LinkedIn is a job marketplace, a networking platform, and a career enhancer, as we know it. However, there is much more to the platform than what we tend to perceive. LinkedIn was launched in 2003 and it has evolved largely during all these years. The platform appeared as a resume builder and an online place for networking. In a very short span of time, the social media platform has emerged to be one of the leading networking platforms in the digital world.

An awful yet true reality is that we do not leverage the platform for its benefits as much as we should. LinkedIn developers think of the platform to be a great resource for both job seekers and opportunity providers. However, we lack the knowledge to fully understand and utilize it.LinkedIn is loaded with options that are in our interests. Many of its features we are using quite comprehensively while we are ignoring some of the very mains. The potential LinkedIn features can enhance our online profiles whether we are looking for jobs or seeking talents.

5 Amazing Features You are Greatly Missing Out on

If you are using LinkedIn you are in it for a treat. Today we are going to explore some great features and will learn how to use them for our maximum benefit.

Headline

This is one of the LinkedIn features in which you should not only state your current job position. Most people mistook this feature as a title, which it is certainly not. Your title should not only be saying Freelancer, Field Manager, Content Writer, or any of your occupation.

Here is how you should be leveraging this option. The headline feature is just like your news headlines. It must give a holistic overview of your skills, your work, and the services you are offering. That does not mean you get to write an essay about yourself. Like news headlines, LinkedIn headlines should be brief and specific. You get to have only 120 characters to play with and it is up to you how you are going to make the most out of them.

Be sure to make your headline enriched with keywords relevant to your work and service. This will make it easier for people to find you.

RecommendationLinkedIn

In one of the main LinkedIn features, we have recommendation. You can add anything to your resume to attract recruiters. You can also add as many skills as you like on LinkedIn whether or not you have them or not. But what credibility will those skills have until you have someone to endorse them?

Getting your skills endorsed by people you know or you have worked for actually runs in your favor. Most people do not bother to endorse their skills and that can have a negative impact on your profile while the recruiter is analyzing it.

If you have worked for someone you should ask them for a recommendation as it increases your chances of getting hired for the right skills in leading firms. Recruiters actually look for endorsed skills while screening applicants.

You can simply go to the person’s profile, click on three dots and ask for a recommendation. But you may have to personalize a recommendation request message to get it approved. You can then accept recommendations from the relevant profiles.

Search AlertSearch Alert

This is one of the most important LinkedIn features and is specifically designed for recruiters who do frequent searches on LinkedIn in search of talent. LinkedIn offers you to save your search results in the database so that it can provide relevant results and alters every time a profile matches your search.

You can save your searches and LinkedIn will save tags, descriptions, titles, and job roles that you are looking for. You can then turn on alerts for new profiles that match your queries. When you turn on alerts and notifications for new matches, you will be notified in alert sections on your recruiter profile.

LinkedIn Professional GalleryLinkedIn

To showcase your work, skills, and projects, LinkedIn offers you to create your personal portfolio on its own platform.

You do not need to host a website to create your portfolio nor do you need other platforms to create it. When you are using LinkedIn right, everything your recruiter is looking for he will find on your LinkedIn profile.

You can customize your portfolio of work by adding pictures, videos, and slide shares to the professional gallery. If your work is hosted by another website, you can also add links to the professional gallery.

How You are ConnectedLinkedin

It is important to build your network on LinkedIn just as it is on other social platforms. An increase in your connections strengthens your profile and lets people find you easily.

This does not mean you have to crowd your network with irrelevant connections and people you do not know. The ‘How You Are Connected’ option of LinkedIn lets you see how you know the person. It also suggests people that you may know from the connections existing in your profile.

This feature brings you closer to golden opportunities as connecting to relevant people means getting a chance to find work relevant to you.

To conclude, LinkedIn is bursting with opportunities for people who are in search of them. You need to rethink your approach towards the platform as it has the potential to boost your career with incredible success. The features listed above are only a few of many but using them will give you a good head start and make your profile stand out.

Related: Pro Tips to Set Up LinkedIn Profile for Job Seekers