I wrote that I had been helping individuals in their job searches. One of the first pieces of advice I give is to update the LinkedIn profile.

“LinkedIn magnifies your networking for good or bad,” said Stephen Dupont, who gave a webinar on networking through LinkedIn. “A sparse profile looks like you don’t know what you are doing.”

Yikes!

Here are some tips to maximize your LinkedIn profile:

• Use your LinkedIn address in your email signature. That will enable people to click and learn more about you.
• Edit your profile descriptor as that is what shows up on Google. Most people have it as their current job title. Is that really how you want to be known? This is where you define your personal brand.
• Share details about you and your company.
• Position yourself as a thought leader. Post a comment about a trending topic relevant to your field. If you write a blog, post it to LinkedIn.
• Post jobs on LinkedIn for your company or that you know about.
• Make it easy to contact Include your email address and phone number and why a person should contact you.
• Post a photo. People are seven times more likely to look at your profile if you have a photo. People want to know with whom they are dealing.
• As with any writing, be sure to proof it before you post it.

As with anything, it’s also good to know what your goals are for being on LinkedIn.