Time to step up your LinkedIn game and attract more recruiters to your page.

It’s no secret that LinkedIn is now one of the primary means employers use to look for recruits. With over 93% of companies globally using LinkedIn to make hiring decisions, it is critical for jobseekers to have an account on the site to put themselves on the radar and also apply to specific jobs. However, simply creating a LinkedIn profile isn’tquite enough to make yourself stand out from millions of other users. You have to take things a step further to make your profile more attractive and searchable for recruiters. Here are some basic tips forthose who are just starting out on LinkedIn and some additional tips that will help give your profile that coveted “wow” factor:

Pick professional profile pictures Always remember that LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking platform, so make sure to choose your profile photo wisely. A professional-looking headshot is always a safe bet.

Include relevant information Just like what you would do with yourrésumé, curate yourachievements, qualifications and workexperience that are relevant to the industry you wish to pursue your career. For instance, if you are interested in digital marketing, you should highlight skills such as search engine optimisation (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM). There is a specific section in your LinkedIn profile where you can list down your other skills as well. On the other hand, if you are looking to join a specific industry, such as the retail industry, it may be a good idea to emphasise your work experience as a sales promoter, for instance.

Grow your connections Once your profile is all set up and updated, the next step for you is to expand your connections. LinkedIn will prompt you to connect with people who you might know through the email account you use to sign in to LinkedIn or through mutual connections. Take advantage of this function and explore the possible contacts you can connect with. When sending an invitation to connect with someone, give it a nice touch by dropping the person a personalised message. Also, ifyou have pending connection requests, remember to respond promptly and send them a thank you message for reaching out.

Get recommendations and endorsements If you have previous professional work experience, you can get your former manager or supervisor to write you a recommendation for your LinkedIn profile. Alternatively, you can get your peers or lecturers to write you one if your work experience is limited to school-related activities, such as school projects or student organisation activities. You can further boost your profile by getting your former co-workers or peers to endorse the skills that you’ve added to your page. Don’t forget to return the favour by endorsing theirs, too!

Use the professional headline function The professional headline is located rightunderneath yourprofile picture. This function presents the perfect opportunity for you to demonstrate your personal brand by putting in keywords that best define you. Examples: • If you are a computer science graduate with work experience: “Tech whiz — Former programming & web developer intern — E-commerce industry”

• If you are a student or graduate without professional work experience, you can include information about your degree and field of study. You can also specify the line of work and industry you aspire to be in: “English language graduate — Aspiring writer — Media industry”

It is important to keep your headline succinct so that viewers can simply take one glance at your profile to get an idea of who you are professionally and whether you’d be a useful connection to have, both for recruiting and networking purposes.

Personalise your summary section Similarto the headline function, you should include keywords in yourprofessional summarythat align with yourpersonal brand. However, the difference between the two functions is that there is more room foryou to sprinkle some personalityin this section. Make this section sound interesting while remaining authentic.

Here is an example of a summary for an engineering graduate:

“I’m an electrical and electronic engineering graduate with an interest in making the world a better and safer place through automation and robotics. I’m keen on an engineering role in the robotics industry where I’m able to apply the knowledge and skills I’ve learned in university and my internship experience. Aside from my interest in tech and robots, I enjoy competitive running and have won several medals in multiple marathons across Singapore and Malaysia. The tenacity and mental endurance I possess when I run are traits that I believe I can bring to the workplace. I enjoy the thrill of being challenged and I look forward to the challenges that my future employer will present to me.

If you’d like to learn more about how my skills can bring value to your company (or hear about the 68 marathons I’ve participated in), please send an email my way.”

Participate actively Search for relevant groups such as organisations or interest groups that align with the causes you care about (e.g. animal rights group, alumni groups) to get updated on the latest news and trends. However, you should make it a point to chime in on discussions if your opinion or the information you provide can be of use to other users. You never know — a group member who happens to be a recruiter may find your thoughts to be insightful and may want to connect with you on LinkedIn for a chat. Also, you can interactwith yourconnections bycommentingon theirstatuses orsimplystarta discussion by posting a status. These activities will pop up on your connections’ newsfeed and will keep you on their minds. Remember to keep topics strictly professional and civil, though!