Six suggestions for having your LinkedIn bring more opportunities to you

1. Customize your banner. 

Pick one that reflects things you like, or value. For example, if you like being outdoors find an outdoor scene. It signals having energy, being fit, and openness.

2. Use a good picture. 

Head and neck only, looking into the camera, engaging expression and lighting.

3. Summary: This is valuable real estate.

It is also the only place where you can let people know who you really are, and what you value. Do not make it just the “cliff notes” of your resume. Use 1st person style. Make it engaging.

4. Experiences: Pick four strengths you bring to a company. 

Reasons you would hire yourself. Weave those strengths into your experiences by illustrating examples.

5. Groups.

Participation in a handful of relevant LinkedIn Groups reveals whether you are “walking the talk”, particularly when you want to change industries or roles. Recruiters looking to fill a role will even join Groups to find the thought leaders. For both reasons it is important to select Groups that reflect what you want to do next, and be active. Comment on the posts of others, and offer your own advice and thoughts.

6. Recommendations 

Ideally you should have 5 - 10. Some should be from people who worked for you, some from those you worked for, and some from colleagues at work or from causes you helped.  LinkedIn shows how many Recommendations you have received, and how many you have given. It is not ideal to have received 8 - 10, and only given one or two, so balance it out.

Here are several of our favorite examples:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewklidjian/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphdelavega/

Other suggestions for putting yourself in the market to attract more offers:

• Leadership Story — Domain knowledge (experience in the industry) is less important right now vs. leadership skills. Still, when you are pivoting to a new industry and role it can be helpful to have an engaging story that illustrates your qualities and leadership style. Like your LinkedIn summary, also written in first person. 
• Networking strategy — Having a plan to engage and expand your network is crucial. The odds are 85% or higher that your next role will come via someone you get to know with your new focus. Success with applying on-line is rare. Far better to use your time refreshing or building your network, with a Pay-It-Forward approach. For example, go through your LinkedIn contacts and find 2 - 4 people you value yet with whom you have lost touch. Reach out with a how are you doing message, or send them a link that you feel would be helpful. They are likely to check out your LinkedIn as a result, and it provides the basis to renew the contact. Beginning your networking campaign before you are “in the market” in the right way via LinkedIn is a mistake, because everyone you meet will first check you out on LinkedIn.
• Resume — Is no longer one of the first things to focus on, at least in terms of layout and format. It is now generally the last thing to update. In today’s recruiting world they are already interested in you when they ask for it. It is more crucial than ever to be honest and accurate. Any inconsistency between LinkedIn and your resume or other public sources will end their interest in you. In our opinion it is no longer so crucial to spend hundreds of dollars on a highly stylized resume.