Working, you say. What am I supposed to do? I just want people to know what I do and my work history.

Your LinkedIn profile is often the first thing prospective employers and guardians see regarding your background. You know yours is working if you get introductions, chat invites, and even interviews. You can query to see a sample of who reads your profile.

Go to your ‘Home’ page and see on the right hand side: ‘Who has viewed my profile’, click: ‘see more’.

If you’ve connected or been referred to any of the organizations listed and didn’t get the results you wanted, you most likely need to change your profile. If you didn’t contact the organizations listed, they likely thought you were interested but saw no reason to move forward. Something is missing from your profile.

Most people believe that a LinkedIn profile is just a truncated version of a resume. Could not be farther from the truth. It may be the most important job search tool you have. Linda Tancs, Careers Writer for NJ.com says: A successful LinkedIn profile takes effort.

Your profile is a marketing piece. Your profile is a tool that, when used correctly, will entice the reader to learn more. A tool that tells the hiring authority and the people who refer them exactly why they want to talk to you, right away.

That’s a big job for such a small part of the media. But think about your own behavior. How often do you ‘research’ someone before you talk to them or when you just think you canwantTo talk to them?

Where do you start? First, let readers know how to contact you if they are interested. Use your public email address (hotmail or gmail, for example) and insert it near the top of your profile. Do you need some ‘air’ around you? Type a period/enter to create a blank line above and below your email address.

Most common mistake? Your LinkedIn profile is valuable digital property; use it wisely. If you want viewers to know how old you are right off the bat, say “19 years of experience managing new product designs.” Don’t tell readers how old you are. Tell them what is the most important achievement in which they would be most interested.

“I launched seven unique products in six seconds with no budget and one hand tied behind my back.”

What is not. Your profile is a marketing tool, not a biography. You do not need to list all of your jobs or all of your positions. It is neither a resume nor a legal document.

If you want to list past companies to appeal to certain populations, go ahead, but only list those. Leaving a lot of white makes for a more enjoyable viewing experience. Leaving a lot to the imagination encourages people to contact you.

Your opinion doesn’t count. Readers are not interested in their own view of your work. “Successful marketing executive with an impressive track record of product launches” may be true, but your readers need proof, not your opinions. Try to give examples of your success and let your work speak for itself.

Other people’s opinions count a lot. Use the ‘references’ section with enthusiasm. Invite people who have worked for you, with you, and who have run it to comment. Notice that the first line is visible. Remake them to be jokes (ask permission to modify) to encourage readers to click through to read more.

Invite referrals over time so your updates consistently show up on your network’s radar. Nothing better to help them remember what a good person you are and keep you in mind when they hear about a job or someone you should meet.

Resist the urge to respond immediately to anyone who gives you a referral. Space your answers out over time so they appear in the updates sections and also to get around the quid pro quo appearing in the references.

More white space. Unless your group memberships are related to your profession, leave the logos out of your profile. Go to the membership section of each and click the ‘show logo’ box.

Do you have a blog? I encourage all of my clients to create and maintain an industry specific blog to enhance their personal marketing efforts. If your blog titles don’t fit your professional job search efforts, write some new ones. These headlines are an effective way for viewers to learn more about you. Use them wisely.

Needless to say, although you may have noticed how often I am forced to say, check your spelling and grammar. A mistake can put viewers off because they immediately jump to “Not detail oriented” or “sloppy” or worse, “illiterate.” Invite someone to review your profile before posting because often we can’t see our own mistakes.

When you really love your profile, when you think it’s compelling and a great personal ad, incorporate your profile address into your email signature and use it every time you blog or reply to an online blog. Spread this piece of marketing and you become your own advertising agency.

For more tips on using LinkedIn for the job search, download his free white paper: LinkedIn for the Job Search.