Profile picture

A picture of you will enable people to recognise you when connecting, as people often remember the face but not the name. Find a photo that looks as professional as possible – your future employer doesn’t want to see what you dressed up as for Halloween or how many pints you can carry at once.

Information is king

Fill in as much relevant information as possible on your profile. Use as many keywords related to your job and experience as possible. Recruiters search LinkedIn by looking for key words, and the pages that mention the keywords the most are returned highest on the results list. Treat your profile as your online CV.

Connect

Start off by adding people you would have worked closely with, and then expand by adding close friends on LinkedIn.

Don’t just connect with everyone. If you want to connect with someone you haven’t spoken to before, then write them a little note saying why. If you are looking for a job, try connecting with three or four different recruiters and ask them for advice.

Get involved

Try to join a few groups related to your passion/job. Join in on discussions and make valid points related to your experience. The group will be unique to your experience and industry, so the more valid points you are making, the more likely you are to get noticed by someone in your industry.

Be professional

Remember, LinkedIn isn’t Facebook, it’s a professional networking site.