Outperform 51% of LinkedIn members in an afternoon

LinkedIn is a platform where a lot of people feel like they “should” have a presence, but don’t really know what it should look like or what the actual purpose is.

Sound familiar? That’s okay.

LinkedIn is useful if you’re building a professional network, maintaining connections, looking for a job, or want to be seen as an industry expert. LinkedIn usage can vary depending on your industry, but if you’re curious about this topic, chances are good that it’s worthwhile for you.

And can I be perfectly honest? You don’t have to do a lot on LinkedIn to have a competitive edge. Last I checked, only 51% of LinkedIn users have a fully completed profile. So by simply completing your profile you can set yourself apart from a large number of users.

Plus it makes you an All-Star, and who doesn’t want that? All-Star professionals are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn.

Here’s what you need to complete on your profile in order to become an All-Star on LinkedIn.

1. Industry and location

These should be accurate and up-to-date, of course.

2. A current position (including description)

If your title is unclear, make note of what you actually do. For example, my fun job title has the potential to be confusing, so I’ve made sure to briefly clarify what my role actually is.

3. Two past positions

You’ll need at least two past positions to reach All-Star level on LinkedIn. What if you’re just out of school, and don’t have two professional positions? List an internship or even a volunteer position, and use the description to show how those positions contribute to your career-readiness.

4. Education

Include your education, even if you’ve been out of school for a while. That’s useful for at least two reasons: to achieve All-Star status, yes, but also so that other alumni can find you for networking or job purposes.

5. Skills

You know you’ve got them. Include at least three skills that are relevant to your career, or to your future career goals.

6. Profile photo

This should be a professional-looking photo where your face is the main part of the photo. You don’t have to pay someone to take a professional headshot—in fact, my husband took the above picture in our backyard after I got a hair cut I really liked. Truth.

Whatever you do, just make sure it looks like you! And that there aren’t any other people or pets in the photo.

7. At least 50 connections

In order to have All-Star status on LinkedIn, you need to have at least 50 connections. I recommend adding new connections after you’ve done everything else to create or improve your profile. That way, people will be sure they know you and will be more likely to accept your request.

If your LinkedIn profile is incomplete, I strongly encourage you to update it and get yourself up to All-Star status. You can probably get all seven of these things done in an afternoon!

Your profile will be more appealing to potential connections or even future employers. Whether you’re just starting to grow your professional network or you want to grow the one you already have, becoming an All-Star on LinkedIn can help you accomplish a lot in a relatively small amount of time.