​There are plenty of ways to promote yourself online and one of the most effective methods in the careers market is LinkedIn. Founded 20 years ago, the website sees 49 million people use it to search for a job each week, six people get hired through the platform every minute, and 77 job applications are submitted every second. Impressive stats! But how do you make your profile stand out against the competition, and how can you use LinkedIn to your advantage?

Firstly you want to upload the right profile picture that says you mean business. Something professional but not long distance as you want your face to be nice and clear. Having a suitable background photo also counts too as it pulls people in and gives more context on what you’re about.

Don’t just put your current job title as your headline, make it something that’s unique to you and gives viewers more of an insight into your role. When that’s complete put time and effort into writing your summary that encapsulates what your passions, goals and achievements so far have been. This gives a great snapshot into what makes you tick and why potential future employers would be keen to want to work with you. However, avoid including over-used buzzwords such as ‘passionate’, ‘experienced’ and ‘leadership’, as it’ll read like a carbon copy of other profiles. Use imaginative words and back up your claims with real examples of how you have showcased these qualities in the past and list your relevant skills.

Recommendations from others speaks volumes. Get peers to write endorsements on your profile, colleagues who can give you a genuine message of support. By all means reach out to people and ask, as we’re sure they’d want the same in return as a favour. This will give outsiders an insight into what you’re like to work with.

Follow people and companies that you’re interested in and are influencers in your chosen industry. This will be a great opportunity to get inside their mindset and see what they’re interested in. Also, make sure to interact with their posts and articles. It’s the same as other social media sites, the more you comment, like and share, the more your profile will get noticed.

If you’ve hit a milestone or have completed a project that you’ve been working on for a while, give yourself a pat on the back and do a post about it. The LinkedIn community is a friendly one and people like to see others doing well. This also demonstrates that you’re keeping busy and progressing forward.

Let people know you’re available if you’re searching for a new job. This can be done in your headline or with the profile photo label that shares your current situation. Be bold and say exactly what you’re looking for. Another great tip is to get networking in your field. Perhaps someone you went to school or university with works for a company you’re striving to get a job at, they then might be able to make a connection, set up a meeting or offer some advice on getting your foot in the door. Also, companies are forever posting their latest job vacancies on their LinkedIn profile so make sure to keep checking on a regular basis.

Finally use LinkedIn as a great research tool. If you’ve got a job interview in the bag, look up the company on LinkedIn to keep up to date with their latest activities, or take a look at the CEO’s profile to see what their interests are and if you have anything in common. Putting the time in certainly helps to make that job offer one step closer.

Taking your career search seriously? At Omega we provide a wide range of temporary, contract and permanent opportunities, in partnership with leading employers locally and nationwide. We’ll work with you to find that perfect role, just leave the hard work to us. Speak to a member of our team on 01453 827333 to see how we can help you.