LinkedIn takes the traditional resume and splashes it with social networking to connect you with hundreds of thousands of industry professionals. People you would have to stake out at conferences to get a few seconds with are clicks away on LinkedIn. The only barrier between you and your next job or connection is what you bring to the table.

Network, Network, Network!

The key emphasis on LinkedIn is the social networking functionality. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Think about what your dream job is and make that your goal. How will you get hired for that position? Network with people in the field you want to work in. Ask to be introduced to a contact that does what you want to do and learn from them. At worse you don’t get the job but you do get the knowledge and insight a professional has to offer.

Introduce yourself and be polite. Don’t come off as someone who wants to strike an interview just to be hired right away. You are networking with real people, real professionals who have skills that you can learn from.

Brand Yourself

You are your own brand. Make what you do and why you’re good at it the forefront of your LinkedIn profile. Don’t insert your ego thought. I’d rather read a summary of what you do as “My name is John Smith and I’m a Web Designer that specializes in creating customized server side applications for small businesses to use. Companies such as Interactive Tech have used my Apps to help manage their employees.” The wrong way to do it is “I’m John Smith and I’m a great coder. I’ve done a lot of work for small companies and my services are in top demand.” The later doesn’t tell me what I want to know and frankly turns me off.

Make Yourself Memorable

People go through dozens of websites daily and connect with even more people online. Inserting a bit of personality in to your profile couldn’t hurt as long as it makes you memorable. Have you done something that has garnered millions of views across dozens of social media channels? Have you done non-profit work? Has your work paid off to get your company an increase in sales? These are all great things to highlight in your LinkedIn profile.

LinkedIn is a great network to connect with professionals. Branding yourself and making yourself memorable are all great steps to landing your next dream job. But these are only a few ways to use LinkedIn to find your next job. Have you used LinkedIn to find your next boss? What do you look for in a potential hire when pursuing their LinkedIn profile?