The Best Ingredient In Your Job Search, It's Not What You Think

What is the single best way to actively and passively search for a new job? A LinkedIn profile. 

Did you know your LinkedIn profile is searchable? Who is searching? Recruiters, hiring managers, friends, and even family. That’s why you’re LinkedIn profile is the top passive job searching tool. You have a much better chance of showing up in searches if you have a fully filled-out profile. So how does one do that? 

Here are my main tips on a fully filled-out LinkedIn profile.

• Make your profile public. Do not worry about some stalker trying to find you. We’re not including your home address or any sensitive information. This is important because if your profile isn’t public recruiters can’t see your image or your work experience which is a huge red flag that you’re trying to hide something. Don’t hide, share!
• A clear picture of you smiling up against a blank wall. No need to hire a photographer for a professional photoshoot. A simple photo of you smiling is great! 
• A powerful summary. This summary needs to share your value, how you fit in an organization and how you’ll contribute to the bottom line. Please no long tangents about how you got here. Clear value is all that matters here.
• Skills endorsements. Many people overlook this powerful section because it seems like a meaningless area where you can freely list systems, soft skills, and industry words. While that’s true you need to be endorsed for these skills because when someone endorses you it shows that not only you, but the market sees you as an asset in that arena.  Also, when you apply for jobs on LinkedIn it will tell you how much of a match you are for the position based on these endorsements! You can only list 50. Choose wisely.
• Make sure that every job you've had is listed (months and years) including the company logos. This is a small thing but it makes a huge difference in your passive job search because it connects you with the right company’s LinkedIn profile as well. 
• Get recommendations. The rule of thumb here is that for every 10 people you reach out to asking for a recommendation, 2 will actually write you one. 3 recommendations from various jobs look nice so that means you need to ask 15 people for a recommendation. Sounds intense but LinkedIn makes this super simple and trust me when I say people are always flattered that you thought of them. (Caution: Don’t use a current boss)
• Shorten your URL. If you go into privacy settings you will see your URL in the top right corner. You can change the last part of it to anything you want, as long as it isn’t taken. I would recommend your first and last name and a number if you have to differentiate. This makes it simple for people to find you and for you to share your profile information with others.