Links to employer’s company pages help hiring professionals to learn more about your former employers.

Last, but not least, add relevant skills, certifications and showcase your abilities and strengths. There is also the option to do assessments for skills to present your knowledge. In order to prove your abilities ask for recommendations from your connections.

2. Your network

The key to increase your network and get new qualified contacts is engagement. Post, comment and like. Express your opinion and show your point of view on current topics in your field of expertise. Share insightful articles and get noticed within your network. Using hashtags is also a great way to get attention by people out of your own network. Follow other experts and leaders in your industry and try to engage with them.

3. Your opportunities

Are you looking for a new job opportunity or a career change? Make use of the comprehensive job data base on LinkedIn, search for your dream job, set the right filters and get job alerts if something new is on. If you are a premium member, you could even compare yourself with other applicants and you benefit from useful insights.

Do you like to grow your network and audience? Look for 2nd or 3rd connections in your network, search for people in your industry or field and reach out to them. It’s easier than you might think!