The 14 LinkedIn Hacks That Could Get You A Job

    OMG, DID I CHANGE MY "VIEW AS ANONYMOUS" SETTING?

    Chanel Parks
    by Chanel Parks

    BuzzFeed Staff

    First, make sure you know the anatomy of your LinkedIn profile.

    LinkedIn-Makeover / linkedin-makeover.com
    LinkedIn-Makeover / linkedin-makeover.com

    1. Add a professional-looking picture to your profile.

    LinkedIn / Via linkedin-makeover.com

    Preferably a clear, well-lit headshot. "Professionals that add a photo are seven times more likely to have their LinkedIn Profile viewed in general than people who don’t have a photo."

    Source

    2. Create a great, clickable headline.

    Justin Racz / Via businessinsider.com

    Use industry-specific buzzwords in your headline--you'll show up in more searches and could get noticed in a sea of people. Also, don't be afraid to present your headline as a list, for example, "Social Media Strategist | Social Media Consultant | Facebook Pro | Social Media Speaker."

    Source

    3. Actually, make your entire profile SEO friendly.

    rafal_olechowski/rafal_olechowski

    Update your LinkedIn with words that are similar to those that would be in a job description. This is important for things that are in the top of your profile, since they pack in more power for your viewers.

    One way to find good keywords is to look at job descriptions and put that text into Wordle--see the most commonly used words and USE THEM. Also, if you do a couple of LinkedIn searches yourself, you can have a better grasp on what people look for.

    Source: Quora

    Source: Quora

    4. You can search anonymously but still see who views your profile — only in the LinkedIn app.

    LinkedIn / Via iclarified.com

    When you add the "Who's Viewed Your Profile" shortcut on the mobile app, you can search all you want, without being revealed, so you can stalk to your curiosity's content.

    Source

    5. Use the "Classmate" option so you don't have to use an email address to connect.

    LinkedIn / Via quora.com

    Okay yeah, so you both didn't go to the same school...but take a chance, you never know what will happen.

    Source: Quora

    6. Join a group to send messages to second or third degree connections.

    .shock

    When you want to send a message to someone that isn't a first level connection, join a group they're in. That way, you'll technically be closer to them and when you search the group's members page, you can message them easily from there. Or you can try OpenLink.

    Also, if you're active in the group, you can gain more visibility among industry insiders.

    Source

    7. Use a screenshot to actually see who viewed your profile.

    socialnewsdaily.com

    When someone looks at your profile, but it doesn't explicitly say who, you can search through a list of about 10 possible viewers. If it isn't obvious who it is after you look at the list, screen shot it and check the next day--LinkedIn renews the list, but keeps the one culprit every time.

    Source: Reddit

    8. You can make beautiful, printable resumes with LinkedIn.

    LinkedIn

    Making a presentable resume can now be quick and painless with LinkedIn's Resume Builder.

    Source: Reddit

    9. Keep your profile changes out of the network dashboard.

    LinkedIn / BuzzFeed

    Open your eyes to the wonders of LinkedIn settings. You can regulate a bunch of things, like your activity feed and visibility. Now people won't have to see the hundreds of times you changed your "Experience" section.

    Source: Quora

    10. Get the LinkedIn 1st Degree Search plug-in for Google Chrome.

    Google / Via chrome.google.com

    Now there is a LinkedIn equivalent to Facebook stalking. With the plug-in, you can search connections through your connections. Brilliant.

    Source: Quora

    11. Endorse and be endorsed.

    LinkedIn

    Sometimes you ignore those random endorsements, but little do you know that they help you appear higher and in more searches. So, endorse your friends, family, lovers, randos, and maybe you'll get some love in return.

    Source

    12. Easily reorder your sections based on personal preference.

    LinkedIn / Via blog.linkedin.com

    Although this has been a feature since 2010, the somewhat new LinkedIn layout really makes this worth doing. If you want certain portions on top, like your skills rather than your summary, do it!

    It's worth noting that recruiters keep their eyes on resumes for at least 6.2 seconds, often looking at these six items. Since LinkedIn is an online resume, this statistic is something to think about.

    Source

    13. Get the Cardmunch app.

    LinkedIn / Via blog.linkedin.com

    If you ever get a business card, but you're too lazy to sit down and search them on LinkedIn--scan it, upload it, and there you go. Although Cardmunch isn't available for Android users yet, all of you iPhone elites can get the app here.

    Source

    14. Save your searches.

    Raya Hristova / Raya Hristova

    The "Saved Searches" feature will help you keep track of job and industry postings. Instead of looking through your search archive all of the time, you can set up alerts that will tell you about any updates to your searches.

    Source