Whether you’re actively looking for a new job or just want to keep your options open, LinkedIn has a lot to offer.  Of course, you need to have a robust LinkedIn profile. Today, LinkedIn is like Google for people, without an optimized profile it’s unlikely you’ll be seen in a recruiter’s search.

But creating a compelling LinkedIn profile is only the beginning. Over the last few years, LinkedIn has added several functions that can help you move forward in your job search.

Here are 4 ways to up your chances of finding a job through LinkedIn.

Tell Recruiters Your Looking

If you’re actively looking or even open to new opportunities, LinkedIn lets you tell recruiters you’re looking for free. It only takes a few minutes to go into your Settings & Privacy and set up your Job Seeking Preferences.

Once you click on Manage Job Alerts, LinkedIn allows you to edit your Career Interests. In Career Interests, you’ll have the opportunity to select Job titles you’re considering, types of jobs you’re open to, the size of the company you’d like to work for, and more. LinkedIn notes that while they can’t guarantee your employer won’t find out, they “take steps to keep Recruiter users who work at your company, as well as related companies, from seeing the career interests that you share.”

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If you’ve been looking for a new job for more than 5 minutes, you’ve heard that you need to target employers. Most often, the advice is to develop a list of target employers, i.e. the employers you would most like to work for. Then, find a way to network your way in.

This strategy is recommended for a few reasons.

First, the best way to hear about jobs is by regularly checking the career section of your target’s website and/or knowing someone who works there. As a former recruiter, I can say that the only reason that businesses don’t post open positions is when the person doesn’t know they are being replaced.

Second, a resume given directly to someone at a company is more effective than responding to an ad on a job board. This can also be incredibly helpful if done after you respond to an online ad.

FYI, if a recruiter contacts you about an open position where you have a connection be sure to mention it. They may ask you to reach out to your connection to help grease the wheels.

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As I tell my clients, today you are who the internet says you are. Which makes it essential for you to control the narrative. To do that you need to know what’s out there and monitor your online presence going forward.

Today recruiters and hiring managers are researching candidates online as part of the interview process. Make sure there are no surprises. Start by doing a Google search on yourself. This will give you an idea of what others will find out about you and anyone else with the same name.

While you may not realize it, there are probably dozens, if not 100’s, of people with your name out there. Searching my name on Google turns up 9K+ results. One of them is my ex-sister in law who’s a veterinarian in California. She’s nice, I don’t know anything about the rest of them.

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Everyone expects to have recruiters and potential employers view their LinkedIn profile. But what you may not realize they are probably checking you out via a Google search as well.

In 2015, 52% of employers were investigating candidates online as part of the hiring process according to a CareerBuilder survey. Imagine what the percentage is today.

I’ve spoken to CEO’s who personally research every potential hire online before making an offer. So be sure to monitor your online presence. And be careful what you write and post online.

Avoid Sending Negative Emails

My grandmother used to say don’t put anything in writing that you wouldn’t want to read on the front page of the newspaper. Today, that goes for email as well because you can’t control who, besides the intended party, will read it.

Your email may be forwarded, intentionally or unintentionally, to someone you don’t want to see it. Maybe even your boss. Don’t expect any privacy at the office as your email is probably being monitored by your employer.

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There’s a lot of career advice online. I’ve certainly written my share. Despite all the easily accessible career information, several myths seem to remain.

The most obvious is that the best way to find a job is to apply for as many employment ads as possible. It’s not. Spending all day working the job boards is unlikely to land you a job.

Creating a list of target employers and strategically networking your way into the company will yield better results.

Here are 6 common job search myths that continue to persist.

#1 You can’t get a job through social media.

While you may not get hired by sending a tweet, employers are increasingly turning to social media for recruiting purposes. Corporate and contingency recruiters have been on social media for years. Many post jobs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and even twitter.

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Barely a week goes by without news of someone getting fired over a post on social media. Some are truly horrific, like the bankers who were fired because they thought it would be fun to reenact a beheading. Others are merely stupid, like the Colorado teacher who was canned after posting racy tweets.

But, what you may not realize is that inappropriate behavior on social media can also keep you from getting hired in the first place.

Today 52 percent of employers are investigating candidates online as part of the hiring process, up from 43 percent in 2014, and 39 percent in 2013 according to a 2015 report from CareerBuilder.  In the study, 48 percent of employers who reported researching candidates on social media said that something they found caused them not to hire the candidate.

What turns employers off?

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Like most things, a key element of job search success is planning. Unfortunately, many job seekers just jump right in. They begin looking at job ads and internal opportunities.

Bad idea.

Most people wouldn’t just put their home on the market without some planning. They would consider different neighborhoods, maybe research realtors, and evaluate mortgage rates. They would appraise their home and find out what they should repair or replace to get top dollar.

Yet every day, people decide that today they’re going to start looking for a new job. Once they find a few exciting opportunities they dust off their old resume and realize it needs an overhaul.

They quickly find that jumping into a job search without planning doesn’t lead to success. Here are 5 things you need to do before you begin your job search.

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For better or worse, 2016 is over. Time to make 2017 a great year. If one of the ingredients of your great year is a new job, it’s time to get going.

Even if you’re not actively looking, you should make many of these activities part of your life. You should always have your resume ready to go and an ongoing practice of networking.

If you are actively looking, get started on this list today.

Get Ready

First, make sure you resume is recruiter ready. Your resume is your calling card so make sure that it is a marketing document, which clearly demonstrates your value, not a boring employment history. Your resume should convey how you can solve a potential employer’s problems and be presented in an modern format.

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Today marks one of the most historical elections of our lives. It’s also the end of a divisive election season. One that most of us are eager to see end.

While this is not a political post, there are many career lessons to be learned from this election cycle. Here are 3 things to remember.

Be Careful with Email

My grandmother used to say don’t put anything in writing that you wouldn’t want to see in the paper. Today, that goes for email as well. While it’s unlikely that your email will be hacked by a foreign entity you can’t control who, besides the intended party, will read it.

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Increasing numbers of recruiters and employers are conducting online searches on job candidates. In response, many job seekers are completing their LinkedIn profiles and being a little more careful about what they post online.

But, the truth is that’s not enough because what’s published online can stay there forever. It’s up to you to research your digital footprint and monitor your online presence going forward.

Initial Search

Before you begin your job search, make sure you know what is out there. Pretend you’re a recruiter and conduct your own online search. Try searching on your name and variations of you name.

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