Need a Job? Get LinkedIn

This post wraps up my series this week on why you need to get your social media profiles in order before you go job hunting. First, we talked about cleaning up Facebook. Wednesday, we talked about watching what you tweet. Today, we will make sure that you have your LinkedIn profile ready.

LinkedIn is a great network for professionals that is growing rapidly. Not only does it allow a means to maintain ties to former colleagues, it also provides an opportunity to prove your expertise.

Think of LinkedIn as your online résumé. You post your professional history and can solicit recommendations from people you have worked or done business with in the past. Depending on your industry and locale, your employer might decide to search for you here.

First, optimize your LinkedIn profile so that it works for you rather than just sitting there waiting to be read. Then you should link your profile to Twitter so that your LinkedIn status updates can match Twitter. This helps create the illusion that you are everywhere for those who only use one site or the other.

To help establish yourself as an expert in your field and gain credibility, you should participate in Groups and Answers. Just answering one question a day in a group or posed by someone in your network can help you establish yourself as a expert. One a day isn't much, but it adds up to 365.25 opportunities to build your credibility per year.

Just like Facebook and Twitter, your LinkedIn profile will rank high in search results for you. Make sure that it conveys your message exactly the way you want it.