There are two kinds of LinkedIn users: those who set up their profile and sit back, waiting to be found by employers — they might job search on LinkedIn and read a few posts, but they don’t interact much with their network — and, then there are those who use LinkedIn to interact with their connections, to start conversations in groups, and extend their network – leading eventually to unseen and sometimes unexpected opportunities.

We know that interacting with your connections and making new ones is the best way to advance your career and possibly get access to those jobs that are not advertised, and yet many job seekers don’t make the best of the opportunities offered by LinkedIn to do so. As with every aspect of social media, there isn’t only one way of getting things done, but there some things LinkedIn users can do, which are worth trying.

To help with that LinkedIn recently introduced new features to the desktop design, with the stated goal of increasing interactivity and conversations among users.

These updates include:

To help you interact directly with your network, there is a new real-time messaging interface, which makes it easier to message a connection wherever you are on LinkedIn. The site also intends to help job seekers by providing information about useful contacts – for example, suggesting contacts in jobs you may be interested in, and offering you other information about relevant contacts worth following up with, based on your profile and activities.

To help you find people, companies, groups, posts and jobs, LinkedIn have enhanced the search bar, allowing users to search for anything from on one search, with options to narrow the search in various ways.

To encourage you to engage with others, LinkedIn plan to offer better insights into who’s viewing your content, including details about the job titles and companies of those who are interested in your updates. This will give you a chance to assess the impact of your posts, to make sure you are reaching those people whom you intend to reach.

To make your profile stand out better, LinkedIn will offer specific suggestions for your profile, including suggesting skills sought by recruiters in your field.

To better understand the impact of your shares, users will be able to learn more about who is viewing their shares with detail about them such as their companies, job titles and locations.

So, if you are one of those more passive LinkedIn users, get onto the site and use this opportunity to change the way you use it, to strengthen your network relationships, have a better impact, and expand their network further.

Dear Joanna,

I’m preparing my LinkedIn summary. I’ve been warned not to use the word “I” in the summary part by the employment counsellors yet I have read opposing advice about what to write and what NOT TO write on my summary. What do you recommend?

Signed: Worst Words (WW)

Dear WW

That’s a great question. In addition to the feedback that I have received from employers as a job developer, as well as Liz Ryan’s blog on this topic, here are five approaches to consider NOT using, when writing your LinkedIn Summary:

1. **“I am a motivated and experienced professional“**

Stay away from fluffy soft skills language including “I’m savvy, smart and strategic”. The same applies for the resume and cover letter. LinkedIn is viewed by many recruiters and potential contacts, who don’t have time to read your whole profile. You have less than 5 seconds to grab the readers’ attention. Make your profile strong. You can do this by building your professional brand in your summary.

2. “I am a Jack / Jill of all trades“

Don’t be a generalist. It is impossible to do everything well. I agree with Liz Ryan when she says that this is a “desperate message that doesn’t give anyone confidence. It’s up to you to decide what kinds of jobs you want and to brand yourself for those opportunities”. Be specific and detailed. Professionally brand your skills, experience and qualifications in a clear and concise way so that the reader understands your expertise and value quickly. Write about your career path – the one you are on and one you want to achieve.

3. “I’m an expert/guru/virtuoso/wizard/smart“

Confident people don’t praise themselves. Fearful people brag about themselves in praising adjectives — savvy, strategic, insightful, and more. What you should do is present your experiences, skills, qualifications, achievements, publications, projects and other concrete and relevant information in your summary for the readers, who might not know you.

4. “I’m open to all job opportunities“

Impossible. No one is open to everything. You sound desperate and unprofessional. Also, the reader has no idea how to connect with you. Focus in on certain jobs and certain organizations, the way good salespeople focus on their most important prospects. It’s not a recruiter’s or hiring manager’s job to decide what you’re supposed to do next in your career; that’s your job!

5. “I…”

There is mixed feedback from employers regarding the use of the first person vs third person in your summary. Most recommend that the content should be consistent with your resume and in the third person. This aligns with your efforts to professionally brand yourself in terms of the value added service and expertise that you can offer employers and your current and potential contacts. Using “I” might make you sound egotistical — as if you are telling a story which has far less credibility than showcasing the facts of accomplishments, skills, experience and qualifications. That said, some sectors respond well to a more friendly tone.

In addition to listening to advice from professionals, make sure to review other LinkedIn summaries of professionals in your field. Look for the successful, well-connected, well established fellow professionals and learn from their profiles.