Tapping into the power of Linkedin

Whether you’re an intern or a Fortune 500 CEO, a LinkedIn profile has the power to get you noticed.

While it may not magically make your dream job appear, it’s a steppingstone to opportunities that could one day lead to that job.

“LinkedIn has 300 million people. It’s the largest database of business professionals and they’re adding a million people a week. Because of that, it’s the preferred site to do business,” said Wayne Breitbarth, author of “The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success.”

And no, LinkedIn doesn’t pay Breitbarth a cent. But he does make a living as a consultant helping people get the most out of LinkedIn.

So here are a few tips from Breitbarth and LinkedIn:

Use key words

They improve your rank on LinkedIn’s search engine. Start by finding job openings you want and look for common words. Breitbarth also offers a free worksheet at

powerformula.net, as well as one on profile headlines, which is the first and possibly last thing someone sees. Spend time on your profile’s headline, job titles and skills.

Add a summary

Explaining what you do — in 40 words or more — adds keywords a potential employer may be searching for.

Complete your profile

LinkedIn is always reminding users to complete their profile. The stats? Adding the industry you work in boosts profile views up to 15 times. Adding your education attracts 10 times more views. Profiles with photos get 14 times more views than those without.

Get endorsements

Recruiters find recommendations to be one of the most important pieces of a profile because it’s something other people wrote, according to Breitbarth’s annual survey.

Use it

Connect with people after meeting them. Don’t be afraid to approach strangers who can be beneficial to your job hunt — but always customize invitations to connect and explain why they should accept. The point is to grow your professional network.