Whether you like it or not, and whether you share it or not, your LinkedIn profile is constantly being reviewed by prospective employers. Recruiters use LinkedIn profiles as they source candidates, managers and interviewers use it to get better insight into the candidate. My passion and profession is recruiting. I eat, drink, sleep, and yes, dream about finding great candidates for the positions I recruit for.  And I want you to understand how important your LinkedIn profile is to your career.  In some cases, it is more important than your resume since this is the first document that a prospective employer may be reviewing.

Today, it’s critical for you (especially if you are looking for a job) to ensure that you a have LinkedIn profile that represents who you are professionally in the best light possible. So, here are some tips that I hope will help you get noticed on LinkedIn.

1. The Headline on your profile is your first opportunity to set yourself apart from everyone. Use this to express not only what you do now but what you want to be as well. Avoid using clichés or being overly quirky. Express who you are in a professional manner.

2. The industry that you work in is very important. Be sure to identify the industry that’s the closest match.

3. Social media is all about who gets noticed and what gets noticed. An easy way to do this on LinkedIn is to publish posts relevant to your role and your industry.

4. Just like your resume, the summary section of your Linkedin profile is very important, and in order for your profile to pop up in relevant searches you must include keywords relevant to your profession.

5. When it comes to your professional experience, please be sure to provide as much detail as possible. In addition to attracting the right type of attention to your profile this will help you keep the unwanted ones at bay.

6. You can also add videos and presentations to display your expertise. A visual representation always gives it an additional edge.

7. The skills section is where you can add all your skills, but please be sure to order them in light of what your experience and interest level is to each,

8. You can also join relevant groups, but remember not all of them have to be visible on your profile. Pick and choose the ones that you want to display and use it to your advantage.

9. Volunteering experience is often just as important as your work experience. It can get you noticed by companies with deep social responsibility missions. It’s also something that can help you show your initiative to be involved with organizations if you have a gap in your work history.

10. Providing complete details on your education is very important on profiles. If you graduated with a distinction, don’t forget to brag about it.

But most important of all, always keep your profile up to date with recent and relevant information since what’s important to you and to employer’s surely will change tomorrow. Believe me, it’s worth your time!