Notes on: Maximize Your LinkedIn Profile For Job Search

'Maximize Your LinkedIn Profile For Job Search -- Tips From Recruiters And LinkedIn Company Insiders' is an article by Caroline Ceniza-Levine and was originally published on Forbes.com.

Profile Tips From Recruiters And LinkedIn Company Insiders

Here are four ways you can increase your profile views according to Michelle Ling, a senior software engineer at LinkedIn:

1. Add a photo. This will increase profile views up to 21 times.

2. Select an industry. This will increase profile views up to 30 times.

3. Select at least 5 skills. This will increase profile views up to 17 times.

4. Include volunteer work. This will increase profile views up to 6 times.

Additionally, Ling recommends including a summary of at least 40 words, written in paragraph form and it should include examples. Populating the education, publications and accomplishments fields also contribute to making you appear in more searches.

Recruiters use LinkedIn to find candidates

Even companies with large databases of candidates use LinkedIn to source talent. LinkedIn is a go-to resource for recruiters from a variety of industries, targeting hires from entry-level to senior executives.

Location, education and skills remain some of the most popular filters used by recruiters to narrow in on their ideal candidates. In addition to these filters, recruiters use keywords and groups of keywords which will look for matches from all parts of your profile, including your work history and 'about/summary' section. This is why ensuring you use the right keywords will make the difference between you coming up in a search or not.

You should also try to use variations of keywords as well to ensure you capture different types of relevant searches. For example, if you have programming skills, you may want to also include the words 'coding' and 'coder'. Some companies use internal recruiters, some use external recruiters, and some a combination of both. Either way, there is a strong chance they are using LinkedIn to search for their next candidate.

Take advantage of job search-specific LinkedIn features

LinkedIn is not just a rolodex of profiles, but a tool that can be leveraged to increase your chances of finding a job. One thing that helps is by making and accepting connection requests. Networking is important when job searching, as referrals are a strong source for recruiters, and LinkedIn allows you to see who is connected to who. Increasing your connections increases your network and your chances of being contacted for an opportunity. Although you should not simply add anyone who invites you, having a robust network is better, so do not hesitate to add that person you met briefly at a conference, or a recruiter you never met before.

A few other LinkedIn tools that can help job seekers are:

• Following companies and influencers

• Creating job alerts

• Joining groups to expand your network

• Sharing or commenting on articles and posts

• Using the alumni mapping tool

Don’t forget to keep your profile updated and active

To start, it is important that your profile is up to date. So, even in your current job, once you complete a project, add it to your profile. If you passed a course, add it to your profile.

It also helps to check your messages and your feed every now and then. Several people miss on some really good opportunities simply because they are not active on the platform. One way to ensure you do not miss something potentially important is by setting up notifications.

Of course, if your profile is missing some details then the opportunities that come to you may not be as relevant anymore. Your profile should represent your current skills, level and interests. If you were involved in a project that you do not necessarily want to do again, then you could leave it out, and instead focus on the things that you do want to do.

Recruiters who rely on applications alone are only getting a portion of the available talent out there. Another word for recruiters is headhunters, because most like to play an active role in searching for their candidates. Being active on LinkedIn and having an updated profile can help a recruiter find you with your next job.